Western Cape aquaculture market analysis and

development programme

Final report

5 April 2011
TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................ ii

PART A: INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................1
1 Introduction and context ........................................................................................1
2 Scope and approach .............................................................................................2
PART B: VALUE CHAIN AND MARKET ASSESSMENT ...........................................3
3 Value chains ..........................................................................................................3
3.1 Abalone ..................................................................................................................... 3
3.2 Bivalves ................................................................................................................... 11
3.3 Salmon and trout ..................................................................................................... 24
3.4 Freshwater finfish - tilapia ....................................................................................... 34
3.5 Marine finfish ........................................................................................................... 39
3.6 Ornamental fish ....................................................................................................... 47
4 Geographical market overviews ..........................................................................52
4.1 South Africa ........................................................................................................... 52
4.2 China and Hong Kong ............................................................................................. 61
4.3 Spain ....................................................................................................................... 70
4.4 France ..................................................................................................................... 80
4.5 Nigeria ..................................................................................................................... 88
4.6 United States .......................................................................................................... 94
PART C: MARKET DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS101
5 Opportunities and challenges ............................................................................101
6 Market development programme framework and implementation support ........105
6.1 Market development support ................................................................................ 105
6.2 Wider support needs ............................................................................................. 111
6.3 Recommended short-term support priorities ......................................................... 114
APPENDICES .........................................................................................................115
Appendix A: Summary of species and markets not selected for detailed analysis ..116
Appendix B: Overall trade flow analysis ..................................................................123
Appendix C: List of market reports consulted .........................................................133
Appendix D: List of stakeholder consulted ..............................................................134
Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

FIGURES AND TABLES

Figure 1: Abalone production and processing chain

Figure 2: Bivalves-oyster production and processing chain
Figure 3: Trout production and processing chain
Figure 4: Tilapia production and processing chain
Figure 5: Marine finfish production and processing chain
Figure 6: South Africa imports (2009): by main suppliers
Figure 7: Distribution Channels for Fresh Seafood imports to China
Figure 8: Distribution channels for frozen seafood imports to China
Figure 9: Illustration of Spanish Supply and Distribution Channels

Table 1: Brands of canned and dried abalone in China

Table 2: Indicative Value Chain Analysis for Tasmanian Abalone (in $m)
Table 3: Indicative Margins (% of Final Value)
Table 4: Trout wholesale prices in France (December 2010)
Table 5: Average price for fresh trout by retail outlet in France
Table 6: Average Price for Various Trout Products in France (2009)
Table 7: HoReCa market segments for salmon products in France (2009)
Table 8: HoReCa market segments for sole products in France (2009)
Table 9: Sea bream sales and volumes 2003 – 2009 (Mercamadrid)
Table 10: Ornamental Fish: Wholesale price in South Africa
Table 11: South Africa – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-20010
Table 12: Geographic patterns for South African aquaculture producers
Table 13: Examples of South Africa wholesale prices
Table 14: Examples of South African retailer prices
Table 15: China – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010
Table 16: Structure of seafood consumption in China (2006)
Table 17: Leading food retailers in China (2007)
Table 18: Indicative Value Chain of seafood into China
Table 19: Examples of China retail prices (2009)
Table 20: Aquaculture in China in 2008 (by selected species)
Table 21: Spain – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010
Table 22: Spanish consumers – Reasons for consumption
Table 23: Consumer sales channels in Spain
Table 24: Breakdown of the value chain for fresh products (2010)
Table 25: MERCASA regional price variations €/kg (February 2011)
Table 26: France – consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010
Table 27: Breakdown of French household expenditure by species and product segment
Table 28: Breakdown of catering sector spending on seafood in 2009
Table 29: France import/wholesale prices (April 2010)
Table 30: Nigeria – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010
Table 31: USA – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010
Table 32: Selected USA Wholesale Seafood Prices (Urner Barry – January 2011
Table 33: Domestic supply of selected US products (2009)
Table 34: List of specialty supermarkets and locations in China

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction

This report captures the findings of the Western Cape aquaculture market development framework
project. Within the context of emerging national and provincial aquaculture strategies, this project
aims to support a shift from production-driven initiatives to a more market-oriented approach to
aquaculture development in the province. More specifically, the findings of the project provide a
platform for future developments and support to the sector to take into account market
opportunities, market entry requirements and challenges.

The project takes a value chain approach to identifying opportunities and challenges – assessing
all the activities from production through to reaching the consumer. Value chains covered within
the project scope include abalone, bivalves, marine finfish, trout and Atlantic salmon, tilapia and
ornamental fish.

The outputs are based on expert input, secondary research, in-depth local and international
interviews, and quantitative analysis of trade flows, production and prices. The research was
completed between January and March 2011.

Opportunity assessment

Based on the research and analysis, the opportunities for each value chain were assessed. The
conclusions are summarised below. Note that these are indications of opportunities for the sector
as a whole – additional opportunities for individual enterprises may exist outside of those identified
here, depending on their individual circumstances, business strategy and competitive positioning.

Abalone has significant growth potential to Hong Kong market and major mainland China cities
(e.g. Shanghai) in the short and medium term, in particular for larger abalone (potentially doubling
or tripling existing volumes) i.e. an additional 800 to 2,000 tonnes. This could result in an
additional 1,000 to 2,000 jobs. The focus is likely to be on canned product in the short-term, but
potentially shifting more to live and dried product (which can secure a premium price) in the
medium and longer term if airfreight logistics and processing quality can be addressed. There
may be some scope for niche sales to South African restaurants, in particular those serving the
Far Eastern business traveller market or Chinese tour groups.

The opportunity for bivalves on the other hand is mainly for incremental growth in the domestic
market for live & fresh mussels, oysters and scallops in higher-end retail and restaurants, ideally
extending into the Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal markets. The scallops opportunity is dependent
on the successful commercialisation of production, and is therefore likely to be more medium term,
and is likely to be less than 100 tonnes initially as the market needs development from a very
small base. There may also be some scope for substitution of frozen mussel imports (primarily
half shell steamed) – approximately 400 tonnes of imports currently, but this will require competing
with around R17/kg landed price. This could result in around 200 to 250 additional jobs if
successful. Other opportunities in the value chain include potential scope to develop oyster
culture/spat industry

Trout and salmon may present an import substitution opportunity in the short-term for processed
product, with smoked trout and salmon imports currently being around 90 tonnes and 2,000
tonnes respectively. However, sub-optimal growing conditions in the Western Cape will inhibit
primary production, and Lesotho is more likely to be the key producer for the region. There may

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be some scope for niche exports of small trout by “piggy backing” on established market linkages
e.g. organic certified trout portions to China and France.

Tilapia is unlikely to represent a significant opportunity for the Western Cape due to the unsuitable
production temperatures in the province (well below the ideal range of 25 to 28oC) and given the
highly competitive pricing in both international and local markets (e.g. around R17 to R20/kg
equivalent for frozen fillets). An exception may be project/s that secure a free or cheap source of
heat) and supply smaller whole fish to the local market (in particular African immigrant consumers)

Marine finfish such as yellowtail and kob must first pass the initial hurdle of commercial
production. If they succeed, there may be a domestic market opportunity substituting for wild
catch (demersal and line fish, which is estimated at around 2,000 to 4,000 tonnes), with a focus on
higher-end retail and restaurant markets through specialist wholesalers. However, producers will
need to meet wholesalers price points - at current prices this would mean they need to supply at a
price that allows wholesalers to sell on at R55 – R78/kg, whereas current estimates are that
production costs could be in the order of R35–40 / kg for intensive recirculation systems and R20-
25/kg for pond culture systems. Assuming production of 2,000 tonnes, this could support between
40 and 400 additional direct jobs, depending on technology and production choices (1 job for
every 5 to 50 tonnes)
Product preferences in the restaurant market are around 2.5 to 3kg in the round, or 200 to 250g
fillet portions. There may be some scope for niche exports based on “piggy backing” on other
products or market access e.g. China, Nigeria, Spain.

Ornamental fish present a very small import substitution opportunity – estimated at less than
R10m at present. It is likely to be most realistic to target “bread and butter” fish e.g. guppies,
tetras, cichlids, clownfish. There is also a potential highly specialised niche opportunity to export
local marine species e.g. Zebra fish, as these higher price fish can support the logistics cost of
exporting from South Africa.

Overall opportunities may also exist in specialised aquafeed production to supply the local, and
possibly regional, market. This could include high-technology extruded and pelletised feed, if
capital investment issues can be addressed, as the current small scale of the market is an
obstacle to securing the necessary capital investment.

Support recommendations

A range of support options have been identified, both specifically in terms of market
development and more widely. Given that resources are likely to be limited, these potential
support areas have been categorised into those that primarily require human resources (for
information sharing, facilitation or advocacy) and those that require more substantial budgets.

Initiatives that primarily require human resources (including facilitation, coordination,

information sharing, and advocacy) which may be more possible to implement in the short-term
include the following:
f Sharing the findings of this report with industry and decision-makers in an accessible format
f Advocacy relating to the following:
– Taking a market-oriented approach to supporting production, taking into account volumes,
pricing and quality requirements
– Changing the policy around sale of poached abalone so as to support a premium position
for South African abalone
– Aligning research agendas to support species with higher market opportunities
– Alignment of product safety testing and phytosanitary services so as to support the sector
– Allocation of existing training and skills budgets to relevant aquaculture skills e.g. SETA
training

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– Provision for aquafeed and aquaculture capital investments within existing incentives and
development finance e.g. the dti enterprise incentives and IDC development finance
f Facilitation and coordination relating to:
– Public relations, film and tourism promotion of the industry (with industry, CTRU, Cape
Film Commission, Cape Town Tourism, local tourism offices, local food publications e.g.
Taste, Food & Home, online publications and blogs, festivals and markets
– Collaborative transport and logistics to improve competitiveness of local and international
freight (e.g. sharing trucking to Gauteng, working with large seafood exporters and jointly
approaching logistics providers to secure better rates and more reliable service)
– Working with WWF SASSI on relationships with retailers and restaurants that are
developing seafood purchasing policies, where possible to include active support for local
responsible aquaculture

Of the above initiatives, information sharing, product safety testing, collaborative logistics and
building relationships with retailers and restaurants could be considered the highest priority.

Initiatives that require more significant marketing budgets include the following:
f Development of a Cape aquaculture brand that supports a premium market positioning,
drawing on characteristics such purity, taste, quality, luxury and responsible production
f Marketing campaigns with local restaurants and high-end retail to raise consumer awareness
of the quality and benefits of local aquaculture supply
f International in-store promotions in collaboration with other high end lifestyle products (based
on similar initiatives, the required annual budget would be in the order of R35 to R40m)
f Commercialisation and production equipment support for bivalves and finfish (potentially
including deep sea cage culture)
f Financial support to select and secure suitable international certification e,g, GlobalGAP Fish
Standards, Aquaculture Certification Council Best Aquaculture Practice, WWF Aquaculture
Dialogues, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Label Rouge
f Funding of new aquaculture-related study bursaries at all levels (undergraduate,
postgraduate, post-doctoral)
f Supporting compliance with environmental legislation for small businesses, including EIA and
basic assessments, zoning for processing, water permitting

Of the above initiatives, the most critical areas of support for international market development are
likely to be certification and in-store promotion.

In order to take forward the findings of this project, the various support stakeholders to the
Western Cape aquaculture industry need to reflect on the proposed initiatives and their potential
roles within these, ideally in a coordinated manner.

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PART A: INTRODUCTION

1 Introduction and context

This document provides a market development framework for the Western Cape aquaculture
market. This is based on market and value chain assessments for various products and markets
as agreed on with the project steering committee.

The document is designed to inform decision making by Western Cape provincial government
agencies and industry in supporting sectoral development. In terms of aquaculture development,
the identification of entry points through a marketing and value chain approach represents
something of a new approach to sectoral development, and a departure from the past where
development initiatives have arguably been more production and technology driven.

Nevertheless, the interventions and entry points that are identified in the report need to be viewed
within the wider policy, strategy and regulatory framework that underpins sectoral development,
including the emerging aquaculture strategy context at both national and provincial levels.

The primary legislative framework underpinning aquaculture development are the National Acts
of Parliament, vis:
1. National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (NEMA)
2. Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (MLRA)
3. National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 ( NEM:BA)
4. National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008 (ICM).

These Acts are supported by a plethora of national and provincial policies, gazetted regulations,
and development planning documentation. While there have been significant improvements to the
legislative and regulatory frameworks in recent years, for example the introduction of the NEMA:
ICM (2008) has for the first time enabled areas of sea space outside the National Ports Authority
jurisdiction to be zoned and leased for aquaculture – possibly the single most important
development in terms of the promotion of the cage culture sub-sector; other frameworks remain
problematic, particularly with respect to the onerous environmental impact assessment (EIA)
legislation (NEMA, 1998), and issues related to the use of alien species (NEM:BA, 2004).

Despite government’s commitment to sectoral development, institutional coordination in the past

has been somewhat lacking, and many of the interventions to date have arguably been driven by
government departments working in isolation, and thus have tended to be piecemeal and
uncoordinated. In terms of future interventions, the recommendations outlined in the current study,
need to be viewed in terms of the current institutional and legislative frameworks and constraints.

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2 Scope and approach

The following species / value chains were prioritised for analysis in the project:
Value chains Species
1. Abalone f Haliotis Midae
2. Bivalves f Spanish mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and Black mussel (Choromytilus
Meridionalis)
f Oysters (Cassostrea gigas)
f Scallop (Pecten sulcicostatus)
3. Trout and f Rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) and Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
salmon f Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)
4. Freshwater f Oroechromis mossambicus,
fish - tilapia f Oreochromis niloticus
5. Marine finfish f Dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus) and Silver kob (Argyrosomus inodorus)
f Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi)
f White Margined Sole (Dagichthyes marginatus)
6. Ornamental f Multi-species – tropical marine and freshwater, including
fish - Clownfish (various species)
- Koi carp (Cyprinus carpio)

In terms of market recommendations, the table below shows the recommended countries for
further analysis together a summary of the key reasons for their inclusion (information on other
markets not selected for detailed analysis is provided in Annexure B).

Market Summary of key argument for inclusion for further analysis

South Africa f Domestic market for South African/Western Cape production

f High levels of import for some product groups with potential for substitution by local
production; furthermore imports currently showing strong growth
f Growing high-end of the market which would lend well to South African higher-
value niche production
China f Significant seafood consuming market which is expected to grow substantially in
line with growth in middle class
f Growth in high-end segments such as restaurants
f Significant current importer with increasing trend of importing directly (rather than
going via hubs such as Hong Kong)
f Key market for Abalone with good recognition of South African produce
Spain f Largest EU fish consuming market with double the EU average for per capita
seafood consumption
f Largest EU import market
f Established trading relationship with South Africa (for seafood products and more
widely)
France f High per capita seafood consumption (similar levels as Spain)
f Large high-end market segment
f Relatively high value : volume ratio for imported products (also implying higher end
products)
f Significant established market for aquaculture salmon and trout products, with high
premiums achieved for organic aquaculture
f Import growth rates for 2005-2009 significantly higher than EU averages
Nigeria f Largest sub-Saharan African market for seafood produce
f Growing seafood market (based on rapidly growing middle class)
f Existing overlap between main seafood products imported and South African
exports (although South African exports to Nigeria are relatively low, suggesting
un-served opportunity)
US (tilapia only) f Tilapia – the major global market for tilapia imports

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PART B: VALUE CHAIN AND MARKET ASSESSMENT

3 Value chains

The sections below deal with both production and market aspects for each of the prioritised value
chains in turn.

3.1 Abalone1

3.1.1 Production and processing

Abalone production: Key facts

Western Cape focus Haliotis Midae

species Perlemoen (SA)

Image: www.midaemarketing.co.za
Size range:
f 50g to 200g
f Cocktail size
– Can be as small as 40mm shell length
– SA traditionally sold at 80-90mm, but in recent years producers are growing to
a larger size (100mm+)
f Larger size
– Increasingly, producers are investigating ways of differentiating their products
away from cheaper, smaller Asian species (size after 30 years in the wild can
reach up to 200mm)

End product forms:

f Live, shucked, canned, frozen, dried
f Many farmers are increasingly choosing to can or dry their products
Product range – Live products, whilst attaining higher prices, are more problematic to transport
- Losses of live abalone is around 5%
- Logistics can be problematic in terms of missing air freight connections
– Increasingly farmers are growing to larger sizes to differentiate their products
from competitors in other producing nations
– Abalone that are fed artificial diets have improved canning characteristics –
increasing canning yields by up to 15%. This is leading many producers to opt
for canning over live export.
– Abalone which have poor shell characteristics, and therefore cannot be sold
live, are shucked and canned/dried
– The South African abalone is a premier species (H. Midae) with very good
market characteristics. This gives it a competitive edge over species produced
in other countries – e.g. Australia, Mexico, Chile.
f 2007 abalone exports:
– Dried: 7%

1
Based on expert input; Aquaculture Sector Association sector report; Enviro-fish Africa for the dti (2007) A Study on
the Status of Aquaculture Production and Trade in South Africa, Vol 1: Industry Status and Diagnostic Report;
www.sarnissa.org

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Abalone production: Key facts

– Frozen: 24%
– Live: 18%
– Canned: 51%
Optimal growing f Optimal temperature for growth is 18 – 20ºC
conditions and fit – Growth is restricted under 16ºC
with Western Cape – Temperature above 25ºC usually results in mortalities
conditions f The Western Cape has a suitable temperature profile for the culture of H. midae
Global technologies:
f The majority of farming operations employ some form of intensive land-based
pump ashore tank culture
– Feeding comprises either natural macro-algal feeds or artificially formulated
feeds – or combinations of the two
f Other commercial systems include barrel culture suspended on long lines using
natural macro-algal feeds
f Spat production requires hatchery technologies
– Hatchery protocols are fairly standard, but are species-specific
– In comparison with some other species, the hatchery requirements for H. Midae
are complex and require significant investment
South African technologies:
f Land-based activity that employs pump ashore technology
f Flow through systems are usually used
– In areas that are prone to harmful algal blooms (principally along the West
Coast), some systems have been equipped with a recirculation capability to
protect stocks
f Spat are hatchery-reared and grown out in tank systems
– Spat are initially reared in bags or plates upon which diatom films, which have
been grown. The diatome supply the spat their first feeds
– At about 2mm shell length, they are weaned onto a macro-algal or formulated
diet (or a combination of the two)
Feed:
Technology choices f Hatchery systems use algal production technologies to provide first feeds.
– Grow-out systems use either artificially formulated feeds, harvested or cultured
seaweeds (kelps), or combinations of the two
– Increasingly, famers are growing seaweeds in their nutrient-rich effluent to
provide feeds for their abalone, as well as stripping nutrients from the effluent
waters
- Growing their own feed can account for as much as 70% of a farms feed
requirements

Emerging technologies:
f Experimental abalone ranching is under consideration
– Involves seeding areas of the seascape, allowing the abalone to grow, and
harvesting once they reach market size
– Experiments have been initiated at three sites to establish the seeding
protocols:
- Namaqualand coast (Port Nolloth)
- Southern Cape (Rein’s nature reserve)
- Eastern Cape (Cape Recief)
f Despite some commercial interest in pursuing this activity, no commercial-scale
ranching operations have been initiated in South Africa
f Under the New Coastal Zone Management Act, areas of the sea can be set aside
for activities such as ranching. DAFF has developed a policy for ranching.
– Permit applications can be made and thus the legislative framework to develop
the sector is in place.

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Abalone production: Key facts

For different sizes and different approaches to production:

f Cocktail size (approximately 80-90mm shell length): grow-out periods typically 36
Production timelines to 42 months
f Growth rates are primarily dependent on water temperatures and the feed type
used
All sources: Aquaculture:
f In 1970, total global production of f Global farmed production: 2008
abalone was 20,370 tonnes per estimate: 30,760 tonnes
annum, 19,720 tonnes of which was
wild caught. In 2008, global
Total global output production had increased to 44,510
tonnes per annum, with only 8,650
tonnes coming from wild capture
fisheries, and 35,860 tonnes from
aquaculture (80%)

Total current production volumes:

f SA-farmed: 934 tonnes valued at US$33.53 million (2009), 800 tonnes of this in
the Western Cape
f Legal fishery: 0 tonnes in 2008 (fishery was closed in 2008 due to near stock
collapse as a result of poaching and uncontrolled fishing. The fishery was
reopened in 2010 with a total allowable catch of 225 tonnes)
f Illegal fishery: estimated at around 2,000 tonnes per annum

Number of farms/projects:
f South Africa has a total of 18 farms, 13 of these in the Western Cape
– The province is historically the centre of the abalone fishing industry and is now
the centre for the culture industry
– Main Western Cape locations:
- South Coast between Hermanus and Danger Point.
- West Coast around Saldanha Bay/St.Helena Bay area

Volume potential of installed capacity:

f A number of farms are installing additional capacity
Total SA & W. Cape – When this comes on stream, there is likely to be a further 900 tonnes per
primary and annum capacity in the system
processing output- f Economies of scale dictate that minimum viable farm sizes have grown over the
aquaculture years. In the 1990s, viable farm sizes were around 50 tonnes per annum; this has
now increased to around 120-150 tonnes per annum. The drive to increase
production is driving the consolidation seen in the sector in recent years.
Projected volumes in 5/10 years:
f Difficult to predict future production volumes:
– Consolidation in the industry in last 5 years: smaller producers have been
bought up by larger producers in an attempt to develop economies of scale,
and no new “start-up” farms
– Five farms now account for approximately 80% of production
– Market prices have not increased in line with production costs, with the result
that profit margins have been reduced
– Concern within the industry that China and South Korea are developing
significant production capacity that will effectively commoditise the abalone
markets, possibly putting further pressure on prices
– Chinese production increased dramatically from 21,637 tonnes in 2007 to
23,000 tonnes in 2008, and over the next five years Chinese production is
expected to increase by as much as 60%
– Korean production was expected to rise from 4500 tonnes in 2007 to
approximately 7,000-8,000 tonnes in 2008, and is likely to grow further
– However there are weakness in these countries in terms of bio security and

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Abalone production: Key facts

environmental management on the farms which if not resolved, may in future

negatively affect production
– If South African abalone is able to maintain its current position as a high end
premium value product, then it is possible that the commoditisation of the H.
discus Hanai (Ezo) may have a minimal effect on H. midae prices
- The two species would essentially be in different market segments
– This being the case, there is likely significant growth potential in the South
African production sector
– Depending upon market conditions, government and private sector
interventions and the future marketing success of SA abalone, it is quite
reasonable to suggest that there is potential to double the size of the sector
over the next ten years

Processing output/capacity:
f Abalone destined for live export are packed and processed on the farms
f Canning and processing requires a dedicated processing facility
f There are a 4 farm/wild capture based processing facilities
– Farms that do not have facilities tend to process through these facilities
– There is sufficient capacity to process abalone for the foreseeable future
Constraints:
f Increasing electricity costs are reducing margins, there is a need to investigate
alternative power sources e.g. wind.
f Sites – the high cost of coastal land makes sites costly, the DAFF policy of
developing Mariculture Zones will to some extent alleviate this problem
f As land based sites is a constraint ,consideration should be given to developing
ranching operations

Certification:
f There are currently no certification programmes for abalone
– WWF, through their aquaculture dialogues programme, has developed draft
abalone standards (due to be finalised during 2011)
R/kg for different products:
f Canned product: R180-R230/kg
f Dried product: R330-R420/kg
f Live product: R260-R270/kg
Note: these figures are on a whole mass basis, i.e. equivalent to before the abalone
has been shucked. Prices are dependent on product type, quality, and size
Production costs in dependent.
the W. Cape
Converted to US$ equivalent:
f The South African abalone represents a premium quality abalone that fetches in
the region of US$30-35/kg (R210 – R2452).
Processed or dried:
f Shucked meat is approximately one third of the live weight

f Between 0.9 and 1 employment opportunity is produced per tonne of primary

production
Socio-economic
f The abalone industry has already created approximately 1,000 direct jobs and a
impact
further 1,000 “downstream” jobs.

The diagram below visually represents some aspects of the production chain for abalone,
including key inputs, stages of production and processing.

