Tilapia 2010 Kuala Lumpur


INFOFISH TRADE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS 

MALAYSIA: MALAYSIAN FISHERY EXPORTERS URGED TO BE READY FOR USFDA INSPECTION

Malaysian Health Ministry has urged domestic fishery exporters to the United States to be registered immediately to facilitate compliance with the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA).

The Ministry of Malaysian International Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Health said in a joint statement that the USFDA had set to undertake an inspection mission on July 19-30 to ascertain that aquaculture products for the US market are compliant with the requirements.

The purpose of the mission is to better understand and evaluate the antibiotic and chemical application regulatory system in aquaculture production in Malaysia, as well as the food safety controls in place. The mission will involve the inspection of facilities for the entire aquaculture fishery product supply chain for the US market, including the processing establishments, aquaculture farms, traders/middlemen, retail/wholesale suppliers of veterinary drugs and feed used. Malaysia exported RM439.9 million (US$133.3 million) worth of fishery products to the US in 2009.

ABU DHABI : BLUEFIN TUNA FARMING TO START SOON

The Abu Dhabi government hopes to begin farming of bluefin tuna, using advanced technological support from a top Japanese university. The Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) signed an agreement with Japan’s Kinki University to co-operate in the fields of aquaculture research and development. A feasibility study on setting up a farm using closed re-circulating aquaculture systems will be prepared in September, with the hopes of launching a pilot project.

The technological aspects and expertise will be the responsibility of the university while EAD will be in charge of the logistical and financial aspects of the project.

CANADA: CANADIAN STATES REPORT DECLINE IN FISH REVENUES

Two of Canada’s most important fishing states, Newfoundland and Labrador have reported a worrying decline in the value of the provinces’ seafood industry. The total value of the provinces’ seafood industry declined by nearly 22% in 2009 down to a total value of C$827 million (US$827 million).

The annual Seafood Industry Year in Review publication released recently said the recession was to blame for much of the decline. The strong Canadian dollars relative to the US dollar was another factor in producing lower returns for both fishermen and processors.

Seafood prices were very much impacted by the global economic conditions, which contributed to lower demand for seafood products. The report said, there were depressed prices for key species such as snow crab, shrimp and lobster. Yet the performance in the aquaculture industry is very encouraging. Notwithstanding exchange rates, there are low inventories for crab and shrimp going into the 2010 season and light ice conditions. A better performance in 2010 is expected. Aquaculture production rose 18% and market value for aquaculture products increased by 45.9% to C$92 million (US$92 million) in 2009, due primarily to strong prices for Atlantic salmon and trout. The decline has also had a major impact on employment in the province’s employment in the fishing industry which has fallen by 14%.

CHINA: FISH PRODUCTION TO REACH 51.9 MILLION MT IN 2010

The recent USDA Gain Report on China’s Fishery Products Annual Report indicate that China’s 2010 aquatic production is forecast to reach 51.9 MMT, up three percent from the estimated 50.4 MMT in 2009. Much of this production growth is due to the continued expansion of aquaculture production, which accounted for 70 percent of total aquatic production in 2008. The increase in China’s aquatic production is tied both to China’s growing domestic demand as well as a strong export market. China’s rapid economic growth has resulted in increasing disposable incomes, which has encouraged greater aquatic product consumption among China’s consumers. The expansion of aquaculture area in both coastal seawater and freshwater contributed greatly to China’s aquatic production growth, while aquatic catch production remains stable with the chance of a slight decline over the next few years. The aquatic processing sector, which is mainly export-driven, is also expected to expand further in the coming years.

Aquatic trade is forecast to grow in 2010 with China’s trade surplus expected to increase from the estimated $6.3 billion in 2009. Despite anticipated weak demand by major importing countries as a result of the current financial crisis, export-oriented aquaculture and the processing trade are likely to recover in 2010. The United States continues to be the second largest recipient of China’s processed aquatic exports, and also ranks as the second largest supplier of seafood to China. Aquatic trade between China and the United States is forecast to grow in 2010 with the “Fish/Frozen” category (HS Code 0303) continuing to be the major category imported from the United States. The export product mix to the United States is diversified with seasoning, cuts, and valued-added products. Controlling streptococcus disease remains a new challenge for export-oriented tilapia production. The opening of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offices in China is expected to strengthen the confidence of Chinese aquatic product exports and help facilitate smooth trade in 2010 and beyond.

Sustained high GDP and disposable income growth rates will continue to boost domestic consumption of aquatic products in 2010. However, imports for domestic consumption are growing at a slow pace. Nevertheless, high quality natural aquatic products from the United States, including salmon, are expected to steadily increase in volume and value.


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-  FISH INSPECTOR
- FISH TECHNOLOGY DIGEST
 
Expressions
Busan - “Unprecedented progress” or “dismal failure”?
- S Subasinghe
Director, INFOFISH
There are varying views on the outcome of the recently concluded Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) sessions in Busan, Korea. The 14th Annual Meeting decided on many things in addition to tuna stock sustainability, ranging from sharks to seabirds. Though there is consensus that resolutions on banning landings of endangered thresher sharks and mitigation of seabird catches were very positive and proactive in nature, those on tuna stock conservation garnered mixed reactions from many quarters.
 

