European seafood association AIPCE calls for urgent action on Norwegian fish

In Norway, farmed salmon is classified into three grades: premium, normal and production. Any fish with deformities or scars is considered production grade fish, and it is illegal for Norwegian companies to export these fish without processing. They must be processed domestically first. This situation has led to a significant distortion in the market for processed salmon products within the EU, as "production grade" salmon fillets exported from Norway compete directly with fillets made from "premium" or "normal" salmon on the EU market. The price difference between these supply chains is currently around €4.30 (US$4.61) to €4.50 (US$4.82) per kilogram, which is equivalent to a 30% gap in the price of fillets. In a letter to the European Council and the European Commission today, AIPCE-CEP said that this gap "seriously" hinders the competitiveness of the EU industry, forcing many companies to reduce production and lay off employees. On March 11, the European Commission's trade ...