Typical Norwegian fishing boat in port with dried stock fish hanging on the front wall Climate change is having an effect on one of Norway’s most important commodity markets – the fishing sector. Euronews Business looks at what steps are being taken to protect it. The Norwegian fishing industry is feeling the effects of climate change. Fishing is one of the most important sectors in Norway, with seafood exports touching a record high of NOK 172bn (€14.49bn) last year, a 14% rise from 2022 levels. In 2022, the seafood sector accounted for approximately 2.3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Norway is also the world’s top salmon exporter. According to World’s Top Exports, the country’s chilled or fresh salmon exports came up to $8.6bn (€7.73bn) in 2023, which made up about 48.9% of the world’s salmon exports. The Norwegian Seafood Council told Euronews Business: “Norway wouldn’t be the country it is today were it not for a single fish – it all started with cod. The Norwegian Atlantic cod has meant the existence for people along the coast of Norway for thousands of years – not just as food, but also as trading goods.” Climate change, however, is now a significant threat to this very important commodity. How is climate change hitting Norway’s fishing sector? One of the main ways that climate change is affecting Norway’s fishing industry is by reducing the numbers of boreal fish species such as Atlantic cod, Greenland halibut, redfish and pike. Salmon numbers are also expected to be hit, as warmer waters mean that there are increased chances of parasites and diseases affecting the fish. Northern cod is another species seeing less juvenile fish surviving all the way into adulthood. This could pose a problem for sustainable fishing as one of the practices […]