Norway explores seafood opportunities in Ghana and Ivory Coast

Seafood opportunities in Ghana and Ivory Coast.Photo:Norway's Seafood Council

Norway’s Seafood Council has invited Norwegian seafood business people to be a part of an ‘exciting and educational’ delegation trip to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in late August.

 

As part of the strategy for new markets, the Seafood Council can be a door opener for the Norwegian seafood industry. The two countries on the west coast of Africa have been identified as promising seafood markets for pelagic fish and salmon, but also show potential for dried fish, and other conventional products that have been sold there previously.
 
Potential for Norwegian seafood
 
The Seafood Council’s project manager for Central and West Africa, Trond Kostveit, who already knows the region well, has recently seen seafood opportunities in several countries.
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‘Both Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire look like exciting destinations for Norwegian seafood, and some pelagic fish and salmon are already sold there. Historically, small quantities of seafood have been exported from Norway to these countries, but I think this can be changed if there are contacts between Norwegian exporters and importers in the countries concerned,’ said Kostveit. There are also good opportunities for Norwegian salmon aimed at a fast growing sectort of hotels and restaurants in Ghana.
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‘Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire are relatively stable countries politically, with growing markets and promising economies. Recently, a decision was made to close the local fishery in Ghana for three months due to overfishing, which will lead to increased import demand, especially for pelagic species, Kostveit said.
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As reported in Norway Today in mid April, it might also be borne in mind that ‘Research Director, Tor Næsje, at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, and Professor Jeppe Kolding at the University of Bergen, believe that it is ‘incomprehensible’ that the Norwegian government support the spread of new, invasive species of fish into Africa’s lakes and rivers, according to Dagens Næringsliv newspaper.
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‘Nile tilapia, which belong in the Nile, as used now in new Saharan fish farms, are escaping and spreading at record speed to new rivers and lakes and are about to destroy the natural resource base for millions of people.
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For me, as a fish resource biologist, it is incomprehensible that we are doing this’, said Næsje.

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today