Norway's population consumes approximately 105,000 tonnes of seafood annually at a value of around 4.5 BNOK. One strategy to increase the consumption of seafood in Norway is to strengthen marketing efforts.
Today, the industry's joint marketing on the domestic market is financed via an export tax on seafood, a consequence of which is that a large volume of seafood is not included in the tax base. Through increased marketing, the consumers will be motivated to eat more fish and other fish products while simultaneously strengthening their general knowledge. The efforts are proposed financed through an increased or modified tax system
Have to increase the pressure
The industry's joint marketing of seafood domestically is favoured with limited funds. The absence of strong brand name suppliers contributes to the small amount of total awareness of seafood in Norway. Also, seafood is not marketed much in relation to competing products, and the industry does not have traditions for or resources to engage in marketing directed towards the consumers. For domestic marketing in 2005, for example, the Norwegian Information Office for Meat used approximately 57 MNOK, while the Norwegian Seafood Export Council used only 8.4 MNOK.
- A suggestion that is now being advanced is to introduce a marketing tax that will only be used here in Norway, says Project Manager Jens Østli.
A tax on domestic sales can be collected on one of several links in the value chain, e.g. fisherman, manufacturer, exporter, importer, retailer and wholesaler, but it is not unimportant which link is chosen.
- The number of actors in each link and the possibility to introduce simple and manageable systems that can be checked and controlled will be central criteria for selection, stresses Scientist Oddrun Bjørklund.
The report "Increased marketing on the domestic market" investigates four alternatives to increase the financial basis for the joint marketing here at home:
· Increase today's export tax
· Collection of the tax is moved to primary sale/slaughterhouse
· The export tax is retained and a new tax is introduced on primary sale
· The export tax is retained and a new tax is introduced on primary sale and on slaughterhouse/packer
The report was prepared on assignment from the Norwegian Seafood Association (NSL), and NSL will now bring the report's conclusions further into its own organisations and possibly involve other affected fisheries organisations.
