Sandberg wants doubling of fishing industry
Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg thinks the fishing industry should double the fishing done to 200 billion NOK in five years.
– 200 billion is possible, but one must desire it. I see no reason why fisheries industry should not be the leading Norwegian industry in the future.
We have lots of assumptions and need to get the industry running in a sustainable venture, twenty percent growth in the year is possible, says Sandberg to the newspaper VG.
It is already a record year for the fishing industry at 90 billion, but Sandberg says the industry must invest beyond salmon and farmed fishing to achieve the goal
– We are completely dependent on getting up catch levels for cod, white fish and pelagic fish (mackerel and herring). Growth in both farming and fishing could provide thousands of new jobs along the coast, said Sandberg.
Market Insights Director Asbjørn Warvik Rørtveit in Norwegian Seafood Council is positive.
– We enjoy very good signals from Sandberg and will do our part so that the industry can grow in coming years, he said.
So far this year, Norwegian seafood exports are 56.3 billion NOK where the salmon constitutes 37.8 billion NOK, followed by cod 5.8 billion NOK.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
———-
