NORWAY
A decline in Norwegian consumption of seafood is being fought at several levels
Putting ďŹ sh back on the menu Seafood is declining in popularity in Norway, a country with one of the world’s highest ďŹ gures for per capita consumption. Falling interest in seafood is prompting the authorities and institutions to ďŹ nd out the reasons behind this development and devise ways to counter it. a number of initiatives backed by a network of public and private institutions have been put in place to reverse this trend. Among these is the Norwegian Directorate of Health, a body with a mandate to improve the general level of health among Norwegians. A recent report from the directorate analyses developments in the Norwegian diet. What people eat is among the factors closely related to the risks of developing illnesses and of premature death and the directorate’s recommendations regarding diet, nutrition, and physical
activity are intended to reduce these risks. The sustainability of a diet is also an aspect that is taken into consideration when making national recommendations today and a healthy diet, meaning one with a high content of fruit, vegetables, and whole grain products and a low content of red and processed meats, is generally more sustainable. The report finds that the development in Norwegian eating habits between 2008 and 2018 has been mixed. Sugar and milk consumption declined, that of vegetables increased, consumption of meat decreased slightly, while that of
fish fell considerably. In 2018, Norwegians ate 2.6 times more meat than fish, a figure that was 2.2 in 2008.
Several factors behind the fall in seafood consumption The decline in seafood consumption in Norway is well documented. Studies commissioned by the Norwegian Seafood Council, a body owned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries to promote Norwegian seafood to the world, show that consumption in Norway has declined across
Andreas Lindlahr/Norwegian Seafood Council
N
orway is the world’s largest exporter of fish and seafood in terms of value after China. The country is however not only an impressive exporter but is also an avid consumer of fish and seafood products. Within Europe, it is only the Icelandics and the Portuguese who eat more seafood than the Norwegians. However, as in many countries, even those with a long tradition of eating seafood, consumption in Norway is declining. Seafood is associated with a number of health benefits both in children and adults. Falling fish consumption therefore can have repercussions on public health, so
Norwegian seafood consumption in terms of whole round weight
40.00
kg/captia/year
35.00 30.00 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00
2003
2005
2007
2008
Source: Utviklingen i norsk kosthold 2019
2009
2010
2011
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018 Őž
*Provisional
08_NORWAY (NO).indd 27
2012
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