2
Based on the exchange rate of US$1= 7 ZAR. This indicative exchange rate will be used throughout the report,
however exact price comparisons will vary due to exchange rate fluctuations

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Figure 1: Abalone production and processing chain

Macro algal f eeds can

contribute upto 70% of feed
Feed, Feed, Harvested kelp cost: R1.07 per kg
requirements algae
own Food conversion ratio: 15:1
algae bought Use of formulated f eed cost: R17 per kg
Spat costs: R2 per spat in Food conversion ratio: 1:1

Spat +100
Grow- Grow- 80 mm Grow- 90mm Grow-
1cm mm
out out abalone out abalone out
abalone abalone

LIVE

33% meat
weigh fresh
shucked
33% live
FROZEN weight
SCHUCKED
5 -10% live
CLEANED DRIED weight
Note: yields are increasing as
TRIMMED
processing technology improves. The
COOKED 100kg live weight
use of formulated feed can increase 27% live CANNED
equates to 100-
yields in the tin by 15% weight 22.5% live weight 115 tins of 425g

3.1.2 Markets

Abalone value chain global market: quick facts

f Reliable global import levels for abalone are unavailable due to lack of trade data
Import – main
and disaggregation of abalone
products
f Live abalone for countries that specify abalone in their trade statistics at HS8 or 10
tonnage and
level:
average prices
– 9,200 tonnes (US$263m)
Product
substitution f Sea cucumber: Consumers in North of China prefer sea cucumber over abalone
trends
Global pricing f Global decline in abalone prices caused by the exponential expansion of farmed
abalone (up 400% since 2001) especially in Korea and China
– Supply is currently outstripping demand
f Price depends upon size, species, form, and location of producer (or fishery),
marketing and quality – with live prices ranging (FOB) from US$15/kg to $50/kg
(R105 – R350) or more
f Premium species (hybrid of H. discus hanni and H. discus discus) - $17/kg (R119)
(but small 16-20 heads) larger abalone cost more
f Wild laevigata (Australian) - $30 (R210) per kg. Korea hybrid - $30-35 (R210-
R2,345) per kg
f ‘Beach’ price in Australia for fresh/chilling abalone - approximately $38.48 (R269) or
$54.17 (R379) per kg (FoB)
f Australian FOB export prices 2006-7: canned(AUS$143/kg); frozen meat
(AUS$122/kg); frozen whole on shell (AUS$80/kg); live fresh or chilled (AUS$54/kg)
– 88% of exports in 2006-7 were live, fresh or chilled

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Prioritised market: China and Hong Kong3

Imports f Estimated import value and volume (2009)

– China: $13.3m (R93.1m) (444 tonnes)
– Hong Kong: $206.1m (R1.4bn) (4,008 tonnes)
Estimated % f Abalone is sold predominantly through the HoReCa (Hotel Retail Catering) market
sales by in China, and is considered a delicacy.
market f In recent years there has been an increase in sales of canned abalone to the
segment consumer, but this is considered inferior quality to fresh or dried abalone.
f Main market for South African abalone is HoReCa market – restaurants will be the
main outlet
Price f Late 2006 prices ranged from $45 to $90 (R315 to R630) per kg for live abalone,
depending on species, size and quality
f Premium processed abalone was priced at $150-200 (R1050 – R1400) per kg,
frozen abalone meat - $20 (R140) per kg
f However, 2008 prices depressed due to production increase
– Domestically farmed ‘premium’ species price range from $17-$30 (R119 –
R210) per kg
– Japanese ‘premium’ species wholesale at $30 to $50 (R210 to R350) per kg
– Korean discus hybrid wholesales at $30-35 (R210 – R245) per kg
f In the HoReCa market, the restaurant sales price in 2006 was approximately
2,072 RMB (R2,0724) per kg
– For example, the Shanghai restaurant - South Beauty - charges RMB1075
(R1,075) per kg for sautéed Australian abalone.
f Retail prices for canned abalone vary by brand and can size, ranging from RMB29
(R29) to RMB 300 (R300). See the table at the end of the section for further
details.
f Ready to eat abalone in a vacuum pack costs approximately 700-900 RMB (R700
–R900) for a 500g pack
f Dried abalone price varies according to quality. High-end, premium Japanese
abalone can cost $3,000 to $5,000 (R21,000 to R35,000) per kg. This is due to
Japanese premium species as well as drying techniques
– Prices of other dried abalone range from $100 to $1,000 (R700 to R7,000) per
kg.
– One trader, importing dried abalone from Oman and Morocco paid $75 (R525)
per kg for the product in Morocco

3
Sources include: Industry interviews, SS Corporation Ltd (2009) ‘Oceanus Group Limited: Company Profile’ [accessed
23/02/2011 http://sscorpl.com/cp/RR/UploadFolder/OCGL.SI-301.pdf]; Cook and Gordon (2010) ‘World Abalone
Supply, Markets, and Pricing’ Journal of Shellfish Research Vol.29 (3), pp.569-71; Cook and Gordon (200x) ‘The World
Abalone Market and Economic Reasons for Environmental Accreditation’ (Fishtech); Rentz & Xu (2010) ‘The Rise of
Mid-to-High End Chinese Restaurant Chains in Shanghai’ GAIN REPORT; Tasmanian Abalone Council (2008) ‘TAC
Strategic Plan 2008-2013’ [Accessed 23/02/2011 www.tasabalone.com.au/documents/TACStrategicPlanReview-
August2009.pdf ]; JLJ Group (2010) ‘Customer and Consumer Research of Canned Abalone Food Sector in China:
Interview Notes’ The Food Links Chile-China; JLJ Group (2010) ‘Summary of preliminary findings of consumer
research’ The Food Links Chile-China; Australian Abalone Council (2010) ‘CRC Abalone Project Progress Summary’
Flores-Aguilar et al (2007) ‘Development and Current Status of Abalone Aquaculture in Chile’ Journal of Shellfish
research Vol.26 (3), p.705-711 and ‘Abalone Culture: A Big Industry in Fujian’ [Accessed
23/02/11http://www.infoyu.net/NewsCenter/Aquaculture/07-10-10-14.html], Tasmanian Abalone Council (2008)
‘Research with Abalone Importers in Shenzen – China: April13-16th 2008’
4
Based on the exchange rate of RMB1= 1 ZAR. This indicative exchange rate will be used throughout the report,
however exact price comparisons will vary due to exchange rate fluctuations

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Prioritised market: China and Hong Kong3

Key suppliers f China itself is a large supplier of farmed abalone, and has increased production in
recent years
– In 2008 it produced 23,000 tonnes
– Until recently, the local production was predominantly small species (H.
diversicolour supertexta) and was sold locally at low prices
– In recent years H. Discus hannai has become the major culture species in
Southern China
f Korea is also increasing its production at a rapid pace. Since 2001, it has
increased 60 times to a production level of 4,500 tonnes in 2007. This production
is mostly premium species – H. Discus hannai.
f Tasmania is a major supplier of wild abalone, accounting for 25% of global wild
abalone supply
Dominant f Hong Kong is the main entry point for imported live abalone, but there is also
channels by some direct importation to Beijing and Shanghai too
product f High quality fresh Australian and South African abalone is used in mid- and high-
end restaurants, while Dalian abalone (smaller size, locally produced) is used in
mid-end restaurants
f Dried abalone is also popular in mid- to high-end restaurants for serving sashimi
style
f Canned abalone in brine used in low- to mid-end restaurants
Product f There is a preference for fresh or dried abalone, as canned and frozen abalone is
preferences perceived to be poorer quality. Restaurants in Shanghai predominantly use dried
and quality abalone
requirements – Some restaurants and hotels will purchase canned abalone, but only from
Mexico, Australia or Japan to ensure quality
f The consumer preference is largely for abalone in “superior sauce”
f Consumer research into abalone consumption in Beijing and Shanghai showed
that nearly half of respondents in Shanghai (47%) had tried canned abalone
compared to 20% in Beijing
– However, knowledge of how to cook abalone was very low in Shanghai (18%)
compared to 36% in Beijing

Quality requirements
f Country of origin and size are the most important requirement.
– Chilean and Chinese abalone both considered small in size – “8, 10 or even 20
heads per kg”
Sources of f Origin can be a source of price premium – South Africa is seen as a high quality
price supplier due to its size and organoleptic properties.
premium/ – Large/high-end restaurants would seek fresh South African abalone
market f The ‘premium’ species is a hybrid of Haliotis discus hanni and Haliotis discus
positioning discus but this currently commands a low price because of size sold in Chinese
market (16-20 heads per kg)
f Larger sizes could command higher prices but are currently not very common in
the Chinese marketplace.
– However, these species do not grow to the size of South African abalone
– Thus South African abalone can potentially develop a ‘size’ market niche
f Other good species include;
– California Red (H. rufescens) – grown in Chile
– Mexican Green (H. fulgens)
– South African Midae (H. midae)
– Australia Greenlip (H laevigata)
f Price premium for Japanese dried abalone due to drying techniques and species
grown in Japan
– However, foreign species legislation means no way to introduce Japanese
species in South Africa5

5
Stakeholder Interview – Abagold

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Prioritised market: China and Hong Kong3

f Environmental accreditation: There is currently a large illegal market for abalone

in China, but there is a global shift by supermarkets/ retailers to sustainable
sourcing in marine products, which abalone could benefit from
– E.g. Sainsbury and Wal-Mart commitments to sustainable sourcing
– There may be limited scope for environmental accreditation as a price premium
- As the restaurant and catering sector is the predominant abalone market
segment in China
f New product forms are emerging, especially from Australia e.g. the following are
being developed:
– High pressure processed (HPP) abalone meat vacuum pouches
– Raw chilled abalone meat in vacuum pouches
– Raw chilled abalone meat in modified atmosphere

Attitudes to f China is the largest aquaculture producer in the world, and farmed abalone is
farmed vs. increasing (especially in the Fujian region)
wild f The Chinese do not view farmed abalone as inferior to wild caught abalone

Table 1: Brands of canned and dried abalone in China6

Brand Origin Size Cost
Dalian Yudashu 120g can RMB 29
Ocean Palace China
Haiwang Australia 160g can RMB 40-50 (S)
RMB 30-40 (L)
Baopinhui China RMB 230
Ayi Abalone Chile RMB 143 (22 heads)
RMB 300 (12 head)
Lao Jiao Dong Bottle RMB 91
Jipin Abalone RMB 133 (L)
RMB 66 (M)
RMB 33 (S)
Yixiang 140g RMB 38-40/can
Xiaoqin Abalone China Plastic Vacuum RMB 898 (11 heads)
Packed (500g) RMB 698 (15 heads)

Table 2: Indicative value chain analysis for Tasmanian abalone (in $m)
Processing value added
Beach Market Retail value
Product value Prices Volumes value add
Live abalone 67.44 15.21 -3.37 50.30 129.59
Frozen abalone 4.70 2.66 -3.04 1.43 5.72
Canned abalone 27.69 21.76 -20.77 4.88 33.60
Dried abalone 1 1 -1 1 2
Table 3: Indicative margins (% of final value)7

Product Type Production Processing Retail Total

Live, fresh or chilled abalone 52% 9% 39% 100.00
Frozen 82% -6% 25% 100.00
Canned 83% 3% 15% 100.00

6
Data compiled from various interviews in ‘Customer and Consumer Perceptions of Canned Abalone (2010)’
7
Tasmanian Abalone Council (2008) TAC Strategic Plan 2008-2013 [Accessed 23/02/2011
www.tasabalone.com.au/documents/TACStrategicPlanReview-August2009.pdf ]; p.8

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3.2 Bivalves8

3.2.1 Production and processing

Bivalve production: Key facts

Spanish mussel Black mussel

(Mytilus galloprovincialis) (Choromytilus Meridionalis)

Image – dabramonicola.it

Oysters (Cassostrea gigas) Image: nmr-pics.nl

Western Cape focus
species
Scallop (Pecten sulcicostatus)

Image: wwfsassi.co.za/ Image: ifood.tv

Size range:
f Mussels: 55-100mm shell length
f Oysters: 40-105mm shell length
f Scallops: up to 100mm shell length

End product options:

f Mussels: Live, half-shell (fresh, chilled, frozen), shelled (fresh and frozen),
Product range canned/bottles (smoked and pickled), additional value-add (e.g. crumbed,
sauced)
f Oysters: Live, half-shelled, or freshly shucked
– Value-added products such as smoking / canning are possible, however
at present there are no producers in South Africa that are developing
these products
f Scallops: Live, half-shell (fresh, chilled, frozen), shelled (fresh and frozen),
canned/bottles (smoked and pickled)
f Mussels:
– Mussels can be grown in all coastal provinces
– However, the waters off the West Coast are most productive, and exhibit
Optimal growing
higher growth rates
conditions and fit
- Saldanha Bay has become the centre for mussel culture in South
with Western Cape
Africa
conditions
f Oysters:
– C. gigas can be found in both temperate and tropical environments

8
Based on: Expert input; Aquaculture Sector Association sector report; Enviro-fish Africa for the dti (2007) A Study on
the Status of Aquaculture Production and Trade in South Africa, Vol 1: Industry Status and Diagnostic Report;
www.sarnissa.org; FAO (2010) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture

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Bivalve production: Key facts

– Their preferred temperature usually ranges between 15-30ºC, with an

optimal temperature of 18-24ºC
– Can be grown in a range of salinities, from brackish water (10%) to pure
seawater (35%), making their culture possible in both estuarine and
seawater environments possible

f Scallops:
– The optimal conditions for Pecten sulcicostatus culture are currently
being determined.
– Initial pilot /experimental trials suggest that it grows well in the waters off
Saldanha Bay

Global technologies:
f Mussels:
– Production is based on the French long line system
– Natural settlement onto the ropes provides the seed-stock

f Oysters:
– Technology is site dependent
– Rack culture is suitable for shallow enclosed estuarine conditions, but is
not suited to deeper waters or the marine environment where long line
culture would be more suitable
– Natural settlement onto the ropes provides the seed-stock
- Increasingly, long-line culture is becoming the culture technology of
choice for many farmers

In comparison with the rack system, the culture technique has three distinct
advantages:
1. Improved growth rates
– Oysters are submerged at all times, and are able to feed throughout the
tidal cycle (vs. rack system where the oysters are usually exposed for at
least two hours during low tide events)
– The increased feeding periods associated with long-line culture results in
improved growth rates
2. Reduced mortality
Technology choices
– Benthic predators are unable to reach the oysters that are suspended in
the water column
3. Increased flexibility and expansion of the growing area
– Depth and nature of the bottom substrate need not be taken into
consideration during site selection.
– Therefore, the number of suitable sites is enhanced
– Increasingly, long-line culture is becoming the culture technology of
choice for many farmers

f The basic long-line system comprises a series of 50-60m ropes that are
moored in the near shore area.
– The basic line usually comprises a 22 mm diameter synthetic rope that is
suspended in the water column by two floats (at each end of the rope)
– The floats are anchored to the seabed using heavy weights or anchors.
The 22 mm diameter long line is stretched between the two principle
floats
– In order to ensure that the line remains floating in the water column,
additional floats are placed every 5-6m along the line
– Oyster bags are suspended from the line. While the size of the oyster
bags may vary, they are normally constructed to be about 1m x 0.5m,
and made of plastic mesh. The size of the mesh will vary according to the
size of the oyster that is being cultivated.
– Juvenile oysters (25mm, 2-3 grams) will require a mesh size of 9mm,

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Bivalve production: Key facts

while larger 20-30g animals will require a mesh size in the region of
23mm
– Under normal stocking densities, three hundred 25mm animals would be
placed in each 1m x 0.5m 9mm mesh bag, with the larger 20 - 30g
animals being stocked in 23mm mesh bags at a rate of 150 per bag
– Under optimal conditions long-line culture has reached production levels
of 20 ton / ha / annum

f All the seed/spat that is currently used in South Africa is imported from
Chile or France, with nursery and grow-out functions being undertaken in
the province
– In the very near future, it is likely that this situation will change as the Two
Oceans Oyster Company (Pty) Ltd (located in the Port of Port Elizabeth)
has developed an oyster hatchery that will in future be able to provide
spat to on-growers

f Scallops:
– Scallops are currently a research species
– To date, they have been successfully spawned at the Sea Point
Aquarium in Cape Town; however, the spawning has yet to be
undertaken on a commercial scale
– Grow-out is undertaken using simple long-line systems similar to those
used to culture oysters (see above)

For different sizes and different approaches to production:

f Mussels:
– Approximately 6 month cycle from planning, seeding to harvest over
mussel of over 90mm
Production timelines
f Oysters:
– Under optimal culture conditions, the animals reach a marketable size of
55–100mm shell length in a period of approximately 6 months.

f Scallops: to be determined
All sources: Aquaculture:
f All molluscs 2008 estimate: 20.5 m f All molluscs 2008 estimate: 13.1
tonnes m tonnes
Total global output f Oysters: 4.2m tonnes
f Mussels: 1.6m tonnes
f Scallops: 1.4m tonnes

Total current production volumes:

f Mussels: 600 tons at a value of R6 million (2008)
f Oysters: 289 tons at a value of R8.47 million (2008)
f Scallops: 0 tons

Number of farms/projects:
Total SA & W. Cape
f Mussels:
primary and
– Geographically centred around Saldanha Bay on the West Coast of the
processing output-
Western Cape Province, where the authorities have allocated 300
aquaculture
hectares of the bay to mussel culture.
– Two companies are currently known to be in production:
- Under Terrasan Group: Blue Bay Aquafarm and Masiza Mussel
Farming cooperative
- West Coast Aquaculture
– Currently, all production enters the local market through processors and
wholesalers/distributors and no export markets have been established

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Bivalve production: Key facts

f Oysters:
– 9 farms in operation in SA in 2008, employing in the region of 100
people.
- 3 of these were located in the Western Cape
– One producer in the Eastern Cape has developed a hatchery, however
as of January 2011, it is not operational. There are no hatchery facilities
in the Western Cape Province

f Scallops:
– There is no commercial production in South Africa. A small pilot
production facility has been developed in Saldanha Bay

Volume ramp-up potential:

f Should markets increase, capacity can easily and simply be added by
setting more long-lines and rafts
f There is potential to develop poly-culture systems in the nutrient-rich waste
waters of existing land-based abalone and marine finfish farms

Processing output/capacity:
f Processing facilities include Terrasan Group La Vie Seafood Products
processing facility (4 tonnes of mussels per day)

Certification and standards:

f DAFF operates a shellfish sanitation programme to ensure the safety of all
shellfish produced in South Africa
– Regular tests for Diuretic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) and Paralytic
shellfish poisoning (PSP) are made at the farm level (requires water
testing which is now being done collaboratively by the mussel farms to
share costs)
– Positive results lead to temporary farm closures – until the disease issues
are resolved (mussel farms have recently been closed for 3 weeks)
– False positive results have serious economic consequences, and can
cause a loss of market share
– DAFF testing procedures are being revised and will replace the ‘mouse
test’ which should alleviate the problem in the future
– According to one small-scale shellfish producer in the Eastern Cape,
these costs can be as high as 15% of production costs.
– MCM is understood to have recently invested in new testing facilities
f SABS also requires certain standards and labelling for processing facilities
and packaging
f Processing facilities are also in the process of implementing HACCP
systems (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point), which is increasingly
required by buyers

R/kg:
f Mussels:
– Estimated farm gate for processing: R4.50 to R4.75
– At agent level, approximately
- Live: R19/kg currently (was recently R12 during local price war)
- Half shell, cleaned, steamed, frozen : R26 – R28/kg
Production costs in
- Full shell, cleaned, par cooked steamed, frozen: R28 /kg
the Western Cape
f Oysters (2009/10):
– Cocktail (40-50mm): R2, 50
– Small (50-60mm): R2, 70
– Medium (60-80mm): R2, 90
– Large (80-105mm): R3, 10

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Bivalve production: Key facts

– Extra Large (105mm +): R3, 50

f Scallops: to be determined
Jobs/tonne of primary production:
f Mussels:
– Depends on technology choice and mechanical vs. hand harvesting:
- One estimate of 1 employment opportunity for every 20-25 tonnes
production, another for approximately 1 to 2 jobs/tonne / 100 jobs for
R10m investment
Socio-economic
f Oysters:
impact
– 1 employment opportunity for every 3-5 tons production

f Scallops:
– No data: there is no commercial production; however it is likely that
employment levels will be similar to those of the oyster farms as they will
use similar production technologies (see above).

Below is an example of the oyster production chain.

Figure 2: Bivalves-oyster production and processing chain

Spat may be bought in at 1-2mm or up to 3 cm f or
grow-out

No-one is currently
producing spat in RSA

Grow- Spat Grow- Juvenile Grow- Grow-

50cm 110cm
out 1cm out 3cm out out

3.2.2 Markets

Bivalve global market: quick facts

Global imports
f Total global imports: US$1.8bn
(621,215 tonnes), 2009

f Oysters (fresh, chilled or frozen)

– US$209m (R1.46bn) (42,348 tonnes)
– US$4.95 (R35) per kg
f Mussels (fresh or chilled)
Import – main
– US$306m (R2.14bn) (144,724 tonnes)
products
– US$2.12 (R15) per kg
tonnage and
f Frozen mussels
average prices
– $166m (R1.16bn) (46,155 tonnes)
(2009)
– US$3.60 (R25) per kg
f Scallops (fresh or chilled)
– US$260m (R1.82bn) (30,977 tonnes)
– US$8.42 (R59) per kg

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Bivalve global market: quick facts

f Frozen scallops
– US$864m (R6.05bn) (357,009 tonnes)
– US$2.42 (R17) per kg

Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

Spain France China and Hong Kong

Imports f Imports of molluscs (fresh, f Imports of bivalves (fresh, frozen f Imports of bivalves
frozen, chilled) were worth or chilled) were worth €299m were worth US$38m
€258m (R2.45bn) in 2008 (R2.09bn) in 2008 (R226m) in 2009
f Total consumption of
Mussels: Mussels: molluscs in China is
f Mussel imports were f France imported approximately approximately 6.35kg
approximately 12,900 50,400 tonnes of mussels in per capita, or 8.49m
tonnes in 2009 2009 tonnes11
f Strong domestic supply
f Imports of mussels Oysters: Mussels:
represent approximately f Imports 4,439 tonnes per year f Imports into China
15% of the total supply in (2007-9)10 approximately 14,030
Spain tonnes in 2006
Scallops:
Oysters: f Imported 27,900 tonnes in 2009 Oysters:
f Imported $439m f France has a strong domestic f Imports to the Chinese
(R3.07bn) (150,482 supply of scallops, but imports mainland in 2006 were
tonnes) in 2009 are increasing 517 tonnes
– Imports of fresh and live f Imports to Hong Kong
Scallop: scallops increased from €34m were 5138 tonnes in
f Imported 12,500 tonnes in (R323m) in 2005 to €73m 2006
2009 (R694m) in 2007 – This suggests Hong
f Imports highly seasonal – over Kong an important
800t in December distribution hub for
– Less than 400t the rest of the mainland China
year.

9
Sources include: France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees
Statistiques 2009’; France AgriMer (2010) ‘Conseil Specialise Mer’ [Accessed 23/02/11 http://www.franceagrimer.fr];
Marketing Seafood (2010) ‘Fresh and Frozen Scallops in France: Products and Performances’; AgriMer Market
Information Service (2011) [Accessed 23/02/11 - http://www.snm.franceagrimer.fr ]; Sandberg et al (2007) ‘The blue
mussel industry in central Norway’ SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture Consulting; BIM (2010) ‘Shellfish Market
Comment February 2010’ [Accessed 23/02/11 - http://www.bimb2b.com/docs/bulletin/7800982378_shellfishjan10.pdf];
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Otros Bivalvos’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Otrosbivalvos.pdf ] ; Mercasamuncipales (2007) ‘Mejillon’ [Accessed
23/02/11 - www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/mejillon.pdf ]; and Globalfish (2011) ‘Bivalves: Mussels face
new challenges while scallop market more competitive’ [Accessed 23/02/11 - http://www.globefish.org/bivalves-february-
2011.html]
10
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’, p.90
11
Based on FAOSTAT consumption data from 2007 and seafood consumption breakdown in China. See Table 13 for
more information.

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Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

Estimated % Mussels:12 Mussels:

sales by f Majority of mussels in f Hotel and restaurant market
market Spain sold through retail segment is the most popular
segment outlets for home outlet for mussels in France
consumption f % Sales by market segment:
f % sales by market – Retail: 48.5%
segment: – Hotel and Restaurant: 51.5%
– Retail: 73.8% f In the retail sector, sales of fresh
– Hotel and Restaurant: product are 43,147 tonnes or
25.6% €148m (R1.4bn), and 1,589
– Institutional: 0.6% tonnes or €5m (R47.5m) in
f Mercasa wholesale frozen sales
markets accounted for f In the HoReCa sector, sales of
34,800 tonnes or 44% of fresh and frozen mussels were
sales in 2006. 44,621 tonnes and 2,830 tonnes
– Of these sales 34,200 respectively in 2009
tonnes were fresh – 95% of fresh mussels sold in
produce catering sector sold to
– 600 tonnes were frozen commercial restaurants15
products –
predominantly from New
Zealand and Africa Scallops:
f The retail market is worth
Scallops: approximately €115-€140m
f Mercasa sales in 2006 (R1.1bn – R1.3bn) per year
were 140 tonnes – Live shell-on scallop market
– Of these, approximately worth between €35m and
15% were frozen €40m (R333m – R380m)
scallops13 – Chilled shucked meat market
worth €80m-€100m (R760m –
Oysters: R950m).
f Wholesale market sales – Retail sales of frozen scallops
through the Mercasa reached 6,561 tonnes in 2009,
network in 2006 amounted up from 3,289 tonnes in 2001
to approximately 625 f The HoReCa scallop market is
tonnes14 worth approximately €40-45m
(R380m – R428m) per annum
f The sector uses approximately
2,500 tonnes of live scallops and
1,000 tonnes of shucked meat
– HoReCa sales of frozen
scallops are approximately
1,800 to 2,200 tonnes per year
and are worth €12-15m
(R114m – R143m).16

Oysters:
f % sales by market segment
– Hotel and restaurants (12.8%),
retail (87.2%)

12
Mercasamuncipales (2007) ‘Mejillon’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/mejillon.pdf ], p.4
13
ibid, p.6
14
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Otros Bivalvos’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Otrosbivalvos.pdf ] , p.5
15
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’,
p.105
16
ibid, p.38

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

f Within the retail sector:

supermarkets (57%), markets
(26.1%), fishmongers (9.3%),
4.8% (direct sales), 2.8%
(others)
f Retail purchases of oysters
amounted to 33,424 tonnes in
2009, with an approximate value
of €187m (R1.78bn) per year.
f Restaurant purchases of oysters
amounted to 5,789 tonnes in
2009

Prices Mussels Mussels26:

f Mussel Price (€/kg April f Wholesale market prices for f Fresh mussels retail
2010) and Rand mussels in France in December price is approximately
equivalent: 2010 varied between €1.80 RMB 58 (R58) per kg27
– Producer Price: €0.80 (R17) (Netherlands) and €3.25 f Frozen mussels retail
(R8) (R31) (Spain) per kg price is RMB 27-32
– Wholesale market price f There was some regional price (R27 – R32) per kg
: €1.61 (R15) variation between wholesale f Processed/Packaged
– Retail price: €3.02 (R29) markets, with French mussels mussel meat retail
f There is also some priced at €2.80 (R27) per kg in price is RMB44 (R44)
variation in wholesale Rouen and €2.30 (R22) per kg in per kg
prices across regional Rungis (Paris)
wholesale markets – Spanish mussels also varied in Oysters:
– E.g. the price varies price - €3.25 (R31) per kg in f Retail price is
from €1.80 (R17) per kg Rouen and €2.00 (R19) per kg 18RMB/kg (R18)
in Madrid, to €1.73 in Rungis (Paris) – Hong Kong retail
(R16) per kg in Sevilla, – Netherlands mussels were price for Japanese
€1.65 (R16) per kg in cheaper in both wholesale frozen oysters is
Bilbao, €1.50 (R14) in markets than Spanish and approximately
kg in Valencia and €1.40 French competitors at €1.80 HK$200 (R20028)
(R13) in Barcelona17. (R17) (Rungis) and €2.35 per kg
f Oysters : US$3.41 (R24) (R22) (Rouen)18
f Scallops: US$4.13 (R29) f The retail price for mussels in Scallops29:
France also varies by place of f Frozen scallop retail
origin prices vary from
f For example, Irish rope mussels RMB72 (R72) to RMB
retail at €3.57 (R34) per kg, while 120 (R120) per kg
Spanish mussels are priced at depending on size.
€3.50 (R33) per kg. – Box of scallop meat
– Processed mussel meats from 10-20pc (500g) =
Chile command a retail price of RMB120 (R120)
€5.75 (R55) per kg.19 – Box of scallop meat
– The average mussel price by 30-40pc (500g) =
market outlet in France is as RMB 90 (R90)
follows: Supermarkets - €3.3 – Box of scallop meat
(R31) per kg; markets - €4.1 5-60 pc (500g) =
(R39) per kg; fishmongers - RMB 72 (R72)
€4.3 (R41) per kg20. – Box of half shell

