Who are we?

Norges Sildesalgslag (Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organization for Pelagic Fish) is a sales organization, owned and operated by fishermen (a ‘coop’), selling fish at a first-hand basis from fishermen to buyers - for further sales/export.

The fish being sold through Norges Sildesalgslag, is called pelagic species, and represent the types of fish migrating freely in open seas. Pelagic species include herring, mackerel, capelin, sprat etc. Pelagic species are mainly used for direct human consumption purposes, but some species, are also being used as raw material for fish oil and fish meal production, an ingredient used in fodder for fish farming.

There are five fish sales organizations in Norway, but Norges Sildesalgslag is the only one that is operating nationwide. Our roots date back to 1927 (ref. «Our History»), and today we consider ourselves to be the world’s leading market place when it comes to pelagic fish. Annually we sell about 1,5 million MT of fish, enough to feed 10 million people globally each day. As mentioned earlier, we also contribute to fodder production for fish farming. The fishermen’s revenue, the first-hand value, reaches between 7 and 8 billion NOK annually!

– Everything is run from our premises in Bergen, Norway, where the transactions are executed and controlled by 40 employees. At our premises there is no “fishy smell”, and you will not see a single coin, because all transactions are made electronically.

Most of the vessels participating in the auction are Norwegian, but foreign vessels also deliver their catch in Norway, - and vice versa. Practically all sales are made via an electronic auction where catches are registered electronically and presented to potential buyers while the vessel is still at sea. The auction itself is a blind auction,, maning each bidder can only see his own bids until after the auction is over. However, after the auction, all results are made available to those participating in the auction. The catch is registered via phone, and the buyer’s bid is based on precisely given commercial data. The catch is then offered within a biding area, ensuring that the buyers are in a geographical position to receive the fish without a decline in quality and that the transport remains thrifty for the fishermen.

It speaks for itself when we say that the system is founded upon trust. Auctions of this kind elsewhere, will normally be using box displays of the fish to be seen and controlled by the buyer before he makes a bid.

Norges Sildesalgslag has developed into a highly digitalized organization, resulting in cost-effectiveness and efficient work. The fisherman pays 0,65 % of the catch value for the organization’s services, which most likely makes us the most cost-effective marketplace for first-hand sales of fish.

In addition, we also offer our fishermen valuable information connected to their day-to-day operations. We believe that this information flow helps the fishermen see the bigger picture and understand their important part in the value chain. – From the sea to a dinner plate somewhere in Europe, Asia, Africa or elsewhere having pelagic fish on the menu.

Norway is well known for being a seafood nation, - being the second largest seafood exporter in the world. We cater for clean and healthy food and represent low carbon footprints. This is something we will have to continue to evolve in order to better maintain the oceans and to ensure a sustainable future. The world needs food. And the possibilities are there, only 2% of today’s food originate from the sea.