As prices showed a small drop, Norwegian salmon exporters who have been hurt by continuous weeks of low prices are hesitant to sign new contracts this Friday, despite it ordinarily being prime time for trade, a source told IntraFish.

"The market is sluggish," the source said.

One producer said he believes he can get better prices later, adding that salmon is still falling in price.

Another source called the week "very demanding," citing that as early as Monday prices fell, costing exporters a lot of money throughout the week.