17
MERCASA (2011) ‘Prices and wholesale markets – week from 18 – 22 February’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercasa.es/productos/precios_mercados_mayoristas];
18
AgriMer Market Information Service (2011) [Accessed 23/02/11 - http://www.snm.franceagrimer.fr ]
19
BIM (2010) ‘Shellfish Market Comment February 2010’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.bimb2b.com/docs/bulletin/7800982378_shellfishjan10.pdf] ; p.3
20
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’,
p.106

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

scallops (12 pcs)

Oysters (1.8kg) = RMB 72
f The wholesale price for Hollow (R72)
oysters is between €5.60 (R53)
and €5.90 (R56) for G2 quality at
Rungis and Rouen markets.
f Data from 2009 shows that the
retail price of oysters is cheapest
from traditional markets or direct
sales (approximately €5.30 (R50)
per kg), while the average price
in supermarkets is €5.70 (R54)
per kg. Fishmongers are the
most expensive market outlet at
a cost of €6.30 (R60) per kg

Scallops
f Increased competition in French
market is leading to a downward
pressure on prices21.
f The import price for USA
scallops is €12 -14 (R114-133)
per kg (CIF)22
f The wholesale price for fresh
scallops in France is €18.29
(R174) per kg for husked French
scallops, or €13.50 (R128) per kg
for husked imported scallops23
f At retail, live scallops cost
approximately €5.27 (R50) per
kg, while fresh shucked meat is
€20.40 (R194) per kg24
– Frozen Scallops’ average retail
price in 2009 was €15.96
(R152) per kg25
– However there is a downward
trend in frozen scallops, with
prices in 2003 €18.25 (R173)
per kg

Key suppliers f Major suppliers of f Major suppliers of molluscs and f China - largest bivalve
molluscs and bivalves in bivalves in France in 2008 producer and largest
Spain include: Italy (21%), include: UK (17%), USA (11%), market for bivalves.
Argentina (19%), Peru Holland (9.5%), Canada (7.6%), Mainly supplied from
(14%), France (13%), Argentina (6.5%). internal supplies –
Morocco (7.9%), UK imports of high-value
(5.6%) f France’s main suppliers of bivalves from other

26
HonSeafood in China Report – prochile and ADK – frozen mussel price.
27
Based on $1 to 10.60877RMB
28
Based on the exchange rate of HK$1= 1 ZAR. This indicative exchange rate will be used throughout the report,
however exact price comparisons will vary due to exchange rate fluctuations
29
AHK (2010) Fresh & Processed Fish and Seafood in China 2010,p.23
21
Globalfish (2011) ‘Bivalves: Mussels face new challenges while scallop market more competitive’ [Accessed 23/02/11
- http://www.globefish.org/bivalves-february-2011.html]
22
Marketing Seafood (2010) ‘Fresh and Frozen Scallops in France: Products and Performances’
23
AgriMer Market Information Service (2011) [Accessed 23/02/11 - http://www.snm.franceagrimer.fr ]
24
Marketing Seafood (2010) ‘Fresh and Frozen Scallops in France: Products and Performances’
25
ibid, p.28

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Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

mussels are Ireland, Spain, countries to serve

f Spain has strong domestic France, Chile and Norway. growing catering
supply of mussels, f The price received by blue sector demand36
accounting for 85% of total mussel producers in Norway is – Produced over 10m
mussel consumption in approximately $0.73 per kg. tonnes of oysters
Spain. Galicia province from aquaculture in
alone accounts for 75%. f Oyster suppliers: Ireland is the 2008
– France is the dominant supplier of oysters to – Over 1.1m tonnes of
predominant import France accounting for around sea scallops, and
supplier30. New Zealand 60% of imports33. nearly 480,000
a supplier of frozen tonnes of mussels.
mussels too. f Major suppliers of scallops in
France include UK, USA and
f Strong domestic Chile, while France is also key f Scallops: Chinese
production of oyster in domestic producer. production was 80%
Spain. Galicia supplies – The domestic production for export
more than 90% of the period is between October and – Changed to 60% for
wholesale markets, with April domestic market
France dominant in the – There has been a strong – Strong competition
very small import market increase in US scallop imports on domestic market
for live oysters31. to France, increasing from f Domestic suppliers
€4m in 2005 to €26m in 2009 looking for domestic
f In the Spain scallop f Norway – provide high quality opportunities
market, 55% of domestic diver-caught scallops (3-5pc per – Major supplier are
supply is from imports, kg)34 South Korea, NZ,
with 45% from national f In terms of frozen scallops, the USA, Canada
supply largest suppliers are Peru (19%)
37
– France and the UK are and USA (17%) f Oysters :
the main importers, f France also imports frozen – Major suppliers in
while Galicia accounts scallops from Canada, UK, 2009 were the USA
for most of the national Japan, Argentina35 (1,439 tonnes), Japan
supply32 f In December 2010, the European (845 tonnes), South
– Canada and Ireland are Commission gave permission for Korea (382 tonnes),
also important scallop fresh chilled scallops to be Australia (327 tonnes),
importers imported into the EU from Chile France (194 tonnes)
– In December 2010, the and Chile (165 tonnes)
European Commission
gave permission for
fresh chilled scallops to
be imported into the EU
from Chile

30
Mercasamuncipales (2007) ‘Mejillon’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/mejillon.pdf ] , p.3
31
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Otros Bivalvos’ [Accessed 23/02/11
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Otrosbivalvos.pdf ]
32
ibid, p.6
33
http://www.globefish.org/oysters-may-2008.html
34
Marketing Seafood (2010) ‘Fresh and Frozen Scallops in France: Products and Performances’, p.25
35
ibid, p.40
36
Pawiro (2010) ‘Bivalves: Global production and trade trends’ [Accessed 23/02/11 at
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/emerging/bivalves.pdf]; p.16
37
Based on TradeMap data

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Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

Dominant Mussels: Mussels: f Fresh scallops sold in

channels by f Approximately 60% of f Fresh mussels are predominantly restaurants in Northern
product mussels in Spain are sold through supermarkets in China, dried for
destined for the France (&9.8%), while traditional restaurants in
processing industry and markets (11.5%), fishmongers Southern China
40% for the fresh market38 (6.2%) and other (2.5%) were f Scallops and oysters
f Purchase of mussels from less important for fresh mussel are popular in five-star
supermarkets has been sales39 hotels, including the
increasing in Spain Hyatt, Shangri-La and
– In 2006, 47.3% of Scallops: Ritz-Carlton. Buffet
mussels for home f Live scallops are sold style restaurants are
consumption were predominantly through fish common – cost of
purchased from mongers (67%), and the buffet RMB198-
supermarkets, an remaining 33% are sold through RMB298
increase from 35.2% in supermarkets
2000, and 21.9% in f In contrast, the dominant market f Frozen oysters (Hong
1997 channel for fresh shucked Kong) - Restaurants
f In contrast, there has been scallop meat is supermarkets are the main sales
a decline in purchases (80%), with fishmongers channel.
from traditional markets accounting for 20% of shucked – But also sold
and stores, down from scallop meat sales. through gourmet
44.4% in 2000 to 37.5% in supermarkets in
2006. Oysters: Hong Kong41
– Other market channels f Sales channels (by volume):
include hypermarkets supermarkets (57%), markets
(12.5%) and other (26.1%), fishmongers (9.3%),
(2.7%). direct sales (4.8%), other
(2.8%)40
Product f Oysters: importers in
preferences f There is a preference for f Fresh scallops are not very Hong Kong claimed
and quality European/flat oyster in popular - only 5% of French health (sanitation etc)
requirements Spain, as there is limited consumers buying live scallops – and freshness are the
acceptance of ‘Pacific in 2009 sales were 6,441 tonnes most important factors
Oyster’ nationally42 f Popular variety of scallop is f The Hong Kong
f There is a preference for placopecten magellanicus, which caterers are also very
large oysters – in 2006 is a good size and has strong prudent in sourcing
‘special’ grade (5-6 pc per taste characteristics. This chilled oysters from
kg) accounted for 80% preference explains the increase trustworthy suppliers
sales. Extra grade (8-10 in US scallop imports in recent as any food
pc per kg) accounted for years contamination
10%. Flor (15-20pc per kg) f There has also been a large problems can ruin
also accounted 10%43 increase in fresh shucked meat restaurants
f Scallops are often used in sales in consumer market reputations46
Galician cuisine, such as a f The HoReCa market segment is
popular dish where increasingly using roe-off
scallops are sautéed with products, due to their shelf life of
onions and bread crumbs 5-8 days
and baked

38
Mercasamuncipales (2007) ‘Mejillon’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/mejillon.pdf ], p.5
39
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’,
p.106
40
ibid, p.91
41
ProChile (2010) ‘Estudio de Mecado Ostras Congeladas – Hong Kong’ pp.6-8
42
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Otros Bivalvos’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Otrosbivalvos.pdf ], p.5
43
ibid
46
GAIN (2010) ‘Hong Kong Seafood Market’

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Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

f Label Rouge is a French quality

certification label awarded to
scallop producers which comply
with specific criteria. It has also
been awarded to shucked
scallop meat since 2009
– Criteria for certification for live
scallop producers include:
shells clean on board; 80%+
are roe-on; minimum yield
gives at least 1kg for 6.5kg
shell-on weight; full
traceability.

Mussels:
f France – preference for small
mussels44.

Oysters:
f Hollow Oysters are most popular
in France
f 90% of consumer purchases are
hollow oysters. Only 10% are flat
oysters45
Sources of f Oyster consumption at f Frozen scallops:
price Christmas is – There is a price premium for
premium/ approximately 40% of total New Zealand, US, and
market consumption47 Canadian scallops: €12-14
positioning f Scallops – the market is (R114-133) per kg (CIF).
more concentrated – There is also a strong
between October and seasonal trend, with large
May48 price increases around
f Increasing importance of December
environmental
accreditation49 f Oysters:
– Mussel farming sites in – Price increase in
Chile, UK and Australia September/October in Rungis
were all awarded Friend market50
of the Sea (FoS) – Oyster consumption is strongly
certification in 2010 seasonal, with approximately
– Danish mussels caught 50% consumed in December
by VMI became first alone51
mussels to carry the – France attempting to increase
MSC eco-label in 2010 value addition in oyster
market, with strong market
segmentation by region
(similar to the wine industry)
and certification

44
Sandberg et al (2007) ‘The blue mussel industry in central Norway’ SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture Consulting,
p.11
45
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’ ,p.90
47
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Otros Bivalvos’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Otrosbivalvos.pdf ], p.4
48
ibid, p;.6
49
Globefish (2011) ‘Bivalves: Mussels face new challenges while scallop market more competitive’ [Accessed 23/02/11
- http://www.globefish.org/bivalves-february-2011.html]
50
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Conseil Specialise Mer’ [Accessed 23/02/11 http://www.franceagrimer.fr], p.27
51
ibid, p.90

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Comparison between prioritised markets: Bivalves9

– Price premium for ‘Label

Rouge’ oysters – a pack of 24
grade 3 ‘Fine de Claires
Vertes’ was retailing at €15
(R143) per pack in a Paris
hypermarket
– In comparison, a pack of 36
oysters of the same size grade
retailed for €13.90 (R132)52

f Mussels:
– The main consumption season
for mussels in France is
between July and November53
– Increasing importance of
environmental accreditation54.
- Mussel farming sites in
Chile, UK and Australia
were all awarded Friend of
the Sea (FoS) certification
in 2010.
- Danish mussels caught by
VMI became first mussels to
carry the MSC eco-label in
2010

52
Globefish (2011) ‘Bivalves: Mussels face new challenges while scallop market more competitive’ [Accessed 23/02/11
- http://www.globefish.org/bivalves-february-2011.html]
53
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’,
p.106
54
Globefish (2011) ‘Bivalves: Mussels face new challenges while scallop market more competitive’ [Accessed 23/02/11
- http://www.globefish.org/bivalves-february-2011.html]

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

3.3 Salmon and trout55

3.3.1 Production and processing

Salmon and trout production: Key facts

Rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss)

Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

Western Cape
focus species Image: Engbretson, Eric / U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar)

Image: J.F.Scarola, Fishbase.org
Image:
E. Peter
Steenstra/U
SFWS

Size range:
f Eyed ova: sold to other farms, and can be exported if certified disease free
f Fry: 0.5 – 5g. Sold to grow-out producers
f Fingerlings: 5 – 75g. Sold to stock dams/rivers for the recreational fishery
(principally in Mpumalanga & Eastern Cape)
Product range f Marketable fish for consumption: 750g – 1.5kg

End product forms:

f Live, whole, gutted, filleted, chilled, frozen, cold and dry smoked products,
gravad lax/gravlax (cold cured in salt, sugar and dill), paté.

Trout:
f Optimal temperature range: 12 – 16 ºC
– Some strains have been developed that can withstand temperature of
Optimal growing
around 25 ºC for short periods
conditions and fit
f High quality, well aerated, clear waters are required for culture
with Western
f South African trout culture is restricted by:
Cape conditions
– The high ambient temperatures prevalent throughout much of the country
– Lack of suitable water for culture
– Culture sites are restricted to the smaller streams in the higher altitude

55
Based on: Expert input; Aquaculture Sector Association sector report; Enviro-fish Africa for the dti (2007) A Study on
the Status of Aquaculture Production and Trade in South Africa, Vol 1: Industry Status and Diagnostic Report;
www.sarnissa.org; FAO (2010) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture; Elsenburg Trout Production report,
available at www.elsenburg.com

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Salmon and trout production: Key facts

catchments where cool clear waters predominate

– As a result, much of the country’s trout culture is restricted to areas around
the foothills of the Drakensberg mountain range and the Midlands areas of
KwaZulu-Natal, and the higher regions in Mpumalanga and Western Cape
Provinces
f Western Cape: limited inland culture sites (primarily irrigation dams) at the
higher elevations in the province
– The grow-out period is restricted to 6-7 months due to the high summer
water temperatures

Atlantic Salmon:
f Optimal culture temperatures: 14-16ºC
f Suited to the waters off the Western Cape
f The species grows well under cage culture conditions (in Norway from 100g
to >4kg in 18 months)
f However, coastline has less suitable sites than fjord-type coastlines of Chile
and Norway
f Alien species in South Africa

Global established technologies:

Trout:
f Technology required for culture is now well developed
f Typified by tank, raceway, pond and cage culture
f In sub-optimal areas, recirculation technology is being employed by the
industry in combination with thermal regulation to enable producers to
maintain their optimal culture temperatures during high temperature periods

Atlantic salmon:
Technology f The species performs well under cage culture conditions
choices f In South Africa, it would likely be cultured in marine cages – a freshwater
component to the breeding cycle is required, thus in the event of escapes, a
naturalised population would unlikely be able to be established

Emerging technologies:
f Large scale cage culture operations based on sea cage technology are being
planned for Katse Dam in Lesotho: two farms are currently investing in
commercial scale cage culture
f There are future opportunities to increase production through the
development of sea based culture in cages or by using land-based farms and
the use of marine waters
For different sizes and different approaches to production:
f Eyed ova for the export market: 1 month (temperature dependent)
f Fry sold to grow-out producers: 1-3 months (mean size 2.5g)
f Fingerlings sold to grow-out operations /the recreational fly fishing industry: 3
– 6 months (5 – 75g)
Production Marketable size: 12 -18 months / 500g – 1kg (mean 750g); 18 – 36 months /
timelines 1 – 1.5kg (mean 1.25kg)

Atlantic salmon:
f Depending on culture temperatures, under optimal conditions, the species
grows to approximately 1kg in 6 months

All sources: Aquaculture:

Total global f Atlantic salmon: 1.5m tonnes in 2008 f Rainbow trout (2010): 580,000
output f Rainbow trout: 581,455 tonnes in tonnes
2008 f Small trout: 294,400 tonnes (2009)

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Salmon and trout production: Key facts

f Sea trout: 22,844 tonnes in 2008 f Large trout: 299,050 tonnes (2009)
f Atlantic salmon: 1.46m tonnes

Trout:
f South Africa 2008 production of 942 tonnes, valued at R27.98 million
f 24 farms growing trout in South Africa in 2008
– Of these, 10 were producing trout in the Western Cape, plus the “hands on
cooperative” (a Stellenbosch university and DST initiative) that comprised
23 out-grower groups
– There is no disaggregated production data to determine the production
volumes
f Typically, trout producers in South Africa are relatively small family-owned
operations
f Scale of production on trout farms in South Africa:
– <1 tonne/site/year: 1 farm
– 1 to 5 tonnes/site/year: 4 farms
– 5 to 20 tonnes/site/year: 5 farms
– >20 tonnes/site/year: 14 farms
f The majority of production is split between the Western Cape and
Mpumalanga
– In 2006, the Western Cape farmers produced approximately 500 tonnes of
trout that was destined for human consumption
– Farms in Mpumalanga focus more on the provision of fry for stocking water
bodies for the recreational fishing industry

Volume potential of installed capacity:

f There is no information regarding the installed production capacity at the
Total SA & W.
Cape primary and existing farms
f Many farms are likely to grow organically, but many will be limited by their
processing
output- water supply
f Suitable sites in South Africa are at a premium, and in future it is likely that
aquaculture
production will increase either from salmonid sea cage farming (that could be
developed off the Western Cape), or by increasing production in the
Drakensburg (principally the Katse Dam).
f Two companies are targeting tout production in Lesotho
– Katse56 fish farms (Royale Highland Trout™) have installed 300 tons of
production and may upscale to 3,000 tons per annum
- This product will likely feed primarily into the Southern African markets
and in turn the curtail the need to import salmon products from other
regions
– Highlands Trout (Pty) Ltd is currently putting in place 500 tons of production
capacity, and depending on the success of the project may also increase to
3,000 tons per annum
- While this production is targeted at global markets, the company will still
likely target the local southern African production
- Unit production costs are not available; the economies of scale
developed by these large scale developments may negatively impact
small producers
f Based on the above production volumes may double in the next 5 years

Atlantic Salmon
f One of the abalone farms in the Western Cape is currently looking at salmon
culture, and is holding salmon in tank-based systems. Reportedly, the farm is
investigating the potential to commercialise the operation at Saldanha Bay.

56
http://www.royalehighlandstrout.co.za/pages/katse_fish_farms/the_farm/index.php

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Salmon and trout production: Key facts

Processing output/capacity:
f Western Cape: There is only one dedicated processor in the Western Cape:
‘Three Streams Trout’.
– The company is currently importing product into South Africa (principally
from Norway) as local primary production is failing to meet demand

Certification:
f The WWF Aquaculture dialogues have recently (2010) published their draft
certification standards for trout culture. These will be finalised in 2011
f To date it is unclear to what level the industry will embrace the standards
Jobs/tonne of primary production:
f In 2008, the sector employed 346 fulltime employees, and 163 part-time
Socio-economic employees.
impact – In the future, there is likely to be an increase in production and employment
opportunities as demand for trout production increases and replaces
imported products

The diagram below illustrates the production and processing chain for trout.

Figure 3: Trout production and processing chain

Formu
lated
feed, Recreational
bought f ly f ishing industry
in

Fingerlings, own Portion-

Broodstock stock 10-15g
Grow- 20g Grow- size 200- Grow- 2-5 kg
/ hatchery into tanks / 50- out out 500g out
100g into cages

LIVE
(106-108%)

Loss blood/ WHOLE,FRESH Portion-size sold whole (live, fresh

starving 6-8 % (100 %) or frozen)

GUTTED FRESH
with head (88 %)

FILLETED, FILLETED,
GUTTED FRESH
FRESH/FROZEN FRESH/FROZEN
without head (80 %)
with skin (60 %) without skin (50 %)

NB – There are two different production strategies for trout; i) portion sized (200g-500g) and ii)
large trout (>2kg) often marketed as salmon trout or Fjord trout. Portion sized trout are farmed in
freshwater, while large trout have their growing period in cages in big lakes or in seawater. Large
trout enters the same market niches as salmon in several different product forms. Some market
reports do not distinguish between small and large trouts – making it difficult to compare prices.

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

3.3.2 Markets

Trout and salmon global market: quick facts

Global f Total global trout imports: $875m (2009)
imports57 f Total salmon imports: $8.0bn (2009)

f Fresh or chilled Pacific, Atlantic & Danube Salmon

– US$ 5.1bn (R35.5bn) (949,526 tonnes)
f Frozen Atlantic salmon
– US$442m (R3bn) (109,357 tonnes)
Imports – main
f Frozen trout
products
– US$499m (R3.5bn) (106.476 tonnes
tonnage (2009)
f Fresh or chilled trout
– US$327m (R2.3bn) (65,945 tonnes)
f Live trout
– US$48m (R336m) (12,107 tonnes)

Prioritised markets: Salmon and trout

France58 Spain
Consumption Trout f Total domestic consumption of trout
and imports f Domestic consumption of trout was 27,955 was 20,100 tonnes in 2006.
tonnes in 2009 f Imports accounted for 1% of the total
f The average import volume for trout supply – approximately 201 tonnes in
between 2007 and 2099 was 4,591 2006
tonnes59
f Total imports value in 2009: US$18m f Salmon imports: US$247m (R1.7bn)
(R126m) (45,955 tonnes)

Salmon
f Salmon imports to France were valued at
€689m (R6.5bn) in 2009. This represents
a volume of 170,915 tonnes in 2009
– Imports account for 99% of total supply
in France

57
Based on TradeMap data
58
Sources include: France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees
58
Statistiques 2009’; AgriMer (2010) ‘Fisheries and A AgriMer (2010) ‘Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in France ‘),
p.27
58
ibid
58
ibid
59
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’,
p.129

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Estimated % Trout60 f The main market channel for trout in

sales by market f Total consumption in 2009 was 12,839 Spain is the retail market (81.6%)
segment tonnes of which 35% was sold through the – Followed by hotels and restaurants
catering sector, and 65% was sold for (15.7%) and institutional (2.7%)
household consumption f The market share of retail has
f The catering sector accounted for 4,537 remained constant, but hotels and
tonnes (16.2%) in 2009 restaurants have increased their sales
– 74.4% was fresh trout, and 25.6% was from 11.8% in 1997
frozen f In contrast, less trout is sold through
f Furthermore, 78% (2,647 tonnes) of fresh the institutional market channel -
trout was sold as whole fish, whereas down from 6.3% in 1997
49.0% (567 tonnes) of frozen fish were
sold as whole in the catering sector Salmon
f Sales by market segment in 2006:
f For household consumption fresh trout – Fresh: Home Consumption
accounted for 6,353 tonnes (77%) and (72.2%), Hotels and Restaurants
smoked trout (23%). (24.8%), Institutional (3%)
– In fresh trout segment, whole fish f National home consumption of
account for 38%, fresh fillets 46% and salmon in 2006 was 34,600 tonnes
pre-packed fish 16% f Sales through Mercasa network was
– In 2009, the percentage of household 14,700 tonnes (43% of total sales)
sales of whole fresh trout declined by – Only fresh sales through Mercasa
5.7% while fresh trout fillets and pre-
packed trout increased by 5.3% and
1.9% respectively

Salmon
f Sales by % segment in 2009:
– Retail (70.9%)
– Hotels and restaurants (29.1%)

f Consumer sales of salmon in France in

2009 amounted to 71,071 tonnes
f Salmon sales to restaurants were
approximately 25,841 tonnes in 2009
– Fresh sales accounted for 14,018
tonnes. Whole sole accounted for 7,809
tonnes, while fresh fillets accounted for
6,209 tonnes
– Frozen sales accounted for 7,915
tonnes, where frozen whole fish
accounted for 672 tonnes, and frozen
fillets 7,243 tonnes
– Smoked salmon accounted for 3,908
tonnes. Where fresh (refrigerated)
smoked salmon accounted for 3,076
tonnes and frozen smoked salmon sales
were 832 tonnes
– See the table at the end of the section
for further disaggregation by sales
channel

60
France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Prices Trout Trout

f The retail price for fresh trout products in f Trout price (€/kg April 2010)
France was approximately €8.30 (R79) per – Producer price: 1.95 (R19)
kg for a whole fish in 2009. Fresh trout – Wholesale market price: 2.59 (R25)
fillets retailed for around €10.90 (R104) – Retail price: 4.74 (R45)
per kg and pre-packaged trout f These prices represented an 8%
approximately €12.10 (R115) per kg increase in producer price, a whole
– Smoked trout was the most expensive price reduction of 5% and an
trout product at €27 (R257) per kg. unchanged retail price based on data
f Supermarkets were the cheapest retail from 2009
outlets for trout products at an average
price of €9.50 (R90) per kg, while Salmon
traditional markets were approximately f The wholesale price of salmon in
14% more expensive at an average price Spain is approximately €6.21(R59)
of €10.80 (R103) per kg per kg61
f See the tables at the end of the section for – Fresh whole salmon sells for €5.77
further information on trout product prices (R55) per kg, frozen whole salmon
in France for €3.76 (R36) per kg and fresh
salmon fillet for €8.01 (R76) per kg
Salmon at the Mercabarna in Barcelona62.
f The wholesale price of fresh salmon whole – Average salmon prices increased at
salmon depends on size and origin. all market points in 2010. The
– Scotland €5.80-€8.40 (R55 – 80) per kg average price compared to the last
– Norway €6.50-€7.60 (R62 – 72) per kg two seasons had increased by 6%
– France €9.50 (R90) per kg at origin, 17% at market, and 3% at
f These prices show that French farmed retail63
salmon is not price competitive with f The approximate retail price for
Scottish and Norwegian imports. salmon in 2010 is €9.95 (R95) per kg
f Imported salmon fillets at Rungis
wholesale market were €11 (R105) per kg.
f The retail price for fresh salmon is
cheapest through supermarkets:
– Average price is €11.20 (R106) per kg
f In comparison, fishmongers and traditional
markets are approximately 40% more
expensive at €16 (R152) per kg and 15.70
(R149) per kg respectively

f The wholesale price of vacuum-packed

smoked salmon is between €17.00 (R162)
and €21.50 (R204) per kg. Price varies by
origin:
– The cheapest smoked salmon is
Norwegian (€17 per kg, about R160
equivalent) and the most expensive is
Scottish (€21.50/kg, about R200
equivalent)
– Organic smoked salmon sells for
€28(R266) per kg. This is a price
premium of approximately 30%
f The average retail price for smoked
salmon is €24.30 (R231) per kg from
supermarkets. However, it is significantly
cheaper from hard discount stores at
€14.20 (R135) per kg

61
MERCASA (2011) ‘Prices and wholesale markets – week from 18 – 22 February’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercasa.es/productos/precios_mercados_mayoristas];
62
Based on average 2010 prices.
63
MAPA (2010) ‘Precios Semanales en le cadena de comercializacion: Salmon’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mapa.es/estadistica/pags/PreciosOrigenDestino/pdf/salmon.pdf

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Major suppliers Trout f Spain:

f Live trout: – Supplies 99% of trout sold in
– Spain: US$3m (R21m) Mercasa network. Main regions
– Belgium: US$266,000 (R1.9m) include Galicia (20%), La Rioja
– Denmark: US$101,000 (R707,000) (20%) Castilla – La Mancha (15%).
f Fresh or chilled trout – However, aquaculture production
– Norway: US$2m (R14m) has dropped from 35,000 tonnes to
– Denmark: US$854,000 (R6.0m) 25,000 tonnes in 2006
– Spain: US$758,000 (R5.3m)
f Frozen trout f Salmon – imports account for 100%
– Denmark: US$183,000 (R1.3m) to Spain. Denmark and Norway =
– Spain: US$92,000 (R644,000) 90% and Scotland = 10%
– Ireland: US$87,000 (R609,000)

Salmon
f Imports dominated by Norway who
account for 51% of imports in volume.
Other suppliers include the UK and Chile.
f China is an emerging supplier of frozen
salmon to France.

