Norway ready to share experiences in developing national seafood brand

According to Mette Møglestue, Deputy Head of Mission at the Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian government gives special development priority to the green economy, as 70% of Norway's export revenue originates from marine economic sectors. Furthermore, Norway is a world leader in the fisheries exploitation and aquaculture industry, with core values centered on sustainable development and environmental protection.

Norway highly values Vietnam's goals in the fisheries sector, which include reducing the intensity of natural marine resource exploitation and enhancing mariculture in suitable areas as outlined in the Vietnam Fisheries Development Strategy until 2030

"From Norway's perspective, Vietnam has been favorably positioned to engage in global value chains, harness its oceanic potential, and utilize ocean resources responsibly and sustainably," emphasized Deputy Head of Mission Mette Møglestue.

According to Mette Møglestue, "Vietnam and Norway have a long-standing history of cooperation in aquaculture and fisheries exploitation. The bilateral cooperative partnership between both countries has transitioned from development aid to trade promotion. Norway and Vietnam are two leading seafood exporters in the world, with Norway ranking second and Vietnam third."

Mette Møglestue reported that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway signed a memorandum of understanding on May 21, 2021 to enhance trade cooperation in aquaculture and seafood trade. 

Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam, recently visited Oslo, the capital of Norway, and met with Kristina Hansen, State Secretary of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries of Norway. The two leaders discussed various issues including sustainable fisheries, legal compliance, fisheries control and management, and anti-IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing.

Most recently, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien and Norway's Ambassador to Vietnam, Hilde Solbakken, in companion with leaders from both countries, reaffirmed their continued bilateral cooperation through experience sharing, expert exchanges, technology transfer in sustainable aquaculture, trade promotion and bilateral investment.

Notably, Norway will provide technical support to establish requirements for industrial mariculture and share successful experiences in building national brands for seafood products in the international market.

Expressing pride in the longstanding cooperative partnership in the fisheries sector between Norway and Vietnam, particularly with the Directorate of Fisheries under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam since the inception of Vietnam's Law on Fisheries, Deputy Head of Mission Mette Møglestue remarked: "Through technical support activities, sponsorship, and the sharing of information and experiences, we highly commend the positive development of Vietnam's fisheries sector towards greater sustainability and higher economic efficiency."

According to Mette Møglestue, as leading seafood exporting nations, Norway and Vietnam both understand the importance of a strong national brand, along with other factors such as quality, nutritional value, and sustainable farming and fishing practices, in enhancing the export value of seafood products.

"Norway is always ready to share its knowledge and experience as Vietnam builds a strong national brand for mariculture and seafood exports," emphasized Mette Møglestue.

Norway is a world leader in the fisheries exploitation and aquaculture industry, with core values centered on sustainable development and environmental protection, alongside the continuous enhancement of economic values and the international reputation of its seafood products. On the other hand, Vietnam possesses substantial potential for developing sustainable aquaculture.

Through cooperation, information sharing, and experience exchange, Norway and Vietnam can inspire each other to further enhance the value of their seafood exports. This collaboration effort includes the development of a strong national brand for Vietnamese seafood exports.

Norway is the world's largest seafood exporter, with a value of 172 billion NOK and an export volume of 2.8 million tons. Norwegian seafood has established its presence across 153 markets worldwide. Notably, Norwegian salmon is the country's key seafood export, accounting for over 71.3% of its total export volume. Other key exports include cod, chub mackerel, herring, black cod, among others. The highlight of Norwegian seafood is its focus on traceable products.