Holy mackerel! Halibut is getting Norwegian fishermen out of deep water

While Norway is experiencing a decline in salmon and mackerel exports, other seafood products such as trout are coming more and more under the spotlight. But also, Greenland halibut has promising selling figures. The almost-forgotten delicacy is especially popular in China.

"She's not easy to trick," says fishing guide Stale Botterli while steering his small motorboat to shallow waters where the brown-reddish flounder likes to hunt its bait.

Indeed, Greenland halibut is one of Norway's most difficult fish to catch with a rod... but given the saturated salmon market, luxurious halibut meat could be a profit-yielding alternative.

"It's a very very beautiful tender white meat that just falls apart," Botterli adds with a smile.

All of the sudden he feels a pull on his rod. "Yeah! We've got a small halibut," he yells and pulls the flat fish out of the Arctic waters.

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Despite the Greenland halibut going under the radar for many, the intensive trawling and angling of the reddish-brown flounder is of great value for fishermen in northern Norway. 

Last year, the Scandinavian kingdom exported about 10,000 tons of Greenland halibut to China, making it Norway's top market for this fish. China's primary supply of Greenland halibut comes from Greenland, which exported about 26,000 tons in 2023, with Norway being the second-largest supplier.

While halibut exports have been small but stable, the Norwegian Seafood Council recorded a significant decline in salmon exports by about 17,000 tons between the first half of 2023 and the same period in 2024. According to the council, this is due to increased prices and market saturation, leading to a shift towards cheaper alternatives like trout which has risen by about 7,800 tons.

‌Mackerel exports have dropped by around 19,000 tons. This decline is due to most mackerel being landed by foreign boats, such as English and Scottish vessels, which have started landing more locally due to new UK government initiatives.

‌Meanwhile, Stale is trying to catch more halibut. "A lot of waiting... but when she hits - it's worth it," he says. Time will tell whether the Norwegian flounder can one day reach export numbers like salmon and mackerel.

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