Dominant Trout Trout

channels by f Fresh trout is sold predominantly through f Trout is most commonly sold through
product supermarkets (84.5%), traditional/ supermarkets (45.7%), although
wholesale markets (8.6%), fishmongers traditional stores and markets (such
(4.2%) and other (2.6%) as the Mercasa network) accounts for
– 95.2% of smoked trout is sold through 33.0%
hyper-markets and supermarkets, 3.3% – Hypermarkets (15.9%) and others
is sold through hard discounters and (5.4%) are the other main retail
1.5% through other channels64 channels

Salmon Salmon
f Fresh salmon – Supermarkets (89.5%), f Salmon Æ 36.1% of salmon
Markets (4.6%), Fishmongers (3.6%), purchased through traditional stores,
Others (2.3%) 46.1% from supermarkets, 15.6%
f Smoked salmon – Supermarkets (76.9%), hypermarkets, 2.2% others
hard discounters (19.2%), other (3.2%) – Supermarkets are increasing their
share of sales (by volume) from
36.2% in 2000 while traditional
stores purchases have fallen from
38.2% in 2000 to 36.1% in 2006.
Product f Trout is the sixth most popular seafood f Preference for fresh trout, trout is not
preferences species according to an AgriMer survey in popular frozen66
and quality 2009. It was purchased by 20% of f Other popular formats include whole
requirements households65 pieces, fillets, smoked fillets,
f 44% of households purchase salmon precooked, and fois gras
f Popular in Spain – 43% of
households purchase trout67
Sources of f Smoked trout commands a higher price f 30% of salmon is sold between
price premium/ than fresh whole trout or fresh trout fillets. October and December in Spain. This

64
ibid, p.131
65
AgriMer (2010) ‘Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in France ‘, p.27
66
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Trucha’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Trucha.pdf ] p.1
67
ibid

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

market Smoked trout accounts for 23% of the represents a small seasonal trend
positioning household purchases in volume, but 45%
(€116.7m) in value68
f Smoked trout is a seasonal product and is
most popular between October and
December. In 2009, approximately 300
tonnes were sold in December69.
f Large seasonal purchase of smoked
salmon in December
f Organic smoked salmon sells for €28
(R266) per kg wholesale. This is a price
premium of approximately 30% over the
traditional non-organic varieties

The table below provides an insight into the wholesale prices for trout products in two regional wholesale
markets in France.

Table 4: Trout wholesale prices in France (December 2010) 70:

Market Product Origin Average Average
Price Price
(€/kg) (R/kg)
Rouen Trout Fillet Imported (Unknown Origin) 7.80 74
Trout Whole France (Aquaculture) 5.25 50
Rungis Trout Fillet France (Aquaculture) 6.50 62
Trout (Whole) France (Aquaculture) 4.50 43

According to the table above, there is some price variation between regional markets, and
imported trout fillets command a high price than locally farmed trout. The imported trout fillet at
Rouen market commands a 20% price premium over the local fillet sold in Rungis wholesale
market.

The table below shows the average price for fresh trout products in various retail outlets in France
in 2009.

Table 5: Average price for fresh trout by retail outlet in France71

Market Channel Average Price
(€/kg) in 2009
Supermarket 9.5
Traditional markets 10.8
Fishmongers 10.5

The table above shows that supermarkets are the most cost competitive for fresh trout products,
while traditional markets and fishmongers are significantly more expensive. This may be due to
supermarkets’ direct contracts with importers and the lack of scale for fishmongers and traditional
market-sellers.

68
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Trucha’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Trucha.pdf ]
69
ibid
70
AgriMer Market Information Service (2011) [Accessed 23/02/11 - http://www.snm.franceagrimer.fr ]
71
ibid

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Table 6: Average price for various trout products in France (2009)72

Product Type Average Price in Average Price
2009 (€/kg) (R/kg)
Smoked trout 27.0 257
Fresh whole trout 8.3 79
Fresh trout fillet 10.9 104
Pre-packaged trout 12.1 115

Table 7: HoReCa market segments for salmon products in France (2009)

Product Type Sales % of Total HoReCa Market Channel (%)
(tonnes)
Fresh salmon (whole) 7,809 30% Independent restaurants (89.7%), restaurant chains
(5.0%), institutional catering (5.2%)
Fresh salmon (fillet) 6,209 24% Independent restaurants (64.3%), restaurant chains
(16.0%), institutional catering (19.6%)
Frozen salmon 672 3% Independent restaurants (69.8%), restaurant chains
(whole) (16.8%), institutional catering (13.4%)
Frozen salmon (fillet) 7,243 28% Independent restaurants (17.3%), restaurant chains
(16.0%), institutional catering (19.6%)
Smoked salmon 3,076 12% Independent restaurants (81.6%), restaurant chains
(fresh) (11.2%), institutional catering (7.2%)
Smoked salmon 832 3% Independent restaurants (27.3%), restaurant chains
(frozen) (45.8%), institutional catering (26.8%)
TOTAL 25,841 100

This table shows that fresh salmon products are typically sold in independent restaurants, while frozen
produce is used in restaurant chains and institutional catering. This is to be expected, due to the longer
shelf-life of frozen produce.

72
ibid

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

3.4 Freshwater finfish - tilapia73

3.4.1 Production and processing

Tilapia production: Key facts

(Oroechromis mossambicus) (Oreochromis niloticus)

Western Cape focus

species

Image: Elisa García-Mingo, 2009 AP

Image: opencage.info Fellow
Size range:
f 300 – 800g
Product range
End product forum:
f Live, fresh, chilled, and frozen (whole and filleted)
Temperature range, etc.:
o
f Optimal culture temperature: 25 – 28 C

Optimal growing f In the Western Cape, optimal temperatures for culture are likely to
conditions and fit with occur only for a few months of the year over the summer period
Western Cape conditions – The rest of the year will have sub-optimal temperatures
– The absence of warm water over the winter period will likely result in
a cessation of growth

Global technologies:
f Semi intensive pond and dam culture
f Cage culture in lakes or impoundments
f Recirculation technology
Technology choices
f High density intensive cage and raceway culture, using recirculation
technology, under thermally controlled conditions
– This would enable production to be maintained throughout the
winter months
For different sizes and different approaches to production:
f Under optimal culture conditions, 300g animals can be grown in 5 – 6
Production timelines
months, and reach 600 – 700g in a year
– Growth rates are temperature dependent
All sources: Aquaculture:
f 3.5 m (2008) f Approx. 2.8 m tonnes (2008)
Total global output
f Wild catch approximately
650,000 tonnes

73
Based on: Expert input; C.E Lim (ed) (2006 ) Tilapia: Biology, Culture, and Nutrition; K. Fitzsimmons (2009) Tilapia
Advances and Setbacks: 2008 in review, 2010 in preview (presentation); H. Josupeit/FAO Globefish (2010) World
Supply and Demand of Tilapia; FAO (2010) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture;

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Tilapia production: Key facts

Total current production volumes:

f South Africa:
– 10 tonnes (2008)

Number of farms/projects:
f South Africa:
– One small scale farm in the Eastern Cape, and a small number of
community-based farms in Limpopo
– A number of recent production trials in the Western Cape and
KwaZulu-Natal that have failed to commercialise
– One commercial scale facility under development outside Durban
(KZN)

f Western Cape:
– At present, there are no culture operations in the Western Cape

Volume potential of installed capacity:

Total SA & W. Cape f Unknown, but likely to be very small (<50 tonnes)
primary and processing – No commercial production capacity has been installed
output- aquaculture
Projected volumes in 5/10 years:
f Projected production volumes will depend on the investment into
sector
– In the Western Cape, this is likely to be limited due to the
unfavourable climatic conditions

Processing output/capacity:
f There is no dedicated tilapia processing capacity in the country
– However, should tilapia be produced they could likely be processed
at existing, registered processing facilities in the country / Western
Cape

Certification:
f Currently there is no certification being used by the industry in RSA
– The industry is simply too small to warrant certification
– However, tilapia certification is increasingly becoming an industry
issue with Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) and the WWF
aquaculture dialogues
R/kg (different size/age/weight on the ground/farm gate):
f Production costs are difficult to ascertain as no one is currently
producing at scale
f Nevertheless, assuming that feed costs are currently R12/kg, at a feed
conversion ratio of 1.3, the feed cost of producing 1kg of fish would be
Production costs in the R15.6
Western Cape f A gross estimation of production costs can be made by doubling the
feed cost such that the production cost of 1kg of tilapia may be as high
as R31
– This production cost will vary according to the production technology
applied
Jobs/tonne of primary production:
f At present there are no commercial production facilities or employment
opportunities in the Western Cape
f The socio-economic impact of the operational farm in the Eastern
Socio-economic impact
Cape is a very small family owned operation with minimal production
capacity

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Tilapia production: Key facts

Jobs / Rm investment:
f Investment costs for a large scale lake based cage culture system
(3,000 tonnes per annum) would require an investment of US$3-4
million and provide in the region of 300 full and part time jobs
– Approximately 80-100 additional jobs would be created per
additional 1,000 of production capacity

The diagram below illustrates the tilapia production and processing chain.

Figure 4: Tilapia production and processing chain

Feed,
bought
in
To canning – this is an
experimental operation,
unlikely to be commercially viable

Inf ormal live market

(f arm gate sales)

Broodstock Fingerlings, Grow- Grow- 300 - Grow- 800g

own stock 5-20 35g
conditioning out out 400g out max
g

Stocking size will be dependent on f armer choice

LIVE

WHOLE,
FRIED
FRESH
60-65% live 70-75% live
weight
weight (head GUTTED
on/ gutted) FROZEN
FRESH
species
dependent
35-40% live 40-45% live
FILLETED, weight (net)
weight filleted FROZEN
Species FRESH
dependent

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

3.4.2 Markets

United States Market for tilapia 74

Imports f The USA imported 183,400 tonnes of tilapia in 2009

– In 2006, the most popular product segment for tilapia imports was frozen fillets
(74,381t), compared to frozen whole fish (60,772t) and fresh fillets (23,101t)75
76
f Total value of tilapia product forms imported in 2009 was $696.1m (R4.9bn) . This is
77
an increased compared to the $482.7m (R3.4bn) imported in 2006

Price f Price of Chinese tilapia declined in 2009 due to combination of easy supply and
economic crisis
– Unit value approx $3.00 (R21) per kg in 2008
– Fell to $2.77 (R19) per kg in 200978.
f The FOB wholesale price for frozen tilapia fillets (100-300g) from China in January
2011 was between $2.40-2.60 (R17 - R18)
f Fresh tilapia fillets – with a US origin, commanded a wholesale price between $3.60
and $3.90 (R25 – 27)79
80
Key suppliers f The main importers were :
– China (71.1%), Taiwan (8.6%), Ecuador (5.6%), Indonesia (4.8%),Honduras (3.5%),
Costa Rica (3.1%), Others (3.3%)
f China accounts for 90% of frozen tilapia fillet market in the US, while Ecuador supplies
30% of the fresh fillets81.
– The Chinese supply of tilapia looks set to increase, as supply of frozen fillets was up
28% year-on-year in first half of 2010.
– However, China has experienced supply problems in 2008 and 2010 due to low
temperatures in south of China – the major tilapia growing area
82
f Supplier by product type :
– Live fish – US growers
– Fresh fillets – Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama
– Frozen fillets – China, Indonesia
– Sashimi grade – Taiwan
f Domestic production in the USA is approximately 9,072 tonnes – 4.7% of total US
supply
f The value of exported tilapia products increased almost 50% from USA between 2007
and 2008 to $743m (R5.2bn)

74
Sources include: Fitzsimmons (2008) ‘Global Update 2008: Tilapia, Production, Innovations and Markets’ Aquaculture
America Presentation; Fitzsimmons (2011) ‘Tilapia 2010 – Industry Continues to Grow in Importance’ Presentation,
Kochi India; Josupeit (2010) ‘World Supply and Demand of Tilapia’ (FAO); Fitzsimmons et a; (2009) ‘Tilapia Production,
Market Report: Production, Consumption increase despite economic downturn’; INFOSA (2010) ‘Tilapia Market Report
January 2010’ [Accessed 23/02/11 - www.infosa.org.na/dloads/Services/Tilapia_market_report_Jan_2010.pdf]; Hartley-
Alcocer (2007) ‘Tilapia as a global commodity: A potential role for Mexico?’ Ph.D. Thesis, University of Stirling; Feidi
(2010) ‘Tilapia markets in the Middle East and North Africa: Demand trends and outlook’ Presentation at Third
International technical and trade conference exposition in Tilapia, Kuala Lumpur October 2010; Urner Barry (2011)
th
‘Seafood prices – current, January 20 2011’
75
Fitzsimmons (2008) ‘Global Update 2008: Tilapia, Production, Innovations and Markets’ Aquaculture America
Presentation; p.12
76
Fitzsimmons (2011) ‘Tilapia 2010 – Industry Continues to Grow in Importance’ Presentation, Kochi India; p.17
77
ibid, p.13
78
INFOSA (2010) ‘Tilapia Market Report January 2010’ [Accessed 23/02/11 ‐
www.infosa.org.na/dloads/Services/Tilapia_market_report_Jan_2010.pdf];
79
Urner Barry (2011) ‘Seafood prices – current, January 20th 2011’
80
Josupeit (2010) ‘World Supply and Demand of Tilapia’ (FAO), p.4
81
ibid, p.4
82
Hartley-Alcocer (2007) ‘Tilapia as a global commodity: A potential role for Mexico?’ Ph.D. Thesis, University of
Stirling; p.20

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

United States Market for tilapia 74

83
Dominant f Retail – tilapia is now the second best-selling fish behind salmon
channels by f In the hotel and restaurant sector, tilapia has been adopted by fast food chains such as
product Long John Silver’s, a top ten US seafood restaurant chain, which has used tilapia in
chain-wide promotional campaign84.
– Increasing use on airlines – e.g. American Airlines (2011) and in schools, hospitals
and prisons. Several prisons have tilapia farms
f However, there has been a shift in consumption due to the recession
– 2008-9 saw decline in fresh and frozen fillet restaurant sales, but an increase in
grocery store sales, especially frozen/value added product forms

Product f Per capita consumption in US is 0.54kg per annum – equivalent of 453,264 tonnes of
preferences live weight
and quality – It is the fifth most popular fish for Americans85
requirements f Demand for high quality frozen and fresh tilapia fillets – recommended hand trimming of
fillets as buyers are requesting better trim of margins of fillets for consistent
appearance86
f Demand for food safety, high quality, organic or green tilapia products – e.g. reduce
use of methyl-testosterone hormone; no antibiotics, reduce environmental impact, re-
use processing waste products87

Sources of f Specialty-type and value-added products are a key area of market differentiation, for
price example centre-cut loins, stuffed and crusted tilapia prepared meals88
premium/ – There is potential for high profit margin for tilapia ready meals, prepared and
market packaged in developing countries89
positioning – Innovative packaging, such as re-sealable bags that contain 2-3kg of frozen fillets,
are already popular with US consumers90
f New product forms, such as smoked tilapia and sashimi grade tilapia also provide an
opportunity of high-end market positioning
– Fresh tilapia fillets are another potential a niche market – price data suggests that
fresh tilapia fillets command a price premium of 50% over frozen imported fillets
91
f Potential demand for organic tilapia in US and European markets
– Gain NGO certification – e.g. NaturLand, WWF, Aquaculture Certification Council92
f Possibly target live fish markets and East Asian population of North East USA – e.g.
consumer study of purchases from live fish markets suggested 75% of respondents
bought tilapia93

83
Fitzsimmons et a; (2009) ‘Tilapia Production, Market Report: Production, Consumption increase despite economic
downturn’; p.3
84
ibid, p.3
85
ibid, p.2
86
Fitzsimmons (2008) ‘Global Update 2008: Tilapia, Production, Innovations and Markets’ Aquaculture America
Presentation; , p.19
87
ibid , p.24
88
Fitzsimmons et al (2009)
89
Fitzsimmons (2008) ‘Global Update 2008: Tilapia, Production, Innovations and Markets’ Aquaculture America
Presentation, p.35
90
ibid, p.28
91
Feidi (2010) ‘Tilapia markets in the Middle East and North Africa: Demand trends and outlook’ Presentation at Third
International technical and trade conference exposition in Tilapia, Kuala Lumpur October 2010; p.16
92
Fitzsimmons (2008) ‘Global Update 2008: Tilapia, Production, Innovations and Markets’ Aquaculture America
Presentation, p.26
93
Myers et al (2008) ‘Ethnic Live Seafood Markets in the Northeast Region’ [Accessed 23/02/11 at
http://www.state.nj.us/seafood/AA08ConsAnalysis.pps]

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

3.5 Marine finfish

3.5.1 Production and processing

Marine finfish production: Key facts

Dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus)

White Margined Sole (Dagichthyes
marginatus)

Silver kob (Argyrosomus inodorus)

Western
Cape focus
species
Image: whatsthatfish.com/fish/margined-sole/1083#2
Yellowtail (Seriola lalandi)

Images: wwfsassi.co.za

Size range:
f Table fish: 700-800g for fillets to larger size classes up to 2.5 or 3kg
Product
End product forum:
range
f Whole (fresh/chilled, frozen), filleted (fresh/chilled, frozen), cold and hot smoked,
value added
Temperature range, etc.:
f Dusky kob:
– Optimal culture temperature: ± 25ºC
– Most suited to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal
– The species does well under tank and pond culture conditions
– The potential to grow the species under cage culture conditions has yet to be
Optimal
established
growing
conditions
f Yellowtail:
and fit with
– Optimal culture temperature 20-25 ºC
Western
– Suited to the waters off the Western Cape
Cape
– The species grows well under cage culture conditions, but could likely be grown in
conditions
tanks systems

f White margined sole:

– Research is currently being undertaken to establish the optimal culture conditions
– Initial trials suggest that the species does well in temperate environment of the
Eastern and Western Cape

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Marine finfish production: Key facts

f Hatchery requirements:
– Fry and fingerling production for all the marine finfish require relatively complex
land-based hatchery systems, including live feed production facilities

Grow-out options:
f Dusky kob:
– The grow-out technology is currently being developed, and a number of
technologies are being trialled / piloted
– Land based tank culture using intensive recirculation technology is being piloted in
Technology the Eastern Cape
choices – Production trials based on semi-intensive pond culture and cage culture are
planned for 2011 in KwaZulu-Natal
f Yellowtail:
– The species performs well under cage culture conditions
– It is anticipated that the I&J cage culture operation that is planned for Mossel Bay
will focus on culturing the species
f White margined sole:
– Culture technologies are still under development.
– It is likely that the species will perform best under tank / raceway culture
conditions
For different sizes and different approaches to:
f Dusky kob:
– In experimental cages in Port Alfred (Eastern Cape) the species has been grown
to approximately 1.1kg in 12 months
Production – In Mtunzini (KZN), the species has been grown to 1.8kg in 12 months
timelines f Yellowtail:
– Under optimal culture conditions, the species has been reported to grow to 1.5kg
in eight months
f White margined sole:
– No data. To date, the major research focus has been to close the breeding cycle.
f In 2008, total marine finfish supply of 48.1 million tonnes (20.4m pelagic, 20m
demersal, 7.7 million other)
f 1.8m tonnes through aquaculture
Species:
Total global
– Yellowtail and other Seriola: Approx 150,000 worldwide, mostly in Japan and
output
Korea
– Flatfish (including sole, plaice etc)– 148,800 tonnes
– Dusky Kob: Australian production: >500 tonnes per annum

Total current production volumes:

f While the current production volumes of marine finfish is insignificant, production
capacity is currently being developed.
f In the Eastern Cape, three production systems based on intensive kob culture are
being developed.
Total SA &
– One of these is being developed as a pilot of 200 tonnes per annum, and the
W. Cape
other two are reportedly designed for approximately 500 tonnes per annum
primary and
– Combined, there will be a production capacity in the region of 1,200 tonnes
processing
– Should these farms prove successful, there will likely be further investment. The
output-
East London IDZ has been zoned for 10,000 tonnes per annum
aquaculture
– However, there is concern over the high mortality rate – according to one
stakeholder only 3 out of 10,000 juvenile kob reached 1kg in size94
f All other finfish projects in the country are as yet in the research phase
f See the image below for an estimation of current wild catch of relevant species

94
Stakeholder interview - R. Penny – Blue Atlantic Trading

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Marine finfish production: Key facts

Number of farms/projects:
f I&J marine hatchery in Gans Baai is producing fingerlings of the dusky kob and
yellowtail.
– The company is proposing to develop cage farming off Mossel Bay
– Should the project proceed (upon receipt of environmental authorisation)
production will likely be based on the yellowtail culture
– The proposed production volume is estimated at 2,000 tonnes per annum
f Stellenbosch University is currently investigating the potential to on-grow yellowtail
fingerlings as a component of a smaller scale community development programme
f Rhodes University recently undertook a research programme to develop the
technologies for sole culture in South Africa.
– The results of the research programme have demonstrated that there is some
potential to develop a sub-sector based on the species
– To date, one of the abalone producers in the Western Cape has put some seed
funding into the development of culture systems
– However, this has yet to yield significant results and there are currently no
commercial production facilities in operation.

Projected volumes in 5/10 years:

f The South African Mariculture Sector plan (2005) suggests that with government
support there is no reason why mariculture growth in South Africa should not, at the
very least, match the global growth rate of 9% per annum over the next 20 years
f More optimistically, growth of 20% per annum could be attainable if the government
actively supports and promotes mariculture - as in Chile and Canada
f In terms of employment, a mariculture industry producing 60,000 tonnes of product
per year would likely employ in the region of 14,250 people directly on-farm, which
equates to 4.2 tonnes of fish produced per person per year
f To reach these levels of production, the major product in terms of production volume
would likely be marine finfish

Processing output/capacity:
f Processing capacity for marine finfish is currently available from the traditional fish
processors used for the wild capture fishery
f Additional processing capacity will likely need to be developed by the farms once
they are operational
f To date, none of the marine finfish farms under development have processing
capacity

Certification:
f Currently no proposed certification programmes for species that are likely to be
cultured in South Africa
– These sectors would be too small to warrant the development of certification
programmes.
f However, in future, more generic certification may become available (e.g. organic
certification etc)
R/kg (different sizes/ ages/ weight on the ground / farm gate):
f It is difficult to assess production costs as production systems are under
Production
development and potential producers consider this as proprietary information.
costs in the
– Likely production costs in intensive recirculation systems are likely to be in the
Western
region R35–40 / kg
Cape
– In pond culture systems, production costs are likely to be lower at around R20-
25/kg
Jobs/tonne of primary production:
Socio- f Depending upon the production systems that are employed, the jobs produced are
economic likely to be in the region of one job per 5-50 tonnes of production
impact – These figures are estimates and depend largely on the system types and the
degree of mechanisation

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The table below provides an estimate of South African marine finfish wild catch, to give an
indication of the potential volumes that aquaculture could substitute.
Examples of marine finfish wild catch estimates (2009)95

Catch type Tonnes

Linefish catch total 14,109
Less sharks, mackerel, tuna, hake, snoek etc 11,946
Remaining linefish catch (potentially relevant species) 2,163

Species catch all sources (linefish catch, trawl catch / by-

catch, beach seine & gillnet, prawn by-catch):
Value chain species
Yellowtails 348
Soles 578
Kobs 584
Subtotal marine finfish value chain specified species 1,510

Other potentially relevant species e.g. kingklip, stumpnose,

rockcod, gurnard, mullet, seabream, St Joseph, pomfret, john
dory, monk, ribbonfish 18,595
The diagram below illustrates the production and processing chain for marine finfish.