CHINA/ NORWAY: RAPID GROWTH FOR SALMON MARKET IN CHINA

China could soon become Norway’s largest market in Asia for salmon, taking over the top spot from Japan. The latest export statistics show that shipments of salmon to China increased by almost 60% last year, worth around NOK 800 million (US$138 million). Norway exports around 23 000 MT of salmon to China annually. The main reason for this increase is the growing consumer income and their focus on healthy food, says Leroy Seafood’s representative in China.

The development comes as Norway announced its’ best ever seafood exports for 2009 which totalled NOK 44.7 billion (US$7.7 billion). This is the sixth consecutive year that the country has announced such record overseas sales and is equivalent to some 2.6 million MT. Russia remains Norway’s second most important market after France. Compared with 2008, exports are up by around NOK 6 billion (US$1.04 billion), says the Norwegian Seafood Export Council. Farmed fish export showed a healthy increase to a total of NOK 26 billion (US$4.5 billion), equivalent to 56% of total seafood exports. Salmon is by far the largest species, but farmed trout exports were worth almost US$345 million.

MALAYSIA:  AIRASIA TARGETS CARGO SECTOR

AirAsia is aggressively growing its markets and utilizing Special Prorate Agreements (SPA) with various airlines as well as tying up with more cargo agents and large export- import firms in the markets that AirAsia flies to. The airline considers cargo as a major area of growth for this year and expects revenue from its cargo to develop by more than 40% over last year’s performance as demand for the cargo space is picking up.

Cargo operations in the domestic sector are also expected to advance with higher demand for cargo services for perishables, including seafood from west Malaysia. Seafood and other perishables are currently among AirAsia’s significant cargo revenue sources, and there is a sizeable demand for cargo services for these between East and Peninsular Malaysia and from East Malaysia to Macau, Hong Kong and China mostly via Kuala Lumpur. With the airline’s frequent daily flights between East and Peninsular Malaysia, it is able to deliver perishables within time frames required by exporters and importers. Also, as part of an agreement with the cargo terminal operator, the airline utilizes usage of the airport’s cold room facility within a fixed period.

MALAYSIA/ SINGAPORE: EXPANSION PLANS FOR CARREFOUR

Carrefour plans to expand more outlets in Malaysia and Singapore over the next few years. According to Carrefour Malaysia's Chief Executive Officer Guillaume de Colonges, the company aimed to double the number of hypermarkets in Malaysia to 40 by 2012.  Carrefour Malaysia will open three additional hypermarkets in the Klang Valley by end-January. Carrefour is also negotiating with several parties in Sabah and Sarawak to set up its hypermarkets there as well as in Kelantan and Terengganu.

In Singapore, six to eight more Carrefour supermarkets and one hypermarket will be established in the next three years.  A sum of over US$84 million has been allocated for this expansion and the new stores will have halal sections in their bakery, butchery and fish departments.

PHILIPPINES: FISHERY EXPORTS TO GROW UNDER CHINA – ASEAN FTA

The Philippines is expected to export more fishery products such as tuna following the China – ASEAN free trade agreement which came into effect on 1 January 2010. China is currently the third largest trading partner of the Philippines. Chinese fishery exports to the Philippines in 2008 was valued at US$54.86 million; up 20.6% from 2007 while imports from the Philippines totaled US$8.48 million form US$4.13 million in 2007.

INDONESIA: US$2.9 BILLION TARGETTED FOR FISHERIES EXPORTS IN 2010

The country’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry expects to increase the total export value of fishery products to US$2.9 billion in 2010, up from last year’s US$2.3 billion. The ministry’s official said the fisheries industry would also benefit from market expansion to non-traditional export market destinations such as to countries in the Middle East and Central Asia. It targets to increase the export value of fishery products to the two markets to around US$150 million in 2010 from US$60 million last year. Apart from the Middle East and Central Asia, the ministry was also eyeing other potential markets, such as Africa and East European countries. The four markets still represented a big potential for the Indonesian fisheries sector although their combined export value in 2008 only accounted for 7%, or around US$185 million, of the total exports.

An official from the ministry recently visited Iran to make an agreement to export a targetted 2 000 MT of pre-cooked tuna loins in 2010.  Seafood exports to Iran were valued at US$1 million in 2008, up from around US$260 000 in 2007 and US$120 000 in 2006. The ministry is also preparing MoUs with eight other developing member countries on fishery product exports and an agreed standard of quality. The ministry would however still nurture its traditional markets in the US, Japan and EU countries as the three had always accounted for the lion’s share or around 72% of the total export value of the fisheries sector for the last 10 years. Over the decade, Southeast Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam have contributed 11% of total fisheries export value. The East Asian markets such as China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan, contributed 10%.

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