Global wild whitefish supply expected to drop by 100,000 tonnes by 2025

The Bottomfish Forum has forecasted a global drop in the supply of wild whitefish in 2025, primarily due to a significant decrease in Atlantic cod. The total supply of wild-caught whitefish is projected to decrease by 100,000 tons, totaling 6.824 million tons, with the majority of the decline attributed to a reduction in the Atlantic cod quota in the Barents Sea. Additionally, global haddock and pollock supplies are expected to see a slight decrease. In contrast, the supply of Atlantic redfish is predicted to slightly increase, and hake supply is expected to grow, largely due to the Americas market. Furthermore, the forecast anticipates a growth in the supply of farmed catfish and tilapia, with increases in production expected from Vietnam, India, and Indonesia for catfish, and a global supply increase of tilapia by 320,000 tonnes to 7.3 million tonnes.

According to the latest supply forecasts from the Bottomfish Forum held in Copenhagen, Denmark this year, the global supply of wild whitefish will fall by 100,000 tons in 2025 due to the sharp decline in Atlantic cod. The total supply of wild-caught whitefish is expected to fall to 6.824 million tons, down from 6.924 million tons in 2024. This reduction is almost entirely affected by the significant reduction in the quota of Atlantic cod in the Barents Sea. The total supply of Atlantic cod on the market is expected to fall from 816,000 tons to 656,000 tons, a decrease of nearly 20%. Further analyzing the data, Norway's cod catch is expected to fall from 223,000 tons this year to only 140,000 tons; Russia, which shares the Barents Sea fishing grounds with Norway, will also see its catch fall from 220,000 tons to 150,000 tons. Among all the major cod producers, only Iceland's production will remain basically unchanged, and it is expected to produce 214,000 tons in 2025, compared ...