As the prices of traditional white fish such as Atlantic cod, black line cod and pollock remain high, an increasing number of European buyers are beginning to turn their attention to white fish varieties that have received less market attention in the past. Seafood Sales, a Danish aquatic products trader, believes that the product structure of the European white fish market may be adjusted in the coming years. New varieties will gradually enter the processing and retail systems to relieve the pressure brought by the tight supply of traditional white fish.

  Morten Klaestrup, the founder and CEO of Seafood Sales, said that currently the prices of cod, haddock and Alaska pollock are all at a relatively high level. Many purchasers have begun to reduce orders and are cautious about future purchasing plans. Due to insufficient raw material supply, processors have to seek new alternative varieties to meet the demands of the terminal market

  He believes that this change will not be completed in a short period of time. Processing enterprises need to introduce new fish species to customers, and retailers also need to re-conduct product testing and market promotion. Therefore, the market transition will go through an adaptation period.

  Consumers won't accept new white fish products overnight. Klaestrup said that during the process of new varieties gradually entering the market, the sales of some products might even temporarily decline, but as market education continues to advance, new consumption habits will gradually form.

  Seafood Sales mainly deals in frozen white fish products and does not engage in fresh fish trade. Its products cover fish slices, fish segments, fish fillets, frozen block products, as well as raw materials for catering and ready-to-eat processing. Its customers are mainly distributed in the markets of Europe and Southeast Asia.

  In addition to the European market, the company's business growth in Asia has significantly accelerated in recent years. Klaestrup introduced that Southeast Asia has become the region with the fastest growth for enterprises. The market demand in Japan, Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand has all increased significantly, especially the sales growth of salmon products is particularly prominent. In 2024, the company sold only about 60 tons of salmon products to Southeast Asia. However, this year, the cumulative sales volume has exceeded 1,000 tons, with a growth rate far exceeding expectations.

  He said that the company's entry into the Asian market was not based on short-term price advantages, but rather on gradually expanding its market share through years of building customer relationships and supply systems. At present, enterprises are more oriented towards wholesalers and food processing enterprises rather than the terminal retail market. Therefore, long-term stable cooperation is more important than short-term orders.

  Klaestrup remains cautious about the future market trend. He believes that the next six months will be an important observation window for the European white fish market. If the prices of white fish and pelagic fish raw materials continue to rise and retail terminals find it difficult to fully accept the price increase, processors and traders will face greater business pressure. At that time, the market may further increase its procurement of alternative fish species, and even some terminal products will redesign their raw material structures to reduce cost pressure.

  In his view, this is also the future development direction of the European white fish industry. Over the past many years, the European market has been highly dependent on traditional species such as Atlantic cod. However, with some resources subject to quota restrictions and supply tightening, it is necessary for the market to establish a more diversified white fish supply system to allow more fish species that were previously less utilized to enter commercial circulation.

  The European white fish market is experiencing not only price hikes but also the beginning of a supply structure adjustment. When traditional white fish remain at a high price for a long time, the market will eventually re-establish a balance between supply and demand by seeking alternative varieties. This change is also worthy of attention for Chinese import enterprises and processing enterprises. If more new white fish species enter the mainstream European market in the future, the global white fish trade pattern and procurement structure may also undergo new changes accordingly.