BEIJING (September 8th, 2010) — On October 13th, Norwegian Seafood Export Council (NSEC) will reach a significant milestone when Norwegian Salmon no.10,000,000 enters China. The special salmon will be picked up by the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and journey over 8,600 kilometers from the clear fjords of Norway to Shanghai, where the World Expo is currently being held.
Although Norwegian Salmon first made its entrance into China in 1985, following its entry into Hong Kong in 1981, the real boom in exports was realized in later years with the first peak of pioneer market work done in 1993. Up until 30 September 1998, the date when the NSEC opened its Beijing office, Norway had exported 4,800 tons of Norwegian Salmon valued at just over RMB161 million to China and Hong Kong. The comparable figure for 2010, as of 31 August, was 19,300 tons of Norwegian Salmon, valued at RMB895 million. This increase in volume and value far exceeds the average increase in exports of all Norwegian seafood worldwide during the past 12 years. China and Hong Kong is fast becoming the leading importers of Norwegian Salmon in Asia and exports from January to August 2010 have increased year-over-year 64% and 52%, respectively.
To celebrate the arrival of Norwegian Salmon no. 10,000,000 Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs will participate at the public welcome event when Norwegian Salmon no. 10,000,000 arrives in Zhengda Square in Shanghai’s Pudong area. The jubilee Salmon is a symbol of how popular the Norwegian Salmon has become among Chinese consumers.
As a warm-up effort, starting from this September, NSEC is hosting a campaign on Fantong.com themed as “Norwegian Salmon - Discover the Delicacy, Witness the Miracle”, calling for wide participation in finding the trail of Norwegian Salmon in restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Participants are invited to upload their finding of dishes, vote for their favorite dishes and give their recommendations and comments. In Shanghai, the renowned hotel chain JW Marriott will join the celebration in a special promotion in all their 15 hotels in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou.
“We are very happy to see the arrival of Norwegian Salmon no. 10,000,000 to China, which demonstrates the strong demand in the market,” observed Ashild Nakken, Director of the Norwegian Seafood Export Council China. “Like discerning consumers the world over, the Chinese have come to love the delicious flavor, rich texture and high nutritious value of Norwegian Salmon. To meet the increasing demand, Norway will continue to deliver safe and high quality Norwegian Salmon to China by air every week. The salmon, which arrives fresh from the cold, clear waters of Norway, is distributed immediately to a wide range of outlets all around China. This ensures that Chinese consumers can enjoy the freshest and highest quality salmon available today.”