Figure 5: Marine finfish production and processing chain

Formulated f eeds are around R12 /kg, they are more if imported
Formu
lated
feed,
own

Kob
f ingerlings
currently
around R4.5
each. Prices Fingerlings, 700-
will probably Grow- Grow- 2.5kg
own stock 2-5 out 800g out
reduce in the
f uture- we cm
have very
low
production

Hatchery
Hatchery

Broodstock LIVE

WHOLE,
FRESH
Approx 80%
GUTTED
FROZEN live weight
approx70% FRESH
live weight

Approx 40% FILLETED, Approx 50%

FROZEN
live weight FRESH live weight
(net)

95
Source: SA Fishing Industry Handbook

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3.5.2 Markets

Marine finfish global market: quick facts

Global imports
f Total global imports of 7.8m tonnes, valued at US$21bn (R147bn)
f Average import price of US$2.70 (R18.90)
f Growth rate between 2002 and 2009 of 8.13%

Comparison between prioritised markets: Marine Finfish96

France Spain

Imports f Sole imports to France were 2,500 f Total imports: US$1.7bn (R11.9bn)
tonnes in 2009 – approximately 26% of (513,036 tonnes)
total supply
Estimated % Sole Sole
sales by f Sales by % segment in 2009: f Sales by market segment in 2006:
market – Retail – Fresh: Home consumption (82.9%),
segment – Hotels and Restaurants hotels and restaurants (15.4%),
– Institutional institutions (1.7%)
f Consumer sales of sole in France in – Frozen: home consumption (71.5%),
2009 amounted to 5,490 tonnes hotels and restaurants (18.1%),
f Sole sales to restaurants were institutions (10.4%)
approximately 3,256 tonnes in 2009 f National consumption of Sole in 2006 =
– Fresh sole accounted for 2,179 48,400 tonnes
tonnes, of which volumes of fresh f Sales through the Mercasa Network
whole sole were 1,895 tonnes, and accounted for 17,600 tonnes. This is equal
fresh sole fillets 284 tonnes to a market share of 36% for sole97
– Frozen sole fillets alone accounted – Sales varieties in the mercasa network 98
for 1,077 tonnes – Fresh 69%, frozen 31%
– Fresh – 10% large size (500g), 60%
medium (300-400g), 30% small (200-
300g).frozen - 85% fillets, 15% full sized
Prices Sole Sole
f The wholesale market price for fresh f The price of fresh (whole) sole at
sole in France depends on the size of Mercabarna in Barcelona in 2010 was
the fish €13.01 (R124) per kg
– At Rouen wholesale market, the – Frozen sole (whole) was priced at €5.68
prices range from €20.00 (R190) to (R54) per kg
€27.90 (R264) for a whole fresh sole f However, there is some regional variation
– At Rungis market, the prices range of wholesale prices. For instance, prices in
from €14.50 (R138) to €29.50 February 2011 for frozen sole varied from
(R280) €6.31 (R60) per kg in Madrid to €5.50
f French sole commands a higher price (R52) per kg in Barcelona, €5.40 (R51) per

96
Sources include: Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Lenguado Comun o Europeo’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Lenguado.pdf ]; France AgriMer (2010) ‘Consommation des
produits de la peche et de l’aquaculture: Donnees Statistiques 2009’; MERCASA (2011) ‘Prices and wholesale markets
– week from 18 – 22 February’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercasa.es/productos/precios_mercados_mayoristas]; MAPA (2010) ‘Precios Semanales en le cadena de
comercializacion: Salmon’ [Accessed 23/02/11 - www.mapa.es/estadistica/pags/PreciosOrigenDestino/pdf/salmon.pdf
]; and MERCASA (2011) ‘Prices and wholesale markets – week from 18 – 22 February’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercasa.es/productos/precios_mercados_mayoristas]
97
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Lenguado Comun o Europeo’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Lenguado.pdf ]; p.8
98
ibid p.2

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Comparison between prioritised markets: Marine Finfish96

in wholesale markets than imports kg in Bilbao, and €4.00(R38) per kg in

– The price premium can be anywhere Valencia99
from €1 (R9.5) to €5 (R48)
depending on the size of the fish.
f The average retail price for sole (by
product )is as follow:
– Fresh (whole): €18.48 (R176) per kg
– Fresh (fillet): €17.69 (R168) per kg
– Pre-packed: €17.22 (R164) per kg
– Frozen (fillet): €9.94 (R9) per kg
f The price of fresh sole also varies by
retail outlet, costing on average:
– €16.10 (R153) per kg from
supermarkets
– €20.00 (R190) per kg from traditional
markets
– €21.80 (R207) per kg from
fishmongers
Key suppliers f Key suppliers include: f Sole – imports account for 70% of sole
– Spain supply to Spain.
– Norway f France, Holland and Demark are the major
– United Kingdom suppliers accounting for 60%, the rest of
the world 10%100
f Andalusia is the major national supply
region – accounting for 20% of the total
supply
Dominant Sole: Sole:
channels by f Supermarkets (45.7%), markets f According to MAPA data from 2006, 58.2%
product (23.6%), fishmongers (21.7%), other of consumers purchased sole products
(9.1%) from traditional markets, 30.7% from
supermarkets, hypermarkets 8.8%, other
3.2%
– Fresh sole: Compared to dominant
channels in 2000, supermarkets have
increased their market share from 22.8%
to 30.7%, while there has been a small
decline in traditional market purchases
from 59.6% to 58.2%101
– For frozen sole: Traditional markets
(60.1%), supermarkets (25.6%),
hypermarkets (6.6%), others (7.7%).
– Purchases of frozen sole from traditional
markets have increased from 47.5% in
2000, while the supermarket share of
frozen sole sales fell from 34.6%.102

Product f Sole largest sales in 2009 in February, f Spanish consumers consume 50,500
preferences March and April. tonnes of sole per year. Per capita
and sources consumption is 1.1.kg
of price f Preference for fresh sole (78.6%)
premium compared to frozen sole (21.4%)103

99
MERCASA (2011)
100
Mercasamunicipales (2007) ‘Lenguado Comun o Europeo’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercadosmunicipales.es/uploads/pescados/Lenguado.pdf, p.8
101
ibid
102
ibid, p.8
103
MAPA (2010) ‘Distribucion y Consumo’ Ano 20 Vol. 113 [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mapa.es/ministerio/pags/biblioteca/revistas/pdf_DYC/DYC_2010_113_completa.pdf] p.2

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Table 8: HoReCa market segments for sole products in France (2009)

Product Type Sales % of Total HoReCa Market Channel (%)
(tonnes)
Fresh sole (whole) 1895 58% Independent restaurants (97.2%), restaurant chains
(2.1%), institutional catering (0.6%)
Fresh sole (fillet) 284 9% Independent restaurants (39.1%), restaurant chains
(35.2%), institutional catering (25.7%)
Frozen sole (fillet) 1077 33% Independent restaurants (56.4%), restaurant chains
(23.6%), institutional catering (20.0%)
TOTAL 3256 100

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Marine finfish – product substitution and price fluctuations

f Product substitutes competing with kob and white-margined sole in the marine finfish
sub-sector include seabream, seabass, pangassius and sole
f Lesser known white fish are also becoming popular in European markets – such as
pouting in the UK which has sold excellently since being introduced as an inexpensive
substitute for cod and haddock in UK supermarkets
– For instance, pouting fillets cost £5 (R55) compared to cod which retails for £8
(R88) per kg
f Similarly, pangassius catfish has become popular in the EU – accounting for 19% of
frozen fillet imports in 2009
– Pangassius is particularly popular in the Spanish market with imports increasing
from 397 tonnes in 2002 to 49,286 tonnes in 2008
– The inexpensive white fish from Vietnam wholesales for €3.31 (R31) per kg and
currently retails between €4 and €6 (R38 – R57)
– However, prices have declined in the last two years
f There have been high price fluctuations for seabream in Spanish market between
2004 and 2009. Price varied from a high of €6.60 (R63) in August 2004 to a low of
approximately €2.90 (R28) per kg in November 2008 as shown in the table below
– The price is closely linked to volumes of seabream available in the Spanish market
– Large increases in production of seabream and seabass in Europe after 2000
(especially Greece, Turkey and Spain) meant that prices decreased

Table 9: Seabream sales and volumes 2003 – 2009 (Mercamadrid)

f For example, in Spain the average first sale price of locally farmed seabream (dorada)
in Spain was €3.75 (R36) per kg in 2009 – a 2.4% price decrease from 2008, and a
14.9% decreased compared to 2007
f This first sale price of €3.75 (R36) is close to the production cost in Spain which is
between €3.70 (R35) and €4.20 (R40) per kg
f The average retail price for seabream in Spain is €8.48 (R81) per kg

[Source: Apromar (2010), Hedland (2011) ‘Tesco: Pouting an ‘overnight success’; Dove (2011) ‘Q&A:
Pangassius’ growing influence on Europe’ – www.seafood source.com ]

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3.6 Ornamental fish

Ornamental Fish
Overview

f Cold-water fish for ponds:

goldfish and koi
f Tropical fish for aquaria:
Western Cape focus
numerous species such as
species
live-bearers, tetras, cichlids,
rasboras, gouramies, catfish.
f Marine tropical coral-reef fish

f Live ornamental fish, cold-water and tropical, marine, brackish and fresh-
water ornamental fishes
Product range f The industry also includes the production of a wide variety of aquarium
plants, as well as the tanks, filtration equipment, feeds, medicines, and
other associated hardware
o
Optimal growing f Cold-water: 10-25 C,
o
conditions and fit with f Tropical 22-30 C depending on species
Western Cape
conditions
f In tropical regions, simple earth ponds with either flow-through or
stagnant water
f In colder regions, indoor or tunnel-enclosed facilities with recirculation
and supplementary heating
f Some of the species that are imported are technically difficult to culture,
many require relatively simple culture techniques, and could easily be
produced within SA
f In the late 1990s, Rhodes University ran a research programme to
develop the technology for ornamental marine finfish farming
Technology choices – The research programme was a success and the technology was
developed to produce a number of clownfish species
f Local hatcheries are now producing a wide range of high quality
specialised species of cichlids from Lake Malawi using re-circulating
systems inside tunnels
f Production facilities may cost around R2-3m for a dedicated, purpose-
built, three tunnel, 2 hatchery building facility operated by 4 workers
f Cost of approximately R250,000 for a simple 6-pond open-air system in
warmer regions operated as a satellite farm to a centralised marketing
organisation

f Imported, bred fish are continuously readily available from a wide variety
of Far Eastern, European and American suppliers
f Wild-caught ornamental species are available from Africa and South
America
Production and market f South Africa currently imports over 150 boxes of ornamental fish per
supply week
f Production from captive-bred sources takes from 3-6 months depending
on the species selected from egg to harvest-size
f Larger koi may be over 1 year old

f Total global imports of f Aquaculture produces around 80% of

ornamental fish was over the fresh-water species and 10% of
US$380m the marine ornamental fish species
Total global output
traded worldwide
– The balance is harvested from the
wild

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Ornamental Fish
Overview
f Southern Africa is not a major f There are about 12 commercial koi
producer of ornamental fish at and gold-fish farms of varying size,
present and four tropical fish hatcheries in
f Koi, goldfish and tropical South Africa
ornamental fish are sold to the f All of these are private ventures
value of about R5m per year using re-circulating systems.
f It is estimated that local f Government-sponsored projects
producers supply the market could have potential to produce
in the region of 40-50 boxes a ornamental fish, but operating staff
week, whilst 150-200 boxes would need continuous mentoring
are imported and skills development, and
f There is some scope for marketing need to be centralised into
expansion, but construction cooperatives
costs of facilities with all-year-
round production are high
f Cool winter water
temperatures reduce year-
round production and add
heating costs that are not felt
Total SA & W. Cape by producers from equatorial
primary output and regions
market supply f Production in closed facilities
is not hindered by legislation
or certification, but open-water
facilities have to obtain
permits
f The Western Cape holds no
advantages over other
provinces in ornamental fish
production
f Warmer regions such as
Limpopo, Northern KZN and
Mpumalanga may have
temperature advantages
– But they still suffer cool,
potentially lethal winters
– Increases cost of
infrastructure
f Over-heating of tunnels during
the hot summers also poses
technical challenges

f Competition with imported f Most ornamental fish are traded

ornamental fish determines through retail pet shops or dedicated
the production costs in fish shops
Southern Africa f These shops are supplied by
f Imported fish are sometimes wholesalers who either import or buy
of poor quality and stressed from local producers
by the long transport time
f Air freight rates are also rising f Local producers are unlikely to be
Production costs
due to the high fuel price able to export competitively due to
f The fish sold vary greatly in the high airfreight rates from
price depending on species, Southern Africa to markets in
size and quality Europe, Asia or America compared
– Small, low-quality goldfish to established exporters in the Near
may cost as little as and Far East
R3.50/fish
– Many tropical fish retail at f There is potential for Southern

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Ornamental Fish
Overview
R4.50 - R20.00 per fish with African producers with relatively
the larger or more exclusive unsophisticated facilities to buy in
species fetching R65- cheap, undersized fish species and
150.00 each to grow these up to market size for
– Marine fish are expensive at the local market.
R65 - R300.00 or more per
fish f There is also potential for other
f Production costs for locally- producers to breed and sell selected
bred species are typically 40- species to centralised cooperatives
60% of the hatchery/ retailer who would take care of the
price, and 20-30% of the retail collection, marketing, and distribution
price to the public of fish to the retail trade thus
f Imported fish are typically reducing the need for special
marked up by 100% by marketing/business skills by each
wholesalers, and again 100% operator
by retailers
f Production costs in Southern
Africa are higher than for
imported fish due to the need
for supplementary heating and
relatively sophisticated re-
circulating systems
f Sophistication of South
African infrastructure means
that such facilities can
produce high-quality fish
competitively for the local
market

f Construction of fish-producing f During the construction phase as

facilities is labour-intensive many as 20 jobs per R500,000
and creates jobs. However the investment may be created
operation of such facilities f During the operational stage, a R1m
requires relatively low fish farm may create only 4-20
numbers of well-trained staff permanent jobs, with opportunities
with specific fish-husbandry for some seasonal casual labour
skills. There is some potential employment
Socio-economic impact for training and mentoring but
few skilled trainers available.
f The skills required to operate
such ornamental fish-farms
vary from fish-husbandry to
plumbing, building and
maintenance skills, as well as
business, marketing and
administrative skills.

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Additional information relating to the market:

f There is no ‘perfect place’ for ornamental fish production in South Africa. The market is mainly
in the cities, and these are largely areas of winter-cold requiring sophisticated, heated indoor
facilities. The more tropical regions suffer a lack of infrastructure, remoteness from markets,
as well as cool winters that are lethal to the fish or stunts growth rates. Summer temperatures
are still high, and may overheat tunnel systems.
f The potential for exporting the product is limited by the competitiveness of the high-volume,
low-cost production of the Far East, as well as high airfreight rates demanded by local airlines.
f Exports from South Africa are globally uncompetitive due to high transportation costs (typically
50% - 150% of the cost of the fish)104
f Local freight costs in South Africa – R16/kg via airfreight105.
– Fish are packaged in poly-boxes. These boxes typically contain four bags with a mass of
approximately 15kg. Each bags hold 20+ small size (10+ large fish), and one box contains
20-120 small fish (40mm) or 10-40 larger fish (60mm).
f Logistics for ornamental exports are complex and ornamental fish to EU markets must meet
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Live Animal Regulations.
f Typically the fish themselves account for only 1% of the total weight of consignments106.
– Fish are packed in double polyethylene bags containing water (1/3) and oxygen (2/3).
Then packed in polystyrene box to insulate fish from external changes in light and
temperature.
f There is a paucity of fish-husbandry skills in Southern Africa
f There is a tendency for each fish production facility in Southern Africa to operate in isolation,
requiring each fish-farmer to have all the necessary skills (e.g. fish-culture, builder, business
man and marketer). This is not the case in successful overseas production.
f Southern Africa does have potential to substitute many imported ornamental fish by setting up
satellite breeding facilities that centralise marketing through cooperatives. These would
require skills-training and continuous mentoring for success. It would then not be necessary
for every fish-farmer to fulfil all the roles required by the business.
f There is some potential for wealth creation through ornamental fish production, which could be
supported by government and NGO development projects (which currently focuses fish-
production for food).
f Ornamental retailers in the Western Cape are supplied directly by a Johannesburg supplier, but
the majority of the fish are supplied from the Far East
– E.g. Marine fish from Indonesia, Singapore, and Sri Lanka
– Also some supply from South America107
– One importer/distributor of ornamental fish sourced 98% from overseas markets –
especially Singapore, Thailand and Israel108
f Some local sourcing of ornamental fish, but typically slightly more expensive than imports:
– Local suppliers do occasionally provide extremely rare, high value fish
– For example, a recent Zebra fish was sold for over R1,000, despite being a juvenile (4-
5cm)
– There is also a benefit from local supply, as it will stop the quarantine delay that imports
are subject to109
f There is a seasonal demand in ornamental fish – pond fish sold more in summer, while tropical
fish that require aquariums are sold more in winter110.
f Most popular species in the South African market include; tetras, guppies, clown fish
– Diversity of species is important for suppliers – although marine fish are more popular than
fresh fish111

104
Stakeholder interview – Nicholas James – Rivendell Hatchery
105
Stakeholder interview – Nicholas James – Rivendell Hatchery
106
Davenport (1995) ‘Characteristics of the current trade in ornamental fish, with special reference to the European
Union’
107
Stakeholder interview – Erik Panorama Pet Shop
108
Stakeholder interview – Trevor – International Aquatics
109
Stakeholder interview – Erik – Panorama Pet Shop
110
Stakeholder interview – Trevor – International Aquatics

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Table 10: Ornamental fish: Examples of wholesale prices in South Africa112

Size range Wholesale price

Type
(mm) (ZAR)
Goldfish 40 - 120 R3.75 – R17.50
Koi 40 – 60 R1.50 – R6.50
African Fish 80 R15
Sharks 50 - 70 R7 – R18
Scats 30 R28
Loaches 50 – 60 R5 – R55
Eels 120 R20
Knifefish 100 R45
Puffer fish 20 R11
Angelfish 25 – 35 R10 – R15
Tetras 20 – 40 R2.50 – R18
Gouramis 40 – 80 R6 – R25
Danios & Minnows 25 – 30 R2 – R5.50
Guppy 35 – 40 R1.50 – R7.50
Molly 40 – 60 R4 – R22.50
Platys 35 R5.75
Catfish 25 – 120 R5.50 – R27
Siamese Fighters Large R8 – R13
Malawi Cichlids 30 – 100 R5 - R18
Cichlids 30 – 60 R5 - R45

This table shows the wholesale price of ornamental fish in South Africa. It shows that prices vary
significantly based on size and species.

111
Stakeholder interview – Martin - Hambani
112
Prices from ‘Fish Designs’ price list, March 2011. Prices exclude VAT and freight out of Durban.

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4 Geographical market overviews

The sections below provide overviews of geographical markets, including their consumption and
import trends, market structure, dynamics and pricing.

4.1 South Africa 113

South African market: Quick facts

Population f 49 million (2010)

GDP per f US$10,700 m (2010)

capita

Estimated f 7.6kg p.a (2007)

per capita (FAO)
seafood
consumption f Approximately 400,000
tonnes total national
Total consumption (FAO
seafood 2010)
consumption

(Source: Answers.com)

Total f US$245m and 104,000 tonnes in 2009 (based on SARS statistics)

seafood
imports

Top seafood Low income markets : Middle income High-end/premium market:

products f Sardines and markets: f Kingklip, fresh and frozen
consumed pilchards, canned f Hake, frozen f Large prawns, fresh and frozen
(accounts for majority f Calamari, frozen f Mussels, fresh and frozen
of SA seafood f Small prawns, frozen f Oysters, live/freshly shushed
consumption) f Sole, fresh and frozen
f Tilapia and catfish to f Lobster, fresh
some extent e.g. f Salmon, fresh and frozen
amongst West f Tuna, fresh and frozen
African immigrant f Other line fish
community)

113
Sources include AISA (2009) Aquaculture Benchmarking Survey; Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: South
Africa; FAO (2010) National fishery sector overview: South Africa; The dti/Enviro-fish (2007) A Study on the Status of
Aquaculture Production and Trade in South Africa, Volume 1, p.31; US FAS GAIN (2009) Exporter guide annual: 2009
Road Map for Exporting to South Africa

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South African market: Quick facts

Top seafood Product category Import Imported % by % by

products (Harmonised Standard value US$ volume value volume
imported Classification 10-digit level 000 tonnes
(ranked by description)
1 Canned sardines and sardinella 48,684 23,842 19.9% 22.9%
2009 import
value)
2 Shrimps and prawns, frozen, in 39,603 7,524 16.2% 7.2%
shell or not, including boiled in
shell
3 Sardines 36,965 17,167 15.1% 16.5%

4 Tunas, Skipjack & Atlantic 34,786 11,120 14.2% 10.7%

Bonito
5 Frozen freshwater and saltwater 14,697 12,944 6.0% 12.4%
fish
6 Cuttle fish and squid, shelled or 11,589 6,593 4.7% 6.3%
not, frozen, dried, salted or in brine
7 Shrimps and prawns, prepared 6,150 1,303 2.5% 1.3%
or preserved
8 Canned mackerel 5,038 2,886 2.1% 2.8%

9 Sardines, frozen 4,186 5,548 1.7% 5.3%

10 Salmon pacific, Atlantic & 4,167 1,347 1.7% 1.3%

Danube, frozen or chilled
11 Frozen fish meat "whether or not 3,298 1,670 1.3% 1.6%
minced" (excl. swordfish, toothfish
and fillets) (detailed label not
available)
12 Frozen fish fillets (excl. swordfish 3,125 1,082 1.3% 1.0%
and toothfish) (detailed label not
available)
13 Sardines, sardinella&brislg o 2,923 814 1.2% 0.8%
sprats prep o presvd,whole o pce
ex mincd: sardines (sardina
pilchardus) in oil in airtight metal
containers
14 Salmon Atlantic, frozen, 2,226 594 0.9% 0.6%
excluding heading no 03.04, livers
and roes
15 Cod dried, whether or not salted 2,156 296 0.9% 0.3%
but not smoked
16 Frozen fish fillets (excl. swordfish 2,069 396 0.8% 0.4%
and toothfish) (detailed label not
available)
17 Crustaceans nes, frozen, in shell 1,838 131 0.8% 0.1%
or not including boiled in shell
18 Hake, frozen 1,681 1,181 0.7% 1.1%
19 Frozen pacific salmon 1,489 408 0.6% 0.4%
20 Fish prepared or preserved, 1,358 625 0.6% 0.6%
except whole or in pieces: other,
frozen
21 Fish nes, prepared or preserved, 1,228 644 0.5% 0.6%
whole or in pieces, but not
minced: other
22 Salmon prepared or preserved, 1,228 305 0.5% 0.3%
whole or in pieces, but not minced

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South African market: Quick facts

23 Mussels, shelled or not, frozen, 1,214 406 0.5% 0.4%

dried, salted or in brine
24 Fish prepared or preserved, 1,144 464 0.5% 0.4%
except whole or in pieces: other
25 Ornamental fish, live 1,040 184 0.4% 0.2%

Table 11: South Africa – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2009

%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 change
(CAGR)
Consumption 7.07 9.87 8.52 7.9 7.62 N/A N/A 2%
per capita
(kg/year)
Total 330,983 468,414 409,425 384,220 374,611 N/A N/A 3%
national
consumption
(tonnes)

Local supply 840,277 910,845 824,285 628,392 691,350 656,426 522,944 -7%
– catch
(tonnes)
Local supply 6,602 5,954 5,895 6,037 5,669 5,049 N/A -4%
–
aquaculture
(tonnes)

Total 42,351 52,128 55,582 64,791 91,126 109,117 121.577 16%

seafood
imports
Total 181,719 140,682 174,693 136,792 139,181 132,030 145,047 -3%
seafood
exports

The table above shows that consumption per capita of seafood has increased by nearly 8%
between 2003 and 2007 (approximately 2% annual growth), and total national consumption
increased by 43,628 tonnes over the same period.

This increase was entirely supplied from seafood imports, which grew 16% per annum between
2003 and 2010 in contrast to local supply in both capture and aquaculture which has declined
since 2003. Aquaculture production contributes a very small amount to total seafood production in
South Africa – only 5,049 tonnes in 2008.

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4.1.1 Product and consumer trends

f South Africans are relatively low consumers of seafood

– It is considered a relatively expensive source of protein relative to others such as poultry
and even red meat
– Sardines/pilchards the only staple item

f Geographical patterns:
– Coastal communities traditionally have tended to eat more fish - Seasonal demand peaks
over November and December with tourists in these areas
– However, Gauteng has become the major consuming market due to high income levels
– Aquaculture producers noted the following market split in the SA Benchmarking Survey

Table 12: Geographic patterns for South African aquaculture producers

Domestic Market for Species per Province (% volume)

Ornamentals

Dusky Cob
Koi Carp

Mussels
Abalone

Oysters

Catfish

Marron
Tilapia
Trout

Eastern Cape 5.1 0 13.2 8.1 5 21.5 0 0 0 50

Free State 0.6 0 2.2 2.6 0 0.6 0 0 0 0
Gauteng 11.6 0 27.8 52.7 30 14.5 100 0 99 0
KwaZulu-Natal 19.5 0 25.1 9.7 10 2.1 0 0 0 0
Limpopo 0.6 0 2.5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mpumalanga 14.7 0 9.2 8.5 0 0 0 0 0 0
Northern Cape 1.9 0 0 0.4 0 0 0 0 0 0
North West 0.6 0 0 2.3 0 0 0 0 0 0
Western Cape 45.3 0 15.7 15.7 55 61.3 0 0 1 50

f Overall, consumers tend to be quite price conscious; however, low income consumers are
also very brand loyal
f Consumers are also conservative when it comes to fish and seafood, and stick to familiar
products
– However, in the high end of the market, tastes are starting to become more sophisticated
– Increase in health consciousness
– Lagging developed country tendencies towards prepared food/ convenience, health and
“green” purchasing
f Awareness of and attitude to aquaculture vs. wild/caught product:
– The SA Aquaculture Benchmarking estimated that 85% of consumers do not know what
aquaculture is, and do not differentiate between wild and farmed seafood
– There is a perception that wild is better because it is “natural” amongst some consumer
– The survey also found that restaurant and seafood wholesale buyers would purchase
more aquaculture products, particularly fresh products, if they were available
- There is also growing support from retailers for the WWK SASSI initiative, with many
retailers adopting internal responsible seafood procurement policies in accordance
with SASSI guidelines
– This is in the context of less wild seafood being available, stocks being under threat, and
the World Wildlife Fund Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF SASSI) trying to educate
consumers about responsible seafood choices

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4.1.2 Market dynamics and price

Market structure

f Fresh and chilled seafood : The main channel is through fresh fish counters at supermarkets
(generally operated by wholesalers on behalf of the retailers) and high end restaurants in
major urban centres
– There are also some specialist fish retailers
– Two thirds of respondents of SA Benchmarking Survey sold their product as either live or
freshly killed
f Frozen and processed seafood:
– These products are sold mainly through mainstream supermarket retail (both in major
cities and more widely across the country), secondarily the hotel, restaurant and food
service channel
– Only one third of respondents of SA Benchmarking Survey undertake some form of
processing or value-addition
f From aquaculture producers perspective, their channel to market is mainly through
wholesalers (based on the SA Benchmarking Survey findings)
– 35 producers used this channel, whilst 26 sold directly to consumers (trout and koi
producers in particular)
– This reflects small to medium sized nature of most aquaculture firms
f There is some vertical integration within the market e.g. fishing/ processing/ distribution and
importing/ distribution
f The largest volume of trout (45%), mussels (55%) and oysters (61%) was sold in the Western
Cape Province, while the Gauteng provided the biggest market for ornamentals (28%), koi
carp (53%), catfish (99%) and dusky kob (100%)
– The second biggest market for trout was KZN (19.5%), with Gauteng third (11.6%)114
f Seafood buyers:
– Seafood buyers for restaurants, wholesalers, and supermarkets, are familiar with
aquaculture products and their positive product characteristics
– They expected a greater proportion of the market to be supplied by aquaculture products in
the future
– Buyers do not distinguish between aquaculture and wild products, but buy on the basis of
required product characteristics (quality, freshness, availability, appearance and price).
– Customers are generally not informed whether a product is of farmed or wild origin
– Aquaculture products feature prominently in the mix of products purchased by restaurants
and wholesale seafood outlets
– Fewer aquaculture products are stocked by supermarkets, which sell mainly frozen, wild
seafood products
– The highest selling aquaculture products are imported namely, salmon, prawns and
mussels
f Sushi (including salmon and tuna) is becoming increasingly popular
f Immigrant communities from African countries with a stronger fish eating culture (e.g. Nigeria,
Mozambique, Malawi) present a growing market, including for freshwater species

114
AISA (2009) ‘2009 AISA Benchmarking Survey

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Available data on retail sales volumes are provided in the table below.
2009 2010 % change
% of % of by value
Volume Value R total Volume Value R total 09/10
Product group Tonnes million value Tonnes million value
Canned fish (pilchards, mackerel, tuna) 28,372 1,057.6 65.2% 37,702 1,295.6 69.4% 22.5%
Frozen prawns, shrimp calamari, crabsticks 68 8.7 0.5% 47 6.7 0.4% -23.6%
Frozen hake, haddock, kippers, tuna 3,996 258.9 15.9% 3,891 263.6 14.1% 1.8%
Frozen mussels 7 0.8 0.0% 3 0.3 0.0% -59.2%
Frozen kingklip 36 4.2 0.3% 28 3.6 0.2% -14.3%
Frozen sole 3 0.6 0.0% 3 0.6 0.0% -6.0%
Frozen cape whiting 97 7.5 0.5% 70 6.1 0.3% -18.8%
Frozen salmon 61 11.0 0.7% 74 12.8 0.7% 16.4%
Not recorded, Not recorded,
estimate of estimate of
1,826 - 2,739 1,850 - 2,776
tonnes based tonnes based
on based on on based on
R150-R100/kg R150-R100/kg
price band price band
Fresh fish on ice assumption 273.9 16.9% assumption 277.6 14.9% 1.3%

Total 32,639 1,623.2 100.0% 41,818 1,866.7 100.0%

Source: Kaiser analysis of Nielsen data (based on point of sale scanning)

Pricing

There are about 40 wholesalers of seafood in South Africa. There are three key players (Sea
Harvest, Blue Atlantic Trading and Breco) who operate on a national basis, with the rest generally
operating regionally.

