China repeals salmon ban

Flag of ChinaFlag of China. Photo Wikipedia

Since 2015, Nordland, Troms and Sør-Trøndelag have been banned from exporting salmon to China. Now China has lifted restrictions.

 

The reason for the restrictions was fear that Chinese fish would be infected with fish diseases such as PD and ILA, which were detected in the excluded counties’ produce.

“This is a new milestone on the way into the Chinese market, and great news for our seafood companies. Now, salmon producers from all over Norway can sell salmon to China. There is a huge potential in China for further development of the trade in seafood,” said Fisheries Minister, Per Sandberg of Fremskrittsparti (Frp).

Most countries, including Norway, have no restrictions on fish that have had these diseases, as it is not dangerous to eat salmon with PD. However, China has had such a requirement, and last year, China and Norway signed a salmon protocol in which the parties agreed that only salmon from fish farms without suspicion or detection of the fish diseases, ILA or PD, could be exported.

Now, the Chinese authorities have abolished these restrictions with immediate effect.

Nordland, Troms and Sør-Trøndelag account for almost half of total Norwegian salmon production, which amounts to about 500,000 tonnes of salmon per year.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today