Norway

Where are we?

Discover Norway

Norway is surrounded by vast oceans and has built its culture around harnessing the natural resources to hand. The coastline of Norway, including its many fjords and islands, stretches for an incredible 102 936 km. And these cold, crystal clear coastal waters are the perfect habitat for shoals of Norwegian herring.

Welcome to Norway - Seafood nation

Located in northern Europe, Norway is surrounded by cold, clear Arctic waters, creating bountiful opportunities to catch high quality seafood. As a result of this, our nation has a rich fishing culture that spans centuries, with knowledge and skills passed through generations.

The Norwegian coastline is vast, cold and crystal clear. It’s here that you’ll find several different tribes of herring.

2nd

longest coastline in the world

Land vs sea area

6 times more sea than land

2nd

largest seafood exporter in the world

Location matters

The pristine waters off the coast of Norway are brimming with an abundant source of delicious herring that’s full of healthy fats. It’s a resource that’s highly seasonal - different types of herring have their own premium catch periods - but it’s one that Norwegians have relied on for hundreds of years.

Our marine ecosystem is ideal for slow-growing herring, which means our stock has earned a reputation for being packed with fat, nutrition and flavour. And, because this tasty fish swims relatively close to the shoreline, our fishermen have easy access to the supply.

Our seas define us

The sea has played an important role in the life and culture of Norway for hundreds of years, providing essential sustenance and the opportunity to trade with other countries. In fact, entire cities have been built on the back of our herring stocks. Even today, it’s safe to say that we love fish here in Norway.

Each Norwegian eats around 46.3 kg of fish annually. The impressive figure goes a little way to explaining why our fishermen are so passionate about what they do. Starting from the moment we drop our purse seines and continuing throughout our supply chain, we treat the waters around our home with the utmost care.

Fishery Protection Zone

The Fishery Protection Zone around Svalbard extends 200 nautical miles from its coastline. Within the zone, which was established in 1977, fisheries regulation is non-discriminatory and is in part based on the state’s traditional fishing in the area.

Map showing the Norwegian sea and the North sea

Norwegian Economic Zone

The Norwegian Economic Zone extends 200 nautical miles from our coastline and was established in 1976. In accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Norway has sovereign rights to all research, exploitation and management of resources within this zone.

Large map showing the Norwegian sea and the Barents sea

Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea

The Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea are among the most productive and clean sea areas in the world. Norway has a sea area of 101,000km² within its baseline.

Map showing the Jan-Mayen fishery protection zone

Jan Mayen Fisheries Zone

The Fishery Protection Zone around Jan Mayen Island extends 200 nautical miles from the island, except where it encounters the fishery protection zones established by Iceland and Greenland. This zone is not a full economic zone, but is limited to fisheries.

Learn more about Norway

Our herring stocks are the most sustainable in the world, but how much do you know about our people and culture? Below are some suggestions for where to head next to find out.