Fisher-Organized Sales in the Herring Sector for Over 90 Years
Join forces! – or as they said in 1927: Rot jer sammen! This was the slogan that united the first herring fishers in Sunnmøre and led to the formation of Storsildelaget, the first sales organization for first-hand herring sales north of Stadt. In 1928, Stor- og Vårsildelaget followed for areas south of Stadt. This was the beginning. Through a fisher-organized sales organization, fishers could stand stronger when selling a highly perishable product. These were the tough years of the late 1920s, with extremely low herring prices. Fishers learned how vulnerable their position was when negotiating prices and finding buyers.
International Cooperative Movement
The initiative in Sunnmøre in 1927 shares many similarities with the early international cooperative movement, where unity was meant to serve the members. The first modern cooperative was founded by a group of weavers in England in 1844. Their goal was to secure quality goods at fair prices through a purchasing association—without being at the mercy of merchants. The parallels to the fishers’ situation and their need for strength in 1927 are easy to see. Since the Cooperative Act was introduced in 2008, fish sales organizations in Norway are now officially defined as cooperatives.
The idea took root among fishers. More sales organizations followed in the years to come, including in the whitefish sector. Authorities quickly recognized the societal value of these organizations, and just a few years later, the first legal regulations for their operations were introduced.
A Well-Functioning System
For more than 90 years, the system has worked exceptionally well in Norway—so well, in fact, that people from all over the world come here to learn from it. Sales organizations also play a key role in fisheries control and management. The Raw Fish Act governed for many years—sometimes controversially—but was recently replaced by the Fish Sales Organization Act, which still regulates how these organizations operate. In the pelagic* sector, various sales organizations eventually merged, and in 1989, Norges Sildesalgslag was established. It remains the only nationwide sales organization.
A Unique Sales Model
Pelagic fish from Norwegian fishers—and some foreign ones—is sold via Sildelaget’s electronic auction. Each year, around 1.5 million tonnes of fish are traded, with a first-hand value of between NOK 7 and 8 billion.
Pelagic fish is a vital part of the global food supply, and Norway’s contribution amounts to roughly 10 million pelagic fish meals every single day. In addition, other Norwegian seafood contributes to a total export value of nearly NOK 100 billion.
• Pelagic fish = species that swim freely in the open ocean; herring, mackerel, capelin, etc.