May 2020
For 2020, Atlantic salmon production growth is expected to slow to around 2–3 percent while the market is set to contract. In Chile, where the salmon sector had to face an array of challenges associated with social unrest in the last quarter of 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting both domestic production and foreign trade. In other large producing countries, such as Norway, the direct impact of COVID-19 restrictions on supply operations has been more limited, but producers are nevertheless having to contend with a weakened market and logistical difficulties. In the wild salmon sector, meanwhile, the industry is looking for solutions to the potential seasonal labour shortages this summer expected to result from COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global salmon market has been significant, with analysts projecting a drop in worldwide demand for salmon of at least 15 percent. In particular, retail sales of fresh salmon and trout have fallen greatly, and this segment will not recover for some time.