“Fresh fish is as good as absent in Norwegian budget price shops. Just here alone is unexploited potential of at least NOK 1 billion (€121.1 million/$170.3 million).”

That was the message from Sissel Flesland, keynote speaker during the seafood conference "Sjomatdagene" in Hell, Norway, on Jan. 26.

She is managing director for the firm Flesland Markedsinformasjoner, which prepares market reports for several segments in the food industry. The title of the address was “Norway -- our forgotten market.”

More than meat

She divides the Norwegian food market into three segments and bases on figures for 2008.