Landings in Northern Norway

The figures on the dashboard below provide an overview of landings of fish in the period 2016-2020 in the northern Norwegian counties, where it is also possible to filter by length of vessel and fish species. In addition, an overview is given of the development within catch volume and catch value in the counties, and in the largest fishing municipalities in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark.

Slide 1
In 2020, 728,000 tonnes of wild-caught fish were landed in the 10 largest fishing municipalities in northern Norway. Around 60 per cent of the fish taken ashore are fished by the largest vessels, ie fishing vessels that are 28 meters or more.

Tromsø is the municipality that receives the most wild-caught fish.
Cod dominates the volume in northern Norway, followed by herring, saithe and haddock. In Nordland, the volume is largest for herring. is still the largest catch volume within herring.

While the total annual catch volume has decreased slightly from 2016-2020, the catch value has had a gradual growth in the same period. This is related to supply and demand in the market, which in turn is related to access to quotas.

Slide 2
Within cod fishing, the volume has decreased, at the same time as the catch value has increased from 2016. This applies to all counties in the north, and to larger and smaller fishing vessels. Nordland differs from the other counties, and especially from Troms, in that a significantly larger part of the cod catch is picked up by smaller vessels.
For herring, both volume and catch value have increased from 2016 to 2020. This applies to both Nordland and Troms, even though the volume is far greater in Nordland. Most of the herring fishing goes on larger boats. Finnmark has little herring fishing.

Slide 3
In Nordland, the development over the last ten years has been in the direction of catching more wild-caught fish. The opposite has been the case for Troms and Finnmark.

From 2011-2020, the catch volume in Nordland increased by 28 per cent, while Troms and Finnmark had a decrease of 7 per cent. During the same period, Nordland increased its share of the total catch volume on a national basis, while the share in Troms and Finnmark decreased.

Despite the decline in volume, catch values ​​increased most in Troms and Finnmark. In 2020, they were almost 67 per cent above the level in 2011. Correspondingly, the increase in Nordland was around 50 per cent. Both counties increased their share of the total catch value on a national basis, but where the increase was strongest in Troms and Finnmark.

Different prices and price developments for the different fish species help to explain that different developments for catch volume and catch value do not follow the same development.

The fisheries are an important economic resource for Northern Norway and Norway. The industry contributes to economic sustainability through employment and value creation, which in turn helps to even out inequalities and reduce poverty. At the same time, fishing must be at a level that ensures that it can continue indefinitely, and less catch means less is managed in such a way that it does not adversely affect other species and habitats in the ecosystem. It is therefore important that the fisheries comply with current laws and adapt to changing environmental conditions.