Below is an indication of wholesale prices and retailer prices

Table 13: Examples of South Africa wholesale prices

Wholesalers
Fresh, live mussels R19.95 per kg
Mussels, half shell frozen R26 per kg
Mussels, full shell frozen R28 per kg
R55 excl.
All line fish (Kabeljou, red fish, yellowtail, cape salmon VAT. per kg
R78 excl.
Kingklip VAT. Per kg

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Table 14: Examples of South African retailer prices (in Rand)

Retailer: A Retailer: B
Unit Unit Price
Product Price Weight Price/kg Product Price Weight per kg

Frozen Lightly Lan Blue Ribbon

Smoked Trout 199.94 Norwegian Salmon
Portions 159.95 800g Fillet 1 Pk 245.95 per kg 245.95

Lan Blue Ribbon

Norwegian 299.90 Norwegian Salmon
Salmon Portions 149.95 500g Cutlets 1 Pk 199.99 per kg 199.99

Lan Blue Ribbon

Frozen Norwegian 274.88 Canadian Salmon
Salmon Portions 109.95 400g Fillet 1 Pk 119.95 per kg 119.95

Frozen Chilli & Lan Blue Ribbon

Lime Atlantic 262.38 Canadian Salmon
Salmon 104.95 400g Cutlet 1 Pk 99.99 per kg 99.99
Norwegian Oak
Smoked Salmon Lan Blue Ribbon
Ribbons 94.95 200g 474.75 Yellowtail Fillet 1 Pk 99.95 per kg 99.95

Frozen Crumbed Lan Blue Ribbon Sole

Sole 86.99 600g 144.98 Large 1 Pk 96.99 per kg 96.99

Frozen Kingklip Royal Oak Smoked

Steaks 83.99 500g 167.98 Salmon 350 Gr 94.99 350g
Oak Smoked Lan Blue Ribbon
Rainbow Trout Canadian Salmon
Ribbons 69.95 200g 347.95 Whole 1 Pk 89.99 per kg 89.99

Sea Harvest Kingklip

East Coast Soles 64.48 per kg 64.48 Fillet Cuts 600 Gr 82.99 600g
Scottish Oak
Smoked Salmon Sea Harvest Salmon
Ribbons 59.95 100g 599.50 Grills 550 Gr 82.99 550g
Traditional Hot
Smoked Rainbow
Trout (Lemon & Lan Blue Ribbon
Pepper) 59.95 130g 461.15 Yellowtail Cutlet 1 Pk 79.95 per kg 79.95

Frozen Dressed Lan Blue Ribbon Kob

Baby Soles 54.99 per kg 54.99 Whole 1 Pk 74.99 per kg 74.99
Norwegian Oak Three Streams
Smoked Salmon Smoked Salmon
Ribbons 54.95 100g 549.50 Trout 200 Gr 72.99 200g 364.95

Frozen Cape Lan Blue Ribbon

Whiting Steaks 48.99 500g 97.98 Cape Salmon 1 Pk 69.99 per kg 69.99
Oak Smoked
Rainbow Trout Lan Blue Ribbon Sole
Ribbons 39.95 100g 399.50 Small 1 Pk 69.99 per kg 69.99

4 Salmon Lan Blue Ribbon Fish

Fishcakes 35.95 300g 119.83 Kebabs Plain 1 Pk 69.95 per kg 69.95

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Lan Blue Ribbon Fish

Kebab Marinated 1
Angelfish Fillet 34.98 per kg 34.98 Pk 69.95 per kg 69.95

Trout Smoked Sea Harvest Salmon

Fillets 34.95 110g 317.72 Steaks 500 Gr 64.99 500g 129.98

Lan Blue Ribbon

Pink Salmon 34.95 170g 205.59 Butterflied Fillets 1 Pk 64.99 per kg 64.99

Lan Blue Ribbon

Salmon Fillets 34.95 170g 205.59 Yellowtail Whole 1 Pk 54.95 per kg 54.95

4.1.3 Competitive landscape

Imports

South Africa imported a total of US$249m of aquaculture-related products. Total imported value
grew by 19% between 2005 and 2009, with key growth products including prepared or preserved
tuna and frozen hake and sardines

Figure 6: South Africa imports (2009): by main suppliers

Other
19%

Malaysia
2%
Morocco
2%
Chile
2%
Mozambique
Thailand
2%
50%
Argentina
3%
Norway
3%

New Zealand
3%

China
4%

India
10%

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Regulation

f The new Consumer Protection Act is introducing increased labelling requirements and extended
liability
f SABS has specified labelling requirements for frozen shrimp, langoustine, crab and canned
product115
f Retailers may place specific requirements with regards to freshness, packaging, delivery mode,
storage, use of preservatives etc; in some cases HACCP is applied
f Seafood exports from South Africa to EU markets are required to have veterinary certification
from the NRCS (National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications), and traceability certification
from the Marine Coastal Management.
– However, these certificates can be delayed (3-4weeks), meaning lead times are lengthened
– Additionally, due to the EU-SA trade agreement, the dti is authorised as the certifier of the
environmental standards, and has only appointed the NCRS as the certifying body
– Stakeholders expressed a desire for more competition among certification bodies. In contrast,
the US has over 1,000 bodies with certification capacity116

115
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: South Africa
116
Stakeholder interview – Mr. R Penny – Blue Atlantic Trading

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4.2 China and Hong Kong117

Chinese market: Quick facts

Population f 1.3 billion (2010)

GDP per f $7,400 (2010)

capita

Estimated f Estimated per capita seafood

per capita consumption in 2007 was 26.56kg per
seafood annum [different figure later]
consumption f Per capita consumption of seafood
has grown by 27% since 2003
Total – Expected to reach 39.5kg/capita by
seafood 2020
consumption f Total consumption of fresh and
and growth processed seafood grew by 35.02%
between 2003 and 2009 to reach a
total market value of $120.3bn [Source:WordTravel.com]
f The fastest growth is expected in the
retail sector (37.45% over five years)
f The Chinese seafood market is
expected to grow by approximately
4% per annum between 2009 and
2015.

Total f Imports of fish and seafood valued at $3.60bn in 2009, down from $3.65bn in 2008.
seafood f China represents more than 25% of total imports of seafood into Asia, with this showing
imports steady growth

Top seafood By China directly:

imports Value
Product
US$000
Flours or meals of fish, used in animal feeding 1,301,644
Frozen fish, nes 1,198,440
Other frozen pacific salmon, nes 391,262
Frozen cod 324,056
Cuttle fish & squid, frozen, dried, salted or in brine 278,027
Frozen plaice 150,159
Frozen scabber fish (trichurius) 103,551
Other frozen crabs, nes 93,641
Frozen haddock 93,317
Frozen mackerel 84,365

117
Sources include Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: China; RedFern/New Zealand Trade and Enterprise
(2010) The China Seafood Market: Sector overview 2010; Agri-Food Canada (2009) Fish and Seafood Sector Profile -
Hong Kong & Macao

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Chinese market: Quick facts

By Hong Kong:
Value
Product US$000
Beche-De-Mer, Dried, Salted Or In Brine 228,181
Other Rock Lobsters And Other Sea Crawfish
(Palinurus Spp., Panulirus Spp., Jasus Spp.), Live, 197,439
Fresh Or Chilled
Sharks' Fins (With Or Without Skin), With Cartilage,
181,082
Dried, Whether Or Not Salted But Not Smoked
Fish, Dried, Whether Or Not Salted, But Not Smoked,
125,141
Nesoi
Scallops, Including Queen Scallops, Of The Genera
Pecten, Chlamys Or Placopecten, Dried, Salted Or In 104,013
Brine
Fish, fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish
93,694
meat of heading 0304:
Molluscs And Aquatic Invertebrates, Nesoi, Live, Fresh
82,177
Or Chilled
Abalone (Awabi), Dried, Salted Or In Brine 70,857
Prepared or preserved fish (excl. whole or in pieces):
70,074
Other
Abalone,Prepared Or Preserved 69,653

Main f Major suppliers of imports include Japan, Russia and the US

competitor f Seafood imports by country of origin in 2006
international – Russia ($605.9m), USA ($203.6m), Japan ($116.6m), Canada ($86.1m), Norway
suppliers ($80.1m), India ($45.5m), Netherlands ($41.5m)

Tariff and General non-preferential duty rates

non-tariff
barriers HS RANGE
PRODUCT LABEL MIN AV MAX AV
CODE
TARIFF TARIFF
Live fish 0301 0 17.5
Fish, fresh, whole 0302 12 12
Fish, frozen, whole 0303 10 12
Fish fillets and pieces, 0304 10 12
fresh, chilled or frozen
Fish, cured or smoked and
fish meal fit for human 0305 10 16
consumption
Crustaceans 0306 0 16
Molluscs 0307 0 17

KEY REGULATIONS AND TARIFFS

Administrative disincentives to export Trade policy regulations
These include: Export assistance
Customs clearance delays Export taxes
High freight transport charges Import licences

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Chinese market: Quick facts

Lack of transparency and consistency in customs

procedures Import quotas
Overly bureaucratic (and often arbitrary) processing
and documentation requirements for consignments Production subsidies
State trading
Documents required for customs clearance Import monopolies
Conditions of import Tax concessions
Commercial invoice Tariff escalation
Label certificate
Certificate of Origin Health, safety and environment
Bill of Shipping Invoice Measure include:
APHIS phytosanitary certificate. Import and export bans
SPS requirements
Standards and conformance
requirements
https://www.givengain.com/unique/tralac/pdf/WP200806NonTariffBarriersChIndFinal20080820.pdf

Table 15: China – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010118

%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 change
(CAGR)
Consumption 24.95 25.38 25.67 26.03 26.46 N/A N/A 1%
per capita
(kg/year)

Total 32,484,4 33,271,57 33,869,39 34,573,25 35,364,49 N/A N/A 2%

national 87 4 3 3 4
consumption
(tonnes)

Local supply 14,598,9 14,786,24 14,850,73 14,905,83 14,987,63 15,157,26 15,195,7 1%

– catch 34 3 0 8 6 3 66
(tonnes)

Local supply 33,663,5 35,941,52 37,615,31 39,359,17 41,172,95 42,669,74 N/A 4%

– aquaculture 93 4 1 4 1 4
(tonnes)

Total seafood 2,294,29 2,934,725 3,596,250 3,393,154 3,643,145 3,840,731 3,643,14 7%

imports 3 5
(tonnes)
Total seafood 2,080,71 2,390,985 2,531,121 2,962,842 2,993,854 2,878,722 2,869,68 5%
exports 2 4
(tonnes)

118
Sources: FAOSTAT (2011), FIGIS (2011), TradeMap (2011). Import and export statistics calculated using the
Harmonised System (HS). For a list of relevant HS Codes used in the calculation, please see Appendix B.

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The table above shows that consumption per capita and total consumption of seafood increased
each year between 2003 and 2007, at a rate of 2% and 1% respectively. In terms of supplying the
Chinese market – local capture, local aquaculture and seafood imports all increased over the
period 2003-2007. In particular, seafood imports increased significantly, predominantly due to the
strong growth in the Chinese processing sector. As a result it is likely that the re-export of these
imports contributed strongly to the strong annual rise in exports. China is also the only country in
the world where aquaculture production is higher than local capture (REF) and this trend
continued, with aquaculture production growing 4% per annum between 2003 and 2009.

4.2.1 Product and consumer trends

Product trends
f Product segments expected to exhibit the strong growth up to 2015 are: Canned seafood
(7.17% p.a.), frozen (6.5% p.a), smoked, dried, salted and pickled fish (6.3%)119
f Canned seafood accounted for 220,212 tonnes of seafood in 2008 an increase of 20.4% from
2007.
Consumer trends
f The middle class accounted for 19% of the population in 2008, and was expected to reach 40%
within 20 years, which is expected to drive significant growth in consumption
f The preference has been for fresh fish, but frozen products are gaining popularity as freezers in
homes increase and logistics cold chains improve
f Fresh seafood is a symbol of luxury, in particular lobster and abalone
f Growth of frozen seafood food market has been at the expense of fresh seafood in China –
frozen seafood increased from 13.5% of total seafood market in 2003 to 20.2% in 2009
– Over the same period fresh fish declined from 47.9% to 42.9%120
f Improvements to cold chain storage have helped increase consumption, particularly in urban
areas121
f Greater ownership of fridge/ freezers is allowing more consumers to buy more fresh and
processed fish and seafood for home storage providing greater convenience in terms of when
purchases can be made
f Patterns of consumption differ between generations, with younger generations curious to try
foreign products and willing to pay more for better quality
f Chinese consumers are extremely sensitive to freshness and quality characteristics of their food
purchases. This means that most Chinese make smaller shopping trips on a daily basis, rather
than weekly or monthly trips to large, distant super stores122

Table 16: Structure of seafood consumption in China (2006)123

Consumption Consumption Total

per capita124 Consumption
tonnes
Product Type
Freshwater fish 42% 11.11kg 14,853,087
Molluscs 24% 6.35kg 8,487,479
Crustaceans 12% 3.18kg 4,243,739
Demersal fish 11% 2.91 kg 3,890,094
Marine fish 7% 1.85kg 2,475,515
Others 4% 1.05kg 1,414,580

119
AHK (2010) Fresh & Processed Fish and Seafood in China 2010; p.38
120
Ibid, p.16
121
Ibid, p.63
122
GAIN (2008) ‘Food retail sector in China’ pp.7-8
123
Based on ProChile (2008) ‘Estudio de Mercado Productos Del Mar en China’ and FAO data from table 15.
124
Calculations based on FAOSTAT 2007 consumption per capita, and total consumption data.

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Demand patterns
f There are significant variations in species preferences in different areas of China. Fujian,
Shanghai, Zhejiang and Guangdong have the highest per capita expenditure on seafood125
f Live freshwater fish most demanded in inland city markets. Frozen and processed products
more common in North-East regions126
f Urban bias towards seafood consumption. Urban per capita seafood consumption was 21.8kg
p.a. while rural consumption was 11.25kg127

4.2.2 Market dynamics and price

Market structure
f The traditional role of Hong Kong as an indirect point of entry for seafood into mainland China is
declining. Increasingly imports enter China directly through ports such as Qingdao and Dalian
through licensed importers\
– Quindao and Dalian account for 85% of total seafood imports in China128
– However, major mussel trading volumes still enter China through Hong Kong trade channel,
denying importers direct access to mainland Chinese distributors/end markets129
– Similarly, the predominant channel for abalone imports remains through Hong Kong130
f Wholesale markets / wet markets continue to play a key role in distribution, although direct
supply to supermarkets is increasing

Figure 7: Distribution channels for fresh seafood imports to China131

125
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: China; p.8
126
RedFern/New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (2010) The China Seafood Market: Sector overview 2010, p.4
127
AHK (2010) Fresh & Processed Fish and Seafood in China 2010; p.12
128
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: China, p.11
129
RedFern/New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (2010) The China Seafood Market: Sector overview 2010, p.9
130
Stakeholder interview – Alees Trading, Abagold
131
RedFern/New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (2010) The China Seafood Market: Sector overview 2010, p.6

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Figure 8: Distribution channels for frozen seafood imports to China132

f The main food sector retail outlets include: hypermarkets, supermarkets, specialty
supermarkets, convenience stores and traditional markets. See Table 17 below.
– Hypermarkets are dominated by foreign multinationals include Carrefour, Wal-Mart, Auchan
and Tesco. These are the major sales outlet for imported food products and have a reputation
for offering better quality produce. These hypermarkets recent strategy has been to expand
into second and third tier cities in China133.
– Supermarket retail channel is highly fragmented and controlled by domestic players – mostly
state-owned domestic retailers. The largest included Lianhua and Hualian, however most
chain supermarkets are small sized regional actors134.
– Specialty supermarkets have grown substantially in first tier cities, and to a limited extent in
second-tier cities such as Wuhan. These stores are mostly made up of imported products. For
instance, the stock in CityShop in Shanghai and Wuhan Life & Theatre supermarkets consists
of approximately 80% imports. Some chains also have import/distribution operations and
assist exporters with labelling and product registration.
– Convenience stores are a fast growing sector, but remain concentrated in first tier cities.
These stores charge higher prices and customer base is urban white collar workers and
students who have hectic lifestyles. The sector is dominated by domestic state-owned
retailers including Quik, Kedi, and Alldays. Their expansion is constrained by logistics system
in China.
– Traditional markets include wet markets, variety stores (xiaomaibus) and fruit stands. Low
food safety standards and focus mainly on fruit, vegetables and meat. Little space for
imported produce.
f Marine seafood products predominantly used in the processing industry.
– 80% (13.1m tonnes) of the total of 16.4m tonnes of seafood products used in the processing
industry in China in 2007 were marine products135.
f The frozen seafood processing industry is expanding rapidly. This market segment used 8.5m
tonnes of seafood in 2008.136
– Between 2000 and 2007 the number of Chinese companies involved in processing of frozen
seafood products doubled to 1,380. However, it is forecast that this market will become more
competitive and consolidation will emerge.137
f The hotel and restaurant sector is the dominant sales channel for seafood in China, but this is
being eroded by growth in the retail sector138.
– Retail sales accounted for 26.1% ($31.4bn) of fresh and processed seafood sales in China in
2009. The HoReCa market accounted for 73.9% ($88.9bn)139.
– Many traditional Chinese restaurants now have live fish for selection by customers

132
ibid
133
GAIN (2008) ‘Food retail sector in China’ p.6
134
GAIN (2008) ‘Food Retail Sector in China’ p.7
135
ibid, p.62
136
AHK (2010) Fresh & Processed Fish and Seafood in China 2010, p.61
137
ibid, p.63
138
ibid, p.11
139
Ibid, p.10

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Table 17: Leading food retailers in China (2007)140

Ownership/ Business Line Store Sales
Company Headquarters (No.) (¥bn)
Domestic Companies
China SOE Super/ Hyper/ 3774 46.0
Lianhua Convenience
China (Private) Supermarket / 718 27.9
Wumart Convenience
China (SOE) Supermarket / 1758 26.4
Suguo Convenience
China (SOE) Super/Hyper/ 3226 22.0
Nonggongshang Convenience
China (SOE) Super/ Hyper/ 2108 15.0
Shanghai Hualian Convenience
Xiuyijia (A. Best) China (Private) Department 100 16.7
Kedi China (SOE) Convenience 1245 2.8
Zhejiang Renti (C&U Supermarkets) China (Private) Supermarket 289 2.0
Beijing Chaoshifa China (Private) Supermarket 57 1.9
Multinational Companies
China Resources Vanguard Hong Kong JV Hypermarket 2539 50.2
Carrefour France Hypermarket 120 29.6
Wal-Mart United States JV Hypermarket 102 21.3
Trust-Mart Taiwan JV Hypermarket 101 14.0
Metro Germany JV Hypermarket 37 11.0
United Kingdom Hypermarket 55 12.5
Tesco JV
Auchan France Supermarket 20 5.7
Parksons Malaysia Supermarket 41 14
Lotus Thailand Hypermarket 75 n/a

Estimated mark up across the value chain

f The table below highlights the amount of value captured at each stage of the value chain for
seafood imports into China and retailing in the HoReCa market. The products are New Zealand
exports - live lobster and frozen mussels – and can help to understand the margins achieved
along the supply chain by various value chain actors.

Table 18: Indicative value chain of seafood into China141

Live lobster Frozen mussels

(New Zealand) (New Zealand)
Price % of value Price % of value
($/kg) ($/kg)
CIF Shanghai 55 29% 4 19%
CIF + VAT and taxes 75 10% 5.43 7%
Distributor wholesale price 96 11% 8.82 16%
HORECA menu price 191 50% 20.59 57%

140
USDA (2008) ‘Retail Food Sector in China’ p. 5
141
RedFern/New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (2010) The China Seafood Market: Sector overview 2010, p.10

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The table shows that in both the live lobster and frozen mussel value chain, the majority of the
value is captured by the retailer. It also indicates that the importer captures approximately 20-30%
of the final product value, while the Chinese distributor will capture approximately 11-16% of the
value. Please note that distributors may also sell to sub-distributors – in these cases the distributor
margin is typically shared equally.
Pricing
f The retail prices for seafood products in China vary according to place of origin, size and format.
For instance, the table below illustrates how the price of frozen scallops in China is directly
linked to the size of the scallops. The large size (approximate 10-20 pieces of scallop meat per
500g) retails at $36.40 per kg, while the smallest (approximately 50-60 pieces per 500g) retails
at $21.84 per kg. This gives the larger size a price premium.

Table 19: Examples of China retail prices142 (2009)

Pack size
Format Price ($)143 Price per kg ($)
Product (KGs)

Frozen 0.4 9.71 24.28

Select Horeca Chilean smoked trout (sliced)
Frozen 1 21.84 21.84
Select Horeca Chilean smoked trout (sliced)
CHR Select box of 11-12cm half-shell scallops Frozen 1.8 10.92 6.07
(12 pieces)
Frozen 0.75 3.64 4.85
Yuanyi Taibei mussels
Frozen 0.5 18.20 36.40
CHR Select box of scallop meat, 10-20 pieces
Frozen 0.5 13.65 27.30
CHR Select box of scallop meat, 30-40 pieces
Frozen 0.5 10.92 21.84
CHR Select box of scallop meat, 50-60 pieces

4.2.3 Competitive landscape

Domestic supply trends
f Domestic production capture: 48.96m tonnes (2008)

f Aquaculture
– China is the largest aquaculture producer in the world, and the only country where
aquaculture production exceeds the wild catch
– Total aquaculture production in China in 2008 was 33.1m tonnes. Marine aquaculture
accounted for 13.4m tonnes and freshwater aquaculture accounted for 19.7m tonnes144
– The provinces of Shandong, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the largest in
terms of aquaculture production accounting for 23.1m tonnes145

142
AHK (2010) Fresh & Processed Fish and Seafood in China 2010; p.22
143
Based on an exchange rate of 1 Yuan = $0.151644 [14/02/11]
144
AHK (2010) Fresh & Processed Fish and Seafood in China 2010; p.60
145
Ibid, p.58-9

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Table 20: Aquaculture in China in 2008 (by selected species)146:

Species Tonnes (2008)

Marine Aquaculture
Oyster 10,080,901
Sea scallop 1,137,039
Mussel 479,902
Abalone 33,010
Freshwater aquaculture
Tilapia 1,133,611
Trout 14,412
Salmon 2,897
Mussel (Anodonta) 84,470
Ornamental fish 152,790

f The table above shows that China has a strong domestic supply of oysters, scallops and tilapia
from domestic aquaculture production. Oysters and scallops typically serve the domestic
market, while tilapia is a strong export, especially into the US market.

f Product trends
– Salmon imports increased by 90% between 2005 and 2006. The value of salmon imports was
$192m in 2006.
– Domestically produced abalone is typically of poor quality and cannot compete in high-end
markets.

