The Minister for Chinese Customs and Veterinary Authorities Yu Jianhua and the Norwegian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss

Possibilities for importing live snow crabs of Norwegian origin

CHINA
Monday, November 11, 2024, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

In a meeting between the Minister for Chinese Customs and Veterinary Authorities Yu Jianhua and the Norwegian Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss in Beijing, the import of live Norwegian snow crab was an important item on the agenda.

"Live snow crab has increasing interest in several Asian markets. Snow crab has the potential to develop from a commodity to a brand, as live king crab did in its time. Market access to China can make the snow crab even more profitable than it is today, and at the same time this can help to create increased activity and positive ripple effects for the Norwegian agricultural industry", says Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss.

China is the world's largest market for live snow crab, but Norwegian crab currently lacks approval for export to the Chinese market.

"In the meeting with the Chinese minister, we received positive signals that China will very likely soon approve the import of live snow crab from Norway. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority still has some work to do before we are completely on target", says Marianne Sivertsen Næss.

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans decided earlier this year that 10 per cent of the total quota of snow crab should set aside for the delivery of live snow crab from 2025.

<== Phoyo: Norges sjømatråd

There has also been a meeting on the approval of the import of live seafood products other than snow crab and other important matters related to trade in seafood at a technical level between NFD, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority and Chinese customs and veterinary authorities. Among other things, it has been agreed to start a dialogue on the exchange of electronic health certificates in the seafood trade. The meeting was positive, and the dialogue continues in the future. The Norwegian Food Safety Authority will invite the seafood industry to an information meeting on market access to China in the near future.

The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans has also had a meeting with the Chinese Minister of Agriculture and Regional Affairs, Han Jun. The main focus of the meeting was our joint global responsibility for the sustainable management of fishing resources.

"We agreed to continue bilateral dialogue on research and management in the fisheries area", says Fisheries and Oceans Minister Marianne Sivertsen Næss.  

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