FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Norway’s seafood council sets up regional office in Bangkok

Norway’s seafood council sets up regional office in Bangkok

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) has set up its regional office in Bangkok to strengthen operations in Southeast Asia.

Asbjorn Warvik Rortveit, NSC’s Southeast Asia regional director, said: “I’m very proud to represent the Norwegian Seafood Council in this region, and I’m especially happy to be stationed here in Bangkok. The Norwegian seafood industry highlights food safety, animal welfare, sustainable production, and minimal use of antibiotics, things we know Thai consumers pay attention to. I, therefore, look forward to teach Thai consumers the benefits of seafood from Norway”.
The NSC said Thailand is the fastest-growing seafood market in Southeast Asia with export volume of 29,000 tonnes worth Bt4.5 billion. Seafood, especially salmon, has become very popular in Thailand as a healthy lifestyle has become more trendy. 
The NSC said it was committed to developing a closer relationship between the Norwegian and Thai seafood industries.
Norway exports high-quality seafood to various markets globally. Thailand is currently the most significant market in Southeast Asia with high potential for growth in the future, the NSC said.
Thailand imports large volumes of fresh seafood from Norway, especially salmon, and Norway has dominated the fresh export market with a market share of 98 per cent  since 2018. The volume of fresh Norwegian salmon exported to Thailand exceeded 10,000 tonnes for the first time in 2018.
By the third quarter of 2019, salmon and trout exports exceeded 11,000 tonnes. The NSC also plans market activities in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C). Particularly in the B2B market, the NSC has partnered with many restaurants in Thailand such as Sushi Den, Zen, S&P and Thammachart, the NSC said. “Salmon Academy is a popular training programme we use to educate our partners about Norwegian salmon and fjord trout. For the B2C market, the NSC aims to build a clear identity for fresh Norwegian salmon and fjord trout, and strengthen the position as the most suitable fish for raw consumption," the NSC said
“In Thailand, there is a good potential for growth for the Norwegian seafood industry. The Norwegian Seafood Council is committed to provide the world’s best-quality seafood to Thailand and Southeast Asia,” Rortveit said.
Kjersti Rodsmoen, Norway’s ambassador to Thailand, said: “I am delighted to continue the long-established bond of Thailand and Norway by welcoming the new regional office of NSC in the Embassy of Norway in Bangkok and supporting the best seafood products from Norway to Thailand.”

nationthailand