Logistics costs and time comparison

f Difficulty of providing live abalone to Chinese market – high risk due to mortality rate
f Logistics for dried and canned abalone are not a substantial overall cost
– Approximate seafreight charge R3,000-R4,000 per container
– Container can take approximately 2,000 cans of abalone with an approximate price between
R260 and R315. Therefore, freight cost of 0.6-0.8% of invoice price147

Role of Hong Kong

f Hong Kong is a free market, with no tariffs in place, but increasingly export health certificates,
maximum chemical residues and heavy metal levels apply
f Its acts as a distribution point for China
f It also represents a market in its own right, with a population of 7 million, a declining domestic
fishing industry, and high demand for varied, high-end seafood

146
Ibid,p.60
147
Stakeholder interview – Christo du Plessis – Managing Director of Abagold

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148
4.3 Spain

Spanish market: Quick facts

Population f 46.5m (2010)

GDP per f US$29,500m (2010)

capita

Estimated f Per capita seafood consumption -

per capita 40kg per annum (double the
seafood European average), of which the
consumptio majority is consumed fresh
n (estimated 60%); estimated 25%
of consumption is imported (2007
Total estimates).
seafood f Total seafood consumption of
consumptio 1.6m tonnes p.a.,
n and f Estimated 30% of consumption is
growth derived from aquaculture

[Source:WordTravel.com]

Total
seafood f Total imports in 2008 were estimated at €4.7bn, of which 59% from came from developing
imports countries.
f The leading suppliers of seafood to Spain are Morocco (10%), Argentina (6%), Netherlands
(6%), France (6%), Ecuador (6%), UK (4.9%), Portugal (4.9%), UK (4.9%), China (4.5%),
Denmark (3.7%), Namibia (3.7%), Chile (3.3%).149
f Major import categories include
– Shrimps and prawns (frozen, in shell or not) – 16%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 10%
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 8%
– Tunas, skipjack and Atlantic bonito (prepared or preserved) - 7%
– Cuttle fish and squid – 7%

148
Main sources include Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: Spain; General Fisheries Commission for the
Mediterranean (2010) Synthesis of Mediterranean marine finfish
aquaculture - A marketing and promotion strategy, Studies and Review No. 88
149
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.10

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Spanish market: Quick facts

Top seafood Imports by value US$ ‘000

imports
Frozen shrimps of the genus "penaeus", whether in shell or not,
522,803
incl. Shrimps in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water

Frozen shrimps and prawns, whether in shell or not, incl.

Shrimps and prawns in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in 314,312
water
Fillets known as "loins" of tunas or skipjack, prepared or
299,055
preserved (excl. Such products in vegetable oil)
Frozen octopus "octopus spp.", with or without shell 235,019
Fresh or chilled pacific salmon 175,464
Frozen fillets of freshwater fish (excl. Trout, pacific salmon,
157,272
Atlantic salmon and Danube salmon)
Frozen cuttle fish "sepia officinalis" and "rossia macrosoma", with
140,646
or without shell
Fresh or chilled cape hake "shallow-water hake" 128,927
Frozen fillets of cape hake "shallow-water hake" 123,946
Cod "salted or in brine only (excl. Fillets) 121,656

Products by volume (2009) Tonnes

Frozen shrimps, whether in shell or not, incl. Shrimps in shell, cooked by
steaming or by boiling in water 91,424
Fillets known as "loins" of tunas or skipjack, prepared or preserved
(excl. Such products in vegetable oil) 68,939

Flours, meals and pellets of fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic

invertebrates, unfit for human consumption
63,629
Frozen fillets of freshwater fish (excl. Trout , pacific salmon, Atlantic
salmon and Danube salmon) 58,066

Frozen shrimps and prawns, whether in shell or not, incl. Shrimps and
prawns in shell, cooked by steaming or by boiling in water
54,934

Frozen yellowfin tunas "thunnus albacares" for industrial manufacture of

products of 1604, whole, weighing > 10 kg each
54,901
Frozen octopus "octopus spp.", with or without shell 43,267

Squid "loligo spp.", frozen (excl. Loligo vulgaris, pealei and patagonica)
43,247
"Illex spp.", with or without shell, frozen 41,652
Frozen cuttle fish "sepia officinalis" and "rossia macrosoma", with or
without shell 39,645

Main f Salmon: Norway, Chile

competitor f Mussels: North West Spain (Galicia), Chile, New Zealand
international f Tilapia: China (95%)
suppliers f Red tilapia – Ecuador
f Oysters – France
f Scallops: Spain, Scotland, Canada
f Rainbow trout – Denmark, Chile

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Spanish market: Quick facts

Tariff and FRANCE & SPAIN 2010

non-tariff
General non-preferential
barriers
duty rates
HS
Product RANGE TARIFF REGIME
CODE
MIN AV
MAX AV TARIFF
TARIFF
Live fish 301 0 16
Fish, fresh, hole 302 0 22
Fish, frozen, whole 303 0 22
Fish fillets and pieces, fresh,
chilled or frozen 304 0 18
Fish, cured or smoked and fish
meal fit for human consumption 305 10 20
Crustaceans 306 6 18
Molluscs 307 0 11

European Union standards

Market access requirements
f Fishery products are subject to extensive legislation regarding food safety, traceability,
animal health and presence of contaminants. Legislation applies to fresh, chilled, frozen
and processed fishery products.

Food safety
f Exporters of bivalve molluscs, snails, slugs and echinoderms should be aware of the
specific additional conditions that apply to the imports of these species.
f Imports of these species are only permitted if they come from approved production areas in
countries that meet the sanitary conditions laid down in EU legislation.
f The national authorities of exporting countries are required to monitor closely the
production zones in order to exclude contamination with certain marine bio-toxins causing
shellfish poisoning.

Health requirements
f All fishery products that are imported into the EU must meet the health and veterinary
requirements.
f An official health certificate must therefore accompany each consignment of fishery
products.

Labelling of fishery products marked in the EA

f As of January 2002, fishery products sold by retailers in the EU must carry information of:
– The name of the product
– Its origin (catch area)
– The production method (caught at sea, caught in inland waters, farmed), on the package.

Product safety and quality

f Consumers are increasingly expecting not only safe and high-quality foods, but social and
environmental sustainability as well.
f This requires that safety, quality, environmental and social aspects are monitored and
managed properly along the entire supply chain of the products.

Table 21: Spain – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010150

150
Sources: FAOSTAT (2011), FIGIS (2011), TradeMap (2011). Import and export statistics calculated using the
Harmonised System (HS). For a list of relevant HS Codes used in the calculation, please see Appendix B.

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151

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 %

Change
(CAGR)
Per capita 44.41 42.09 40.95 40.47 40.03 N/A N/A -2%
consumption
(kg/year)

Total 1,859,462 1,788,335 1,763,402 1,763,402 1,763,402 N/A N/A -1%

national
consumption
(tonnes)

Local supply 894,836 810,683 853,568 961,739 820,232 918,249 905,028 0%

– catch
(tonnes)

Local supply 268,201 293,319 219,367 292,919 281,266 249,074 N/A -1%
–
aquaculture
(tonnes)

Total 1,660,444 1,576,670 1,586,447 1,672,645 1,700,377 1,591,564 1,565,790 -1%

seafood
imports
Total 828,156 890,352 863,916 911,266 916,235 954,243 953,345 2%
seafood
exports

Despite being the largest per capita consumer of seafood in the EU, Spain saw total consumption
and per capita consumption of seafood fall between 2003 and 2007. Local supply of seafood from
local capture increased slightly between 2003 and 2009, while aquaculture fell by 1% per annum
between 2003 and 2008. Imports also fell between 2003 and 2009 – the impact of the economic
crisis saw record imports in 2007 fall in both 2008 and 2009. In contrast – and defying the
economic crisis – seafood exports saw steady growth over the period 2003 and 2009 of nearly 2%
per annum. This suggests that local Spanish supply previously destined for the domestic market
may have been reoriented to the export market in response to falling consumption in Spain.

4.3.1 Product and consumer trends

Product trends
f Increase in purchases of fresh and frozen fish in hypermarkets and supermarkets at the
expense of traditional fish markets152
f The seafood-based ready meal sector is also forecast to expand over the next few years. The
size of the Spanish ready meal market was 344,200 tonnes in 2009, of which seafood
accounted for 32,700 tonnes (9.5%). However, the volume of seafood frozen ready meals is
forecast to expand by 21% in the period 2009 and 2012 to 39,800 tonnes in 2012153
f Increase in volumes of imported freshwater species

Consumer trends
154
f There is increasing consumption of frozen fishery products among households

151
Sources: FAOSTAT (2011), FIGIS (2011), TradeMap (2011). Import and export statistics calculated using the
Harmonised System (HS). For a list of relevant HS Codes used in the calculation, please see Appendix B.
152
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.2
153
CONEXMAR (2009) Conexmar Revista bimestral – February 2009 (No.40),p.8
154
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.6

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– A FROM survey of 420 supermarket shoppers in Spain showed that 54.6% of respondents
purchased frozen fish at least once a week
– In contrast only 9.1% and 6.8% of respondents bought frozen molluscs and frozen
crustaceans at least once a week155
f Drivers of purchasing decisions in Spain:
– The key driver of purchasing decisions in the fresh fish market for Spanish consumers is price
(68% of respondents)
– This is followed by place of origin (11%) and format (10%)
– Production method (4%) and brand recognition (2%) are not key drivers of purchasing
decisions156
– The recession in Spain since 2009 means consumers are unwilling to pay premium price and
is looking for cheap products
– Increasing trend of purchasing cheaper “white brands”, brands developed by distributors that
for their commercialisation do not count on advertising and marketing157
– The success of frozen fillets of Pangassius imported from Asia and sold cheaply on the
market support this hypothesis
– Tilapia has become more common. It is eaten mainly at home, but also in restaurants
(typically at lunch)158
– Very limited market for environmentally certified produce. Many consumers are unaware of
the environmental certification schemes159

Table 22: Spanish consumers – Reasons for consumption:160

Reason for consumption % of respondents (2003) % of respondents (2007)

Necessary for a healthy diet 69 76

Like its taste 61 64
Easy to cook 27 25
Traditional/customary 11 18
Price 6 13
Religious reasons 4 7

These results show that the associated health benefits and taste are the key drivers behind
Spanish consumption. Only 13% of respondents purchased seafood because of its pricing.
Therefore pricing does not have a major influence on the decision to buy fish (versus chicken or
other meats), but does influence greatly the type of fish bought.
Demand patterns
f Highest per capita consumption of seafood is in Cantabrias (42.3kg p.a.) and the lowest in the
Canary Islands (27.9kg)161
f Consumption of molluscs especially mussels/shrimps/other crustaceans is during holiday
seasons – December/Christmas162
f Consumers prefer to purchase whole fish rather than in fillet but it’s changing recently due to the
arrival on the EU market of already made frozen fillets of cheaper varieties such as
Pangassius163

155
FROM (2009) La Compra de Productos del Mar Congelados Informe de Resultados, p.9
156
FROM (2007) – Habitos de Compra Conservacion y Consumo De Los Productos Pesqueros en la Poblacion
Espanola, p.13
157
Stakeholder interview - Fish SL
158
Stakeholder interview - Congelados Corbela
159
Various stakeholder interviews.
160
FROM (2007) – Habitos de Compra Conservacion y Consumo De Los Productos Pesqueros en la Poblacion
Espanola, p.10
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.1
162
http://www.globefish.org/bivalves-market-reports.html -
163
Interview with Helga Josupeit, FAO, Rome, 21.02.2011

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f Favourite species sold in fish markets were (in 2009) whiting, hake, anchovies and sardines,
with mackerel increasingly cooked in the home164

4.3.2 Market dynamics and price

Market structure
f There are three key stages in the supply chain for fishery products in Spain – first sale fish
auction in the harbour (domestic catch only), wholesale markets (mercasas) and end markets.

f Fish auction (first sales)

– Fish is sold from the ships through three channels: fish auction, direct to importers/ merchants
or direct to fish processing industry165
– There are 183 fish auctions in Spain, and 70% of fresh fish landed by Spanish fleet is sold
through the auctions. The other 30% is sold directly by the ship owner or trader166
– Imports are not sold through the fish auction market, and are sold to Spanish importers/
merchants and processors, who then supply wholesalers, caterers and retailers
f Wholesale markets:
– Central wholesale markets are located in urban areas and are dominated by the MERCASA
Network which have wholesale fish markets in 17 major Spanish cities and where 416
dedicated seafood companies operate
– The most important wholesale markets are Mercabarna and Mercamadrid. Mercamadrid
handles 50% of Spanish fishery trade, and is the largest seafood market in Europe167
– In 2005, 78% of the total volume handled by MERCAS was fresh fish and 22% frozen168
– The MERCASA network is an important supply source for the restaurant sector, with
approximately 80% of restaurants within a 200 mile radius send buyers directly to
Mercamadrid, allowing them to purchase products for about 30% less than if they bought
through a buyer169
– MERCASA network important distribution hub for small towns nearby urban centres (e.g.
Toledo near Madrid), but the market is not a hub for fresh exports to the rest of Europe as
much of the seafood is consumed or processed in Spain170
– Alternative distribution channels: i) traditional central market – located in small and medium
sized cities; ii) parallel channels where companies trade seafood on a wholesale level that
bypass central wholesale markets171
– Outside of the MERCASA network, there are estimated to be 2,750 companies active in the
seafood industry, supplying major retail chains via exclusive agreements172
f Processing industry:
– The canning industry is made up of 147 companies (66 in Galicia)
– Important species include tuna, sardines, Atlantic mackerel, mussels and albacore
– In 2007, Calvo – the leading canning company recorded sales of 161,000 tonnes. There are
four large companies with sales over 100,000 tonnes173
– The frozen seafood sector is dominated by a few large companies – both Spanish and
multinational subsidiaries. All these companies are vertically integrated, acting as processors,
distributors, wholesalers, importers and exports
– The largest operator has a production volume of 150,000 tonnes 174
164
MERCASA (2010) Informe 2010 sobre Produccion, Industria, Distribuccion y Consumo de Alimentacion en España
165
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain
166
European Commission (2010) European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products: Phase 1 Final
Report, p.636
167
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: Spain; p.11 and CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.10
168
ibid.
169
Food Distribution and Research Society (2005) ‘Winter 2005 FDRS Newsletter’
170
Stakeholder interview – Mercamadrid
171
European Commission (2010) European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products: Phase 1 Final
Report, p.636
172
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: Spain; p.11
173
European Commission (2010) European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products: Phase 1 Final
Report, p.657

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f Retail market
– Per-capita household consumption on seafood was reached 27.6 kilograms valued at EUR
192 (R1,824) per person.
– Breakdown of household spending, in 2009 Spanish consumers ate175:
- 12.2 kilograms of fresh fish per person annually
- 4.8 kilograms per capita of fresh seafood and shellfish
- 4 kilograms per capita of canned fish and seafood
- Cooked frozen seafood represented 3.4 kilograms per person
- Frozen fish accounted for 3.1 kilograms per capita
– The table below highlights the main consumer channels for purchases of fresh, frozen and
canned seafood products in Spain in 2007
f HORECA market
– 68% of all catering purchases were through local and traditional market channels in 2007,
down from 73% in 2003
– Increase in catering purchases from the retail sector, from 9.3% in 2003 to 21% in 2007176

Table 23: Consumer sales channels in Spain177

Product Type Sales Channels

Fresh produce Markets/fish mongers (47%), supermarkets
(40%), hypermarkets (10%)
Frozen products Supermarkets (66), hypermarkets (16),
markets/traditional fishmongers (16)
Canned products Supermarkets (72), hypermarkets (18)

The table below illustrates the complex supply and distribution channels for seafood in the
Spanish market.

174
Ibid
175
MERCASA (2010) Informe 2010 sobre Produccion, Industria, Distribuccion y Consumo de Alimentacion en España
176
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.3
177
FROM (2007) – Habitos de Compra Conservacion y Consumo De Los Productos Pesqueros en la Poblacion
Espanola, p.10

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Figure 9: Illustration of Spanish supply and distribution channels178

f The diagram shows that imports are typically sold directly into the fish processing industry or to
local importers/ merchants who will then sell into the wholesale market (including the Mercasa
network) and directly to retailers and the HoReCa sector.
Estimated mark ups across the value chain

f Importing agents typically have 5 – 10% mark-up179

f Supermarkets generally have a 10% margin
f 50% margin for fresh product from specialised fish retailer
f Gross profit margin between 30-45%180

178
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.8
179
Ibid, p.9
180
ibid

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Table 24: Breakdown of the value chain for fresh products (2010)181

Product Origin price Value MERCASA Value Retail Value

(€/kg) captured price (€/kg) captured price captured
(€/kg)
Trout 2.08 43% 2.58 10% 4.81 46%
Salmon 4.52 45% 5.70 12% 9.99 43%
Mussels 0.80 26% 1.62 27% 3.09 48%

f This table shows that the retailers capture the most value for trout, salmon and mussel products
f It is interesting to note that mussel growers/producers capture significantly less of the final price
(26%) than trout and salmon fishermen/producers.

Pricing
f Seafood prices in Spain vary by region and season. These regional variations within the
Mercasa wholesale market network are shown below.

Table 25: MERCASA regional price variations €/kg (February 2011)182

Fresh Mercamadrid Mercabarna Mercabilbao Mercasevilla Mercavalencia

Product
Trout 2.70 2.70 2.50 2.55 2.80
Mussels 1.8 1.40 1.65 1.76 1.50
Frozen Mercasamadrid Mercasabarna Mercabilbao Mercasevilla Mercavalencia
Product
Sole 6.31 5.50 5.40 4.00

f The table below shows that prices are typically more expensive in Madrid, with the exception of
trout prices in Valencia.
f There are also seasonal variations in the wholesale price of fresh seafood in Spain.
f Spanish wholesalers also report that there has been an increase in the price of domestic
Galician mussels in 2010 due to the decreased production by 30% compared with 2009. The fall
of production is attributed to red tides, heavy rains in spring and low water temperature in
summer.

4.3.3 Competitive landscape

Domestic supply trends
f Total seafood market in Spain:
– Domestic production/capture: 1.08m tonnes (2007)
– Imports: 1.50m tonnes (2008)183
f Aquaculture
– Value of aquaculture sector in 2007 was €279m (281,000t) – an increase of 10.2% in volume
since 2002. The largest aquaculture sub-sectors by volume were sea mussels (210,000t),
rainbow trout (25,000t) and seabream (20,000t) in 2007184

181
MAPA (2010) Prices – Origin and Destination 2010 [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mapa.es/estadistica/pags/PreciosOrigenDestino/excel/PreciosOrigenDestino.xls]
182
MERCASA (2011) ‘Prices and wholesale markets – week from 18 – 22 February’ [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.mercasa.es/productos/precios_mercados_mayoristas]
183
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.10
184
Ibid, p.4

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– Highest value sub-sector is salt-water fish (€145m). Salt-water mollusc aquaculture is valued
at €64m and freshwater fish at €44m185
– Decrease in production of Atlantic tuna and Atlantic salmon in Spain, due to increased
competition from foreign suppliers in Malta and Norway/Chile respectively and an increase in
production of seabream and seabass
– Freshwater aquaculture – decreasing production for sturgeon, tench and tilapia due to
preference for cultivation of seabream and seabass186
187
f Caught
– 800,000t caught by Spanish fleets in 2007 – marine fish (90%), molluscs (9%), crustaceans
(1%)
– Spanish fleets operate in wide area compared to other EU countries – Atlantic Ocean (73% of
total fish captures), Mediterranean (11%), and Indian Ocean (16%)
– Also operate in tropical waters such as Western Indian Ocean and Eastern Central Pacific

Existing SA trade
f South Africa exported $107,470,000 in 2009, with 1.84% share of imports and key products
exported included.
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 43%
– Cuttle fish and squid – 17%
– Tunas, albacore or longfinned (frozen, livers and roes) – 12%
– Frozen hake (livers and roes) – 11%
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 9%
f From the interviews to major importers and distributors it emerges that the most imported
seafood from South Africa is hake (Merluccius Capensis)
– This is also one of the most consumed fish from the average Spanish consumer. It is usually
imported frozen and filleted, often by Spanish operators.188

Logistics costs and time comparison

f Majority (80%) of fish supply is transported via trucks to wholesale markets from Spanish ports
such as Vigo, La Coruna and Cadriz
189
f Approximately 20% of MERCAmadrid produce arrives via air – from Chile in particular

185
CBI (2010) Fishery Products in Spain, p.5
186
ibid
187
ibid, pp.4-5
188
Various stakeholder interviews
189
Stakeholder interview - Mercamadrid

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4.4 France190

France market: Quick facts

Population f 65m (2010)

GDP per f $33,300 (2010)

capita

Total f Estimated seafood consumption of

seafood 0.8m tonnes (2005)
consumption f Estimate of 34 kg per capita
and growth consumption of seafood
f According to FAO, annual per
Estimated capita consumption is 35.2kg
per capita equivalent live weight, compared to
seafood a European average of 20.7kg
consumption f Finished product (net weight)
consumption is 15kg per capita

[Source:WordTravel.com]

Total f Imports valued at €3.9bn in 2008

seafood
imports

Top seafood By value (US$000) By volume (tonnes)

Total
products
consumed Consumed (tonnes) Imported
and
imported
Total imports in 2009: Total consumption: 1. Fresh or chilled pacific salmon
€4.03bn 707,170 tonnes (107,055 tonnes)
2. Prepared or preserved tunas and
1. Salmon - €689m 1. Oysters - 113,215 skipjack (81,617 tonnes)
2. Shrimp - €525m tonnes (16.0%) 3. Frozen shrimps (76,174 tonnes)
3. Miscellaneous marine 2. Tuna – 100,772 4. Flours from aqua products unfit
fish fillets – €358m (14.3%) for human consumption (38,506
4. Cod - €254m 3. Mussels – 63,905 tonnes)
5. Saithe/pollock - €213m (9.0%) 5. Frozen fillets of Alaska pollack
6. Scallop - €204m 4. Trout – 33 520 (4.7%) (37,732 tonnes)
7. Miscellaneous whole 5. Sardine – 32,672 6. Mussels (33,856 tonnes)
marine fish - €127m (4.6%) 7. Scallops (21,246 tonnes)
8. Lobster - € 112m 6. Great Atlantic scallop – 8. Frozen fillets of pacific salmon
9. Miscellaneous 22 101 (3.1%) (21,227 tonnes)

190
Sources include Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: France; General Fisheries Commission for the
Mediterranean (2010) Synthesis of Mediterranean marine finfish
aquaculture - A marketing and promotion strategy, Studies and Review No. 88

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France market: Quick facts

Freshwater fish - 7. Herring – 21,514 (3.0%) 9. Frozen fillets of saltwater fish

€106m 8. Monkfish – 21,136 (20,924 tonnes)
10. Crab - €83m (3.0%) 10. Seaweeds and other algae,
11. Miscellaneous Aquatic fresh, chilled, frozen or dried
Bivalves - €80m (19,638 tonnes)

Main f Main supplier countries include Norway, UK, Spain, Netherlands and the US.
competitor f Imports by geographical origin in 2009:
international
suppliers Country Import
value
($m191)
Norway 621
UK 498
Spain 376
Netherlands 250
USA 219
Denmark 213
China 209

Tariff and FRANCE & SPAIN 2010

non-tariff
General non-preferential
barriers
duty rates
HS TARIF
Product RANGE
CODE REGIME
MIN AV MAX AV
TARIFF TARIFF
Live fish 301 0 16
Fish, fresh, hole 302 0 22
Fish, frozen, whole 303 0 22
Fish fillets and pieces, fresh, chilled
or frozen 304 0 18
Fish, cured or smoked and fish meal
fit for human consumption 305 10 20
Crustaceans 306 6 18
Molluscs 307 0 11

European Union standards

Market access requirements
f Fishery products are subject to extensive legislation regarding food safety, traceability, animal
health and presence of contaminants. Legislation applies to fresh, chilled, frozen and
processed fishery products.

Food safety
f Exporters of bivalve molluscs, snails, slugs and echinoderms should be aware of the specific
additional conditions that apply to the imports of these species.

191
Based on exchange rate of €1 = 1.3678$USD (21/02/2011)

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France market: Quick facts

f Imports of these species are only permitted if they come from approved production areas in
countries that meet the sanitary conditions laid down in EU legislation.
f The national authorities of exporting countries are required to monitor closely the production
zones in order to exclude contamination with certain marine bio-toxins causing shellfish
poisoning.

Health requirements
f All fishery products that are imported into the EU must meet the health and veterinary
requirements.
f An official health certificate must therefore accompany each consignment of fishery products.

Labelling of fishery products marked in the EA

f As of January 2002, fishery products sold by retailers in the EU must carry information of:
– The name of the product
– Its origin (catch area)
– The production method (caught at sea, caught in inland waters, farmed), on the package.

Product safety and quality

f Consumers are increasingly expecting not only safe and high-quality foods, but social and
environmental sustainability as well.
f This requires that safety, quality, environmental and social aspects are monitored and
managed properly along the entire supply chain of the products.

Specific to France:
f Suppliers need to take into account market entry requirements such as:
– Labelling/packaging regulations,
– Organic registration requirements (if applicable)
– Taxes/import regulations
– Full traceability
– Quality standards
– Genetically modified
– Organism (GMO) issues

Labelling/packaging requirements
f Ingredients and product description must be provided.
f Manufacturer or processor must provide EU certification/factory stamp on the packaging.

Organic certification requirements

f Suppliers of organic products which are mainly animal-based must meet French
specification in order to use the ‘AB’ logo.

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Table 26: France – consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010192

%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Change
(CAGR)
Consumption 33.96 33.39 35.19 34.98 34.79 N/A N/A 0%
per capita
(kg/year)

Total 2,045,545 2,024,179 2,147,044 2,147,044 2,147,044 N/A N/A 1%

national
consumption
(tonnes)

Local supply 708,551 664,668 597,170 594,103 553,158 500,138 430,556 -7%
– catch
(tonnes)

Local supply 239,620 242,671 245,160 238,151 237,653 237,868 N/A 0%

–
aquaculture
(tonnes)

Total 1,002,959 1,055,784 1,089,662 1,067,816 1,090,013 1,067,816 1,090,013 1%

seafood
imports
Total 434,328 417,505 381,170 377,536 362,583 383,165 306,280 -5%
seafood
exports

The table above shows that French consumption increased in total and per capita terms over the
period 2003 and 2007. Local supply of seafood in France fell however. In particular local capture
declined by 7% per annum between 2003 and 2009. Aquaculture production remained relatively
constant, suggesting that the increasing consumption in France was fuelled by the 1% per annum
increase in imports between 2003 and 2009. In contrast, exports of seafood from France also fell
substantially over the period 2003 to 2009 – by 5% per annum.

