Norway, UK ministers pledge to bolster countries’ seafood bond

Strengthening the longstanding seafood ties that exist between Norway and the United Kingdom can help many commercial players and the wider value chain weather the severe headwinds that they’re continuing to face, Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) CEO Christian Chramer said at the 2023 edition of the annual Norway-UK Seafood Summit, held in London’s Fishmongers’ Hall on 27 February.

Framing the current economic landscape as “very difficult,” after almost three “long and hard Covid years,” the seafood economy is now being heavily disrupted by a war in Ukraine that’s now entering its second year, which is in turn contributing to much higher energy and cost-of-living expenses.

Collectively, these and other challenges are leading to crises in key seafood markets, Chramer said. At a consumer level, there’s both a decrease in purchasing power and growing competition from other protein sources and food sectors.

“These are challenging times for many companies,” he said. “Many of the factors that we all thought would be stable, long-term situations have become more unpredictable than ever before.”

But as difficult as the situation is, these are also fascinating and important times for seafood, Chramer insisted.

“These are times when we must unite to survive and work hard for future solutions,” he said. 

Norway Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy Bjørnar Selnes Skjæran told the summit the Norway-U.K. free trade agreement (FTA) that came into effect in December 2021 has already been and will continue to be crucial for the seafood sector moving forward – providing a “predictable framework for trade,” and enabling companies and exporters on both sides to lower costs and explore new opportunities.

“It’s more important than ever to strengthen our ties,” Skjæran said. “Luckily, the United Kingdom and Norway have a strong and long-held partnership – we are close allies, partners, and friends in peacetime and in times of crisis.”

U.K. Minister of Food, Farming, and Fisheries Mark Spencer said the country’s post-Brexit status as an independent coastal state will take its relationship with Norway on to a “whole new level,” and that the two countries can grow together by sharing experiences, collaborating to overcome challenges, and promoting shared ambitions. Maintaining these supply chains is ... 

Photo courtesy of U.K. government