The latest exports statistics show that shipments of salmon to the Chinese mainland increased by almost 60 per cent and was worth around 800 million Norwegian kroners - about £87-million sterling. Norway is currently selling 23,000 tons of salmon to China annually.The main reason for the increase is the increasing prosperity among the Chinese people, and their focus on healthy food, says Lerøy Seafood's Chinese representative Lu Lu Schjerven.

The development comes as Norway announced its best ever seafood exports for 2009 which totalled 44.7 billion kroners (around £460-million). This is the sixth consecutive year that the country has announced such record overseas sales and is equivalent to some 2.6 million tons - or 35 million meals of Norwegian seafood every day . Russia remains Norway’s second most important market after France. Compared with 2008, exports are up by around six billion kroners (£68 million), says the Norwegian Seafood Export Council.

Farmed fish exports are also showing a health increase, says Norway. Last year they rose in value by almost six billion kroners to a total of 26 million kroners, equal to 56 per cent of total seafood exports. Salmon is by far the largest species, but farmed trout exports were worth almost two billion kroners.

Terje E. Martinussen from the Norwegian Seafood Export Council said: "The demand for Norwegian Seafood in 2009 has exceeded all our expectations and salmon is our largest market."

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