4.4.1 Product and consumer trends

Product trends
f Product segments in the French seafood industry are:
– Fresh product
– Chilled delicatessen frozen products
– Canned products
193
f The breakdown of household spending in 2009 is as follows :
– 36% fresh products
– 29% chilled delicatessen
– 21% frozen products
– 14% canned products

192
Sources: FAOSTAT (2011), FIGIS (2011), TradeMap (2011). Import and export statistics calculated using the
Harmonised System (HS). For a list of relevant HS Codes used in the calculation, please see Appendix B.
193
AgriMer (2009) Etude Prospective sur les enterprises de mareyage (2009) [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.ofimer.fr/99_up99load/2_actudoc/2045d1_01.pdf ] p.24

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Table 27: Breakdown of French household expenditure by species and product segment194
Value
Product Segment Expenditure (€m)
Fresh products 2,340
Fish fillets 48% 1,123
Bivalves and Cephlapods 23% 538
Whole fish 20% 468
Crustaceans 9% 211
Chilled delicatessen 1,885
Cured fish 35% 660
Other 31% 584
Cooked shrimp 19% 358
Surimi 15% 283
Frozen products 910
Fish 49% 446
Ready meals 22% 200
Bivalves and 164
Cephalopods 18%
Crustaceans 11% 100
TOTAL 5,135

f This table shows that French households spend more on fresh seafood produce that frozen or
chilled items. The largest segments by value are fresh fish fillets, cured fish, fresh bivalves and
cephalopods and frozen fish.
Consumer trends
f Total household spending on fish and seafood in France in 2009 was approximately €6.5bn
f Traditionally, fresh whole fish is the dominant form, but convenience products are gaining
market share. In 2009, sales of cuts/fillets were approximately 70% of total fresh fish sales195
f Increase in pre-packed chilled cuts
– Since 2001, the proportion of fresh fish directed into the pre-packed portion market has
increased from 12.4% to 19.6% in 2009196
f Perceptions of aquaculture product:
– Generally high acceptance by consumers of aquaculture product in terms of quality
perceptions, but concerns about environmental and animal welfare aspects
– Supermarket retailers expect aquaculture to provide a reliable supply of a standardised size,
quality and volume at competitive prices
– Traditional fishmongers have negative perceptions of aquaculture, seeing it as contrary to
their market positioning as authentic and not industrialised
f Rapid growth in organic aquaculture market despite higher prices (50–75% more than
conventional products)
Demand patterns
f Consumption of fresh produce is concentrated in the coastal areas and large urban areas –
accounting for 80% of consumption in 2009197
f Geographical demand by product:
– Oysters: highest demand in West, South West and South East. Low demand in North and
East

194
Ibid, p.26
195
Marketing Seafood (2010) ‘Fresh and Frozen Scallops in France: Products and Performances’, p.12
196
ibid
197
AgriMer (2010) ‘Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in France ‘

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4.4.2 Market dynamics and price

Market structure
198
f Main distribution channels for consumer seafood :
– Fresh products: supermarkets (68%), markets (15%), fishmongers (12%)
– Chilled delicatessen: supermarkets (84%), hard discounters (10%), fishmongers and markets
(3%)
– Frozen products: supermarkets (50%), freezer centres and home delivery (37%), hard
discount (13%)
– Canned products: supermarkets (81%), hard discounters (19%)
f Home consumption is the most significant market, followed by restaurant sales.
– Mainstream retail supermarkets are the most significant distribution channel accounting for
72% of fresh fish, 65% shellfish, 62% frozen
f Total spending in the catering sector in 2009 was €1.6bn. The breakdown by type of institution
and product segment is presented below

Table 28: Breakdown of catering sector spending on seafood in 2009199

Type of Catering Outlet Spending Spending by product segment
Independent restaurant Fresh (68%), frozen (20%), chilled delicatessen (9%),
outlets € 948m canned (3%)
Self-managed institutional Frozen (81%), canned (9%), fresh (8%), chilled delicatessen
catering €315m (2%)
Frozen (85%), fresh (9%), canned (4%), chilled delicatessen
Institutional catering firms €191m (2%)
Restaurant chains and Frozen (50%), fresh (38%), chilled delicatessen (7%),
groups €181m canned (5%)
Total €1.6bn

This table shows independent restaurants outlets are the largest purchasers of seafood in France,
accounting for 59% of catering spending. It also shows that outside of the independent restaurant
sub-sector, frozen seafood products are the most popular with self-managed institutional catering
(81%), institutional catering firms (85%), and restaurant chains (50%).

f France has a fragmented structure of wholesalers.

– 374 French companies, with a combined turnover of €2.2bn, employing 5,250 people. A
network of small, family-owned companies (average size 15 people, €58m turnover)200
– There are two levels of wholesalers in the French market – “mareyeurs” and ‘”grossistes”, who
supply retailer (large-scale retailers and traditional fishmongers)
– These businesses are often linked to two important companies Pomona and Metro201
– Estimated 50% of fresh seafood is sold through this market channel – and represents75% of
domestic fresh supply202
f Supermarkets are increasingly making direct purchases of seafood and consolidating their
supply base – with over 90% of sales coming from just 20 sources203
f Lack of French distribution network and ability to import competitively outside of Boulogne has
limited the volume of seafood available to traditional fishmongers204

198
Ibid, p.25
199
Ibid, p.28-29
200
AgriMer (2009) Etude Prospective sur les enterprises de mareyage (2009) [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.ofimer.fr/99_up99load/2_actudoc/2045d1_01.pdf ], p.2
201
European Commission (2010) European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products: Phase 1 Final
Report, p.639
202
AgriMer (2009) Etude Prospective sur les enterprises de mareyage (2009) [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://www.ofimer.fr/99_up99load/2_actudoc/2045d1_01.pdf ]; p.2
203
ibid, p.2
204
ibid, p.2

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f Overall, wholesale markets account for about 10% of national apparent consumption (in
volume)
f The two large wholesale markets in Rouen and Rungs – covered by SNM pricing data – where
63,000t (35,000t of imports) are sold every year205

Table 29: France import/wholesale prices (April 2010)206

Type of
Type of Fish Description Origin Grading $/kg
Pricing

Rainbow Fillet –10kg vacuum packed. 2-3lb/pc Chile cif 11.5

Trout
Atlantic fresh, gutted, head on Scotland Superior 7.2
Salmon
Oyster Live Ireland/ Producer 3 3.26
France price
Mussels Rope Mussels Ireland cif to 1.49
/France packer

4.4.3 Competitive landscape

Domestic supply trends

f Total French supply: 2.9m tonnes
– Domestic capture/production: 707,170 tonnes
– Imports: 2.2m tonnes (net weight)
f Supply in France by value in 2008207:
– Fresh landing 55.3%
– Shellfish farming 23.5%
– Frozen landing 10.6%
– Fish farming 10.6%
Aquaculture
f Total sales of farmed shellfish in France in 2007 - 193,620 tonnes (€400m)208
– Oysters – 113,200t (€268m)
– Mussels – 76,200t (€117m)
– Other Bivalves – 3,820t (€15m)
f Total sales of farmed fish in France in 2007 – 50,114 tonnes (€164m)
– Trout and salmon – 33,833t (€95m)
– Freshwater fish – 8,291t (€15m)
– Marine fish - 7,990t (€53m)
Existing SA trade
f South Africa exported $16,359,000 in 2009, with 0.29% share of imports and key products
exported included:
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 60%
– Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (not frozen) – 12%
– Tunas, albacore or longfinned (frozen, livers and roes) – 11%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 9%
– Fish nes (frozen, livers and roes) – 4%

205
European Commission (2010) European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products: Phase 1 Final
Report, p.136
206
European Price Report April 2010 - http://www.globefish.org/price-reports.html
207
AgriMer (2010) ‘Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in France ‘
208
Ibid, p.11

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Private sector market entry requirements

f France is developing its own sustainability label, but currently the only eco-label visible in
French retailers is “Peche Durable” – pioneered by the Marine Stewardship Council. However, it
is not widely used, with only 220 carrying the logo as of 2010209.

Logistics costs and time comparison

f Blue mussels from Norway are sold in French markets within 36 hours of removal of byssus
thread. They are delivered overland by trucks which can transport 20 tonnes210.

209
Marketing Seafood (2010) ‘Fresh and Frozen Scallops in France: Products and Performances’, p.13-14
210
Sandberg et al (2007) ‘The blue mussel industry in central Norway SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture Consulting,
p.12

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4.5 Nigeria211

Nigeria market: Quick facts

212
Population f 152m (2010 est.)

213
GDP per f US$$213 bn (2010 est.)
capita

Total f The market is estimated to have the potential to

seafood consume 2.6 million tons of fish, with current
consumption demand estimated to be valued at $1.8 billion
and growth f Urban markets – the predominant market for fish
are projected to grow at 3% per year purely
Estimated through population growth. There is also a
per capita consumer trend towards fish products as a low
seafood cost source of protein.214
consumption f Average annual consumption is 9.2kg per
capita215
f Aquaculture supplied approximately 143,000
tonnes in 2008– only 1% of total fishery supply

[Source:WordTravel.com]

Total f Total imports are estimated at $796,250,00 (2009)

seafood
imports

211
US FAS GAIN (2010) Strong Demand Continues Expanding Fish Exports to Nigeria
212
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/rankorder/2119rank.html?countryName=Nigeria&countryCode=ni&regionCode=af&rank=8#ni
213
Nigeria. International Monetary Fund
214
World Bank (2010) p.66
215
Akpabio & Ekanem (2008) Extension needs of fish marketers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Journal of Agricultural and
Social Sciences 4, p.1

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Nigeria market: Quick facts

Top seafood Imports by value (US$000 and % total) 216 By volume (tonnes and % total)
imports

1. Frozen fish (US$341m) 1. Frozen freshwater and saltwater fish

2. Frozen mackerel (US$158m) (231,205 tonnes)
3. Dried cod (US$105m) 2. Frozen mackerel (120,115 tonnes)
4. Dried fish, salted (US$30m) 3. Flours from aqua unfit for human
5. Frozen herrings (US$26m) consumption (98,816 tonnes)
6. Frozen herrings (US$21m) 4. Flours, meals and pellets of fish, fit for
7. Dried fish, salted (US$21m) human consumption (86,818 tonnes)
8. Frozen sardines (US$20m) 5. Dried cod (50,821 tonnes)
9. Prepared or preserved mackerel (US$13m) 6. Frozen herrings (29,723 tonnes)
10. Flours from aqua unfit for human consumption 7. Frozen herrings (27,679 tonnes)
(US$12m) 8. Dried fish, salted, not smoked (13,520
tonnes)
9. Dried fish, salted, not smoked (8,005
tonnes)
10. Prepared or preserved mackerel (6,554
tonnes)

Main f Norway – Herring

217
competitor f Netherlands is the largest importer of frozen fish. The packaging is more distributor friendly
international
suppliers

Tariff and General non-preferential duty rates

non-tariff PRODUCT LABEL HS CODE RANGE
barriers
MIN AV TARIFF MAX AV TARIFF
Live fish 301 10 10
Fish, fresh, whole 302 10 10
Fish, frozen, whole 303 10 10
Fish fillets and pieces, fresh, chilled 304 20 20
or frozen
Fish, cured or smoked and fish meal 305 20 20
fit for human consumption
Crustaceans 306 20 20
Molluscs 307 20 20

Key regulations and tariffs218

f Non tariff barriers
f Under Nigeria's customs legislation, import prohibitions can be applied to:
f Protect domestic industries
f Reduce balance of payments deficits
f As anti-dumping measures
f Moral, safety, and other purposes
f Unfair competition

216
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.49
217
US FAS GAIN (2010) Strong Demand Continues Expanding Fish Exports to Nigeria, p.8
218
WTO. Date unknown. Trade Policy Review: Nigeria

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The table below shows Nigeria’s consumption, production and trade data. Note that the trade data
is not available for certain periods and shows great variability and should be treated with caution.

Table 30: Nigeria – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2009

%
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 change
(CAGR)
Consumption 9.19 8.47 9.01 9.05 8.98 n/a n/a -0.5%
per capita
(kg/year)

Total 1,233,543 1,165,553 1,269,468 1,306,174 1,327,067 n/a n/a 1%

national
consumption
(tonnes)

Local supply 475,162 465,251 523,182 552,323 530,420 601,368 598,210 3%

– catch
(tonnes)

Local supply 30,677 43,950 56,355 84,578 85,087 143,207 n/a 29%
–
aquaculture
(tonnes)

Total 3,646,876 n/a n/a 6,741,239 827,344 411,860 639,408 -22%

seafood
imports
(tonnes)

Total n/a n/a n/a 1,612 8,912 11,182 24,866 98%

seafood
exports
(tonnes)
219

Local fishing has increased between 2003 and 2009, but not as rapidly as the local supply of
aquaculture (although aquaculture is from a much lower base). Nigeria is a net importer, with very
low exports. This indicates that most of the local fishing and aquaculture is done for the local
market.

219
Sources: FAOSTAT (2011), FIGIS (2011), TradeMap (2011). Import and export statistics calculated using the
Harmonised System (HS). For a list of relevant HS Codes used in the calculation, please see Appendix B.

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4.5.1 Product and consumer trends

Product trends
f Product segments
– Fresh fish
– Smoked fish
– Frozen fish
– Stockfish
f Higher value dried stockfish, mainly from Scandinavian suppliers, accounts for an additional
160,000 tonnes / $400 million220.

Consumer trends
f Consumers are price sensitive, but importer fish is a cheap source of protein. Especially as
price of poultry has increased.
– For example, the average price of poultry is $5 per kg compared to $1.60 per kg for imported
frozen fish221
f Main drivers of purchasing decisions of catfish in Nigeria are availability, taste, and familiarity.
90% of consumers were increasing their purchases of catfish in 2006222
223
f Consumers also cited lack of availability as a reason for not consuming more catfish in 2006 ,
suggesting this undersupply presents market opportunity for other imported fish
Demand patterns
f Seasonal local supply – main sales at Liverpool Fish Market, Lagos between May and
December224

4.5.2 Market dynamics and price

Market structure
f 96% of fish sales occur at open stall fish markets, with 4% going directly to hotels and
restaurants to supply the tourist industry225.
f Approximately 70% of fresh fish in Nigeria is sold in restaurants, especially bukas (canteens or
eating houses)226.
f Imports are dominated by large importers with cold storage and transportation assets.
– The fish import sector is lead by 10-15 large importers such as Stallion Group, which has a
45% market share and capacity of 60,000 tonnes of cold storage.
– Other large importers – Seafood Products Ltd and POF Nigeria have a storage capacity of
20,000 tonnes and 12,000 tonnes respectively227.
228
f Over 90% of domestic fish supply in Nigeria comes from artisanal capture .
f Fresh products sold directly to hotels and restaurants through fish vendors who contract
fishermen to supply volumes of fish. Vendors also act as financiers for fishermen229.
f In major aquaculture production areas, restaurants and retailers are becoming more vertically
integrated and purchasing catfish direct from the farm230.

220
US FAS GAIN (2010) Strong Demand Continues Expanding Fish Exports to Nigeria, p.6
221
ibid, p.4
222
World Bank (2010) Building Competitiveness in Africa’s Agriculture , p.65
223
Ibid, p.66
224
Ayo-Olalusi et al (2010), The Liverpool fish market in Lagos State, Nigeria Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and
Marine Research, p.6
225
Nzeka (2003) In Nigeria demand for seafood is high [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_10_15/ai_111306852/]
226
World Bank (2010) Building Competitiveness in Africa’s Agriculture, p.65
227
http://www.nigeriafish.org/
228
Akpabio & Ekanem (2008) Extension needs of fish marketers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria Journal of Agricultural and
Social Sciences 4, p.1
229
UNIDO (2010), ‘Unleashing Agricultural Development in Nigeria’ p.56

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– A majority of fresh aquaculture catfish are now sold directly to bukas, restaurants and
hotels231.

Estimated mark ups across the value chain

Cost & Freight Customs/ Warehouse/ Importer/ Retail mark up

(C&F) transportation distribution distributor
mark up

f Croaker - f 25% of C&F f 25% of f 25% of f Supermarkets

$1800/t C&F C&F – Imports 30%
f Horse Mackerel - – Domestic 10%
$1300/t f Convenience shop
f Atlantic Mackerel – Import 20%
- $1600.t – Domestic 7%
f Herring - $750/t f Traditional tarkets
– Imports 5%
– Domestic 3%

f The table above shows that there are many links in the Nigerian supply chain, and the average
mark up of each section is approximately 25%
f Retail outlets such as supermarkets, convenience shops and traditional markets all mark-up
imported seafood products more than domestically supplied items
f The mark-up for actors across the Nigerian value chain are as follows – importers (2%),
wholesalers (5%) and retailers (5%)232
Pricing
f Local market price for locally farmed fish is $4-5/kg. Artisanal and deep-sea trawling catches are
30-50% higher233.
f Market prices (in Liverpool Fish Market, Lagos 2010): between N400-N700 depending on
species234.
235
f Frozen fish are available year round :
– Retail market price for marine fish is N200-250/kg
– Retail market price for freshwater fish N350-400/kg
– Farmed catfish N450-500/kg at farm gate. Up to 700/kg in Northern cities.
236
f Supermarket and convenience store prices are 20-30% higher than the market stores

4.5.3 Competitive landscape

f Aquaculture
– Aquaculture is being targeted to serve the local market, but imports are still an important
source of supply237

230
World Bank (2010) Building Competitiveness in Africa’s Agriculture, p.65
231
ibid
232
US FAS GAIN (2010) Strong Demand Continues Expanding Fish Exports to Nigeria, p.8
233
Ibid, p.4
234
Ayo-Olalusi et al (2010), The Liverpool fish market in Lagos State, Nigeria Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and
Marine Research , p.5
235
UNIDO (2010) “Unleashing Agriculture Development in Nigeria, p.48
236
Nzeka (2003) In Nigeria demand for seafood is high [Accessed 23/02/11 -
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_10_15/ai_111306852/]
237
US FAS GAIN (2010) Strong Demand Continues Expanding Fish Exports to Nigeria, p.4

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– Aquaculture remains small and contributes only 100,000t per year – less than 1% of total
consumption. Major species are catfish and tilapia238
– Catfish accounts for 50% of Nigeria’s domestic aquaculture production (approx 30,000t) and
is valued at $75m at farm gate prices, and $180m in consumer spending239
– In 2006 there was an estimated undersupply of farmed catfish of approximately 5,000t per
annum240

Existing SA trade
f South Africa exported $1,412,000 in 2009, with 0.2% share of imports and key products
exported included
– Fish nes (frozen, livers and roes) – 45%
– Flour, meal and pellet of fish, crustaceans , molluscs and other aqua invertebrates (unfit for
human consumption) – 25%
– Fish prepared or preserved (except whole or in pieces) – 18%
f Fish meal fit for human consumption – 3%

Logistics costs and time comparison

Average freight cost ($/ tonne) 241:

f From Africa: $90 (in vessels)
f From EU:
– $130 in containers
– $90 in vessels
f From South America: $200
f From USA: $330

238
Ibid
239
World Bank (2010) Building Competitiveness in Africa’s Agriculture, p.64
240
ibid, p.66
241
US FAS GAIN (2010) Strong Demand Continues Expanding Fish Exports to Nigeria, p.8

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4.6 United States242

United States market: Quick facts

Population f 310m (2010)

GDP per f US$47,400 (2010)

capita

Estimated f Per capita consumption of seafood is

per capita 7.4 kg per year243
seafood f Low consumption compared to many
consumption other developed countries
– However, a growing awareness of
Total health and seafood options
seafood – Traditions of seafood consumption
consumption amongst minority communities (e.g.
and growth the Latino and Afro-Caribbean
communities), have boosted
consumption [Source:www.lonelyplanet.com]
f It is estimated that over half of
imports are farmed

Total f Total imports in 2009 were valued at £13.1bn, a decline of $1.05bn from 2008. Total quantity of
seafood edible imports was 2.3m tonnes, of which fresh and frozen products accounted for 83%244
imports f Around 13.5 % of worlds import of seafood (2008)
– Current imports are estimated at $14 billion (which is estimated to account for over 80% of
consumption)
f Long term growth is expected, which should result in the US overtaking Japan as the world’s
leading importer of seafood
f Key consumption groups include shrimp, lobster, salmon, crab, clams, catfish and tilapia

242
Sources include Agri-Food Canada (2010) Consumer trends: The United States seafood market; Seafish (2008)
Seafood exporters profile: United States
243
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: United States, p.7
244
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.48

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United States market: Quick facts

Top seafood By value (US$000 and % total) 245 By volume (tonnes and % total)
imports

1. Shrimp - $3,746m 1. Shrimps and prawns, frozen (189,087

2. Salmon (fillet) - $1,001m tonnes)
3. Freshwater (fillet) - $937m 2. Canned tunas and skipjack, not in oil
4. Other (fillet) - $717m (134,021 tonnes)
5. Crab - $700m 3. Tilapia fillets, frozen (150,788 tonnes)
6. Other fish and shellfish - $569m 4. Shrimps and prawns, prepared, frozen
7. Salmon (whole) - $562m (95,233 tonnes)
8. Tuna (whole) - $502m 5. Atlantic salmon, farmed, fresh or chilled
9. Other whole fish - $484m (92,225 tonnes)
10. American lobster - $481m 6. Atlantic salmon fillets and other meat,
farmed, fresh or chilled (55,048 tonnes)
7. Snow crabs, frozen, except crabmeat
(43,580 tonnes)
8. Fish fillets, frozen, (41,933 tonnes)
9. Pangasius spp fillets, frozen (56,403
tonnes)
10. Tunas and skipjacks, prepared or
preserved, not in oil, in bulk (64,788
tonnes)

246
Main f Main supplier countries include Canada, China, Thailand, Indonesia, Chile and Vietnam :
competitor Country Import Value ($m)
international Canada 2,151
suppliers
China 1,457
Thailand 1,520
Indonesia 730
Chile 755
Vietnam 628
Ecuador 525

Tariff and Key requirements and tariffs247

non-tariff f The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring the safety of domestic and
barriers imported seafood, fish, and fishery products under the FD&C Act.
f In 1997, FDA adopted a seafood HACCP program to identify hazards early in the seafood
production process and minimize the risks of contamination.
f FDA has the authority to refuse admission to any food offered for import if such food even
appears to be adulterated.
f The Bioterrorism Act
f The Act imposed several new requirements applicable to imported foods:
– A requirement to register food facilities with FDA, including foreign facilities that manufacture,
process, pack or hold food intended for consumption in the US
– A requirement to provide FDA with prior notice of food imports
– A requirement to establish and maintain records of the immediate previous sources and
immediate subsequent recipients of foods, and to make these records available to FDA in
certain circumstances.

245
Ibid, p.49
246
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: United States, p.11
247
Ibid

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Table 31: USA – Consumption, production and trade data 2003-2010248

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 %

Change
(CAGR)
Consumption 23.68 24.31 23.85 24.65 24.05 N/A N/A 0.3%
per capita
(kg/year)
Total national 7,032,157 7,289,107 7,219,947 7,534,731 7,424,152 N/A N/A 1%
consumption
(tonnes)

Local supply – 4,988,691 4,995,418 4,961,267 4,858,804 4,770,169 4,357,014 4,230,380 -2%
catch (tonnes)

Local supply – 544,329 606,549 513,107 519,258 525,292 500,114 N/A -1%
aquaculture
(tonnes)

Total seafood 2,181,495 2,236,876 2,294,772 2,409,783 2,363,734 2,423,100 2,313,419 1%

imports

Total seafood 1,194,907 1,453,597 1,499,345 1,465,262 1,408,669 1,130,582 1,233,537 0%

exports

The table above shows the United States’ per capita consumption of seafood increased slightly
between 2003 and 2007 and total national consumption increased by over 1% per annum over the
same period. Local supply of seafood has fallen since 2003, with local capture supply declining by
2% per annum between 2003 and 2009 and domestic aquaculture production falling by 1% per
annum between 2003 and 2008.

In contrast, imports of seafood products have increased by 235,370 tonnes between 2003 and
2010 – an increase of 10.79% (nominal). Domestic capture in the United States is still a large
percentage of overall supply however, accounting for 4.2m tonnes in 2009 in comparison with
2.3m tonnes imported and a local aquaculture supply of 500,000 tonnes (2008). This shows that
imports into the US are growing – although local capture is still the most important source of
seafood consumed in the US.

248
Sources: FAOSTAT (2011), FIGIS (2011), TradeMap (2011). Import and export statistics calculated using the
Harmonised System (HS). For a list of relevant HS Codes used in the calculation, please see Appendix B.

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4.6.1 Product and consumer trends

Product trends
249
f % sales by product segment in 2009:
– Fresh and frozen seafood (77%)
– Canned seafood (15%)
– Industrial (bait, oil etc) (7%)
– Cured (2%)
f It is estimated that as per capita seafood consumption increases, the market will concentrate on
fewer species produced primarily through aquaculture250
f Fillets and steaks are very popular in the USA market
– The total supply of fillets and steaks in the USA (incl. exports) in 2009 was 797,670 tonnes.
An increase of 59.5% since 2000251
– Imports accounted for 72% of the fillet and steak market252
253
f Production of fresh and frozen fillets/steaks in the US was valued at $1.2bn in 2009
– Pollock, salmon and cod were the most popular filleted fish accounting for 66% of all fillets in
2009
– In terms of fillets relevant to South African aquaculture species, the value of tilapia and sea
trout fillets were $17.3m and $490,000 respectively
– Salmon steak production was 1,651t ($22.5m) in 2009
Consumer trends
f Total consumer spending on seafood in 2006 was $69.2bn (including retail and foodservice
outlets)254
f US consumers do not know how to prepare fresh seafood at home – only 15% of consumers
agreed seafood was easy to prepare in a recent study, compared to 41% for red meat, and 35%
for poultry255
– Consumer preference for frozen seafood with breading or sauces as opposed to unprocessed
products256
f Consumers tend to prefer fresh seafood, although economic pressures have been associated
with shifts to lower cost frozen and farmed product in some market segments
f Fresh and frozen seafood accounted for 74% of all seafood consumption in 2006
f Per capita seafood consumption will increase, but will concentrate on fewer species produced
primarily through aquaculture257

4.6.2 Market dynamics and price

Market Structure
fThe US seafood market is divided into six distinct geographical regions:
– New England
– Mid-Atlantic
– South Atlantic
– Gulf of Mexico
– Pacific
– North Pacific

249
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.43
250
Anderson (2006) The Seafood Industry 2020 Boston Seafood Show
251
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.65
252
ibid
253
Ibid, p.42 and p.44
254
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: United States, p.9
255
Ibid
256
Ibid, p.14
257
Anderson (2006) The Seafood Industry 2020 Boston Seafood Show

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f The USA has a fragmented wholesale sector with 2,342 wholesale companies across the US.
Similar to France, these tend to be small businesses with an average of 10 employees258.
– 51% of these companies are based on California, New York, Florida, Maine or Massachusetts
– There are also 858 processing plants in the USA259
f There is also a fragmented retail market in the USA – over 40,000 grocery stores in the US, and
fragmented product selection (twice as many SKUs per supermarket in the US compared to
UK.)260
f Importance of Direct Store Delivery operators such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Nabisco with
national coverage261
f Frozen seafood (caught in the wild) is typically processed – quick frozen, frozen gutted or frozen
in