Atlantic Cod (Gadus Morhua)

Biology and Habitat

Species description
The Atlantic cod belongs to the family of Gadidae.

Geographical distribution and habitat
In the Western Atlantic Ocean, the Atlantic cod has a distribution from north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina to around both coasts of Greenland and the Labrador Sea; in the Eastern Atlantic, it is found from the Bay of Biscay north to the Arctic Ocean, including the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, Sea of the Hebrides, areas around Iceland and the Barents Sea.
The major fishing grounds are in the North-East Atlantic Ocean within the Barents Sea, Icelandic waters and the North Sea.

Resource, exploitation and management

Stock and resource status/conservation measures
Minimum conservation size is established at 30 cm of total length in the fishing area Skagerrak and Kattegat, 35 cm in the Bay of Biscay area and 38 cm in the Baltic Sea.

Production methods and fishing gears
The Atlantic cod is mainly caught with bottom trawls, longlines, gillnets and hand lines. Cod is also produced in aquaculture in net-cages.

Source: Information system on commercial designations

Catches

Evolution of world catches

• The global catches of Atlantic cod reached above 954.000 tonnes in 2023, i.e. 1% of the total global catches. The largest catching countries of Atlantic cod are Norway, Russia and Iceland, accounting for 31%, 29% and 23% of the total global catches, respectively.
• In the last ten years (2014-2023), catches have decreased by 31% as a consequence of reduced quotas in the most important commercial Atlantic cod fishery which takes place in the Barents Sea.

Source: FAO

Evolution of EU catches
In 2023, the EU provided 4% of the global Atlantic cod catches (vs. 8% in 2014). The most important EU producers were Germany and Spain, and to lesser extent Portugal, Denmark, and France (i.e. the largest quotas holders). The recent decrease in EU catches is related to the decrease of quotas for EU fleets in both the Barents Sea and the North Sea.

Source: FAO

Aquaculture production

• During the last decade, the leader of Atlantic cod production (Norway) decreased its production from more than 10.000 tonnes in 2012 to 600 tonnes in 2020. The production significantly increased in the past three years, reaching 11.389 tonnes in 2023. However, the Norwegian production of cod remains lower than fifteen years ago (about 23.000 tonnes in 2010).
• The EU has no aquaculture production of Atlantic cod.

Source: Eurostat

Processing

• Within the EU, Atlantic cod is mainly used by the Portuguese salted-dried cod industry but is also widely used as raw material in other Member States to produce fish fillets in batter and fish fingers as well as prepared meals, fresh or frozen.
• Even though the Portuguese catches of Atlantic cod are low, Atlantic cod (salted and dried) became the main species in Portuguese seafood consumption.

Trade

Combined nomenclature

EU-27 trade of Cod products (tonnes - 2024)
Data concern Atlantic cod and other species of cod

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Common Nomenclature codes considered for cod products are the following: 03025110; 03025190; 03025910; 03036310; 03036330; 03036390; 03036910; 03044410; 03047110; 03047190; 03047910; 03049521; 03049525; 03049529; 03053211; 03053219; 03055110; 03055190; 03055310; 03056200; 03056910; 16041992

EU-27 trade of Cod products (tonnes - 2024)

Extra-EU imports was circa 314.000 tonnes in 2024. Cod was imported to the EU, mainly frozen whole (27% of the EU imports from third countries), frozen fillets (23%) and fresh whole (16%). The main suppliers of the EU market were the largest producers, namely Norway, Russia and Iceland. Together, they supplied almost 80% of the EU imports in volume terms in 2024. The Netherlands were the main importer (39% of the EU imports), followed by Denmark and Sweden (18% and 12% respectively).

Extra-EU exports: EU exports of Atlantic cod were lower than imports (circa 39.800 tonnes in 2024). Cod was mostly exported frozen whole (45% of EU exports to third countries) and frozen fillets (24%). The United Kingdom, China, Brazil, and Norway were the largest markets of EU exports. Denmark, Portugal, Poland, the Netherlands, and Germany were the main EU exporters. In 2024, together they exported 82% of the EU exports.

Source: EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Supply balance

EU supply balance (2023) – Tonnes of live weight equivalent:
Data concern Atlantic cod and other species of cod

Source: FAO/ EUROSTAT-COMEXT

Supply balance is provided for the year 2023 (trade data for 2023 were taken into account). Detailed trade data provided in the slide 5 concern the year 2024.
The conversion factors were used to convert net weight of imports and exports of fishery and aquaculture products into live weight equivalents. 
Production figure used in this supply chain is different from the production figure provided in the slide on catches (i.e. slide 2) as only production for human consumption has been considered.

Prices along the supply chain (EUR/kg)

First-sale (fresh whole/gutted)
First-sale prices of Atlantic cod are provided for main EU producers: Spain and Germany.

(*) From January to September 2025

Wholesale
Wholesale prices are reported for Mercamadrid (Madrid, Spain) and Rungis (Paris, France).

(*) From January to October 2025

Retail/consumption
Retail prices refer to France and Spain.

(*) From January to October 2025

Data concern Atlantic cod and other species of cod

Extra-EU import (frozen fillets)
Extra-EU import prices are provided for the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden, which are the main cod importers in the EU.

(*) From January to September 2025

Extra-EU export (frozen fillets) 
Extra-EU export prices refer to Portugal, Poland and Germany, which are the main cod exporters in the EU.

(*) From January to September 2025

Marketing

National lists of commercial designations

Information system on commercial designations and scientific names in all EU languages

Applicable marketing standards

In the EU, there is one name protected under Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSG) for cod: TSG “Bacalhau de Cura Tradicional Portuguesa” in Portugal.

Consumption

Fifth most consumed species in the EU (source: The EU Fish Market – 2025 edition, EUMOFA)

Apparent consumption per capita of cod (all species) in 2023: 1,53 kg live weight equivalent (source: Supply balance - 2023, EUMOFA)

Nutritional value (Cod, nutrition values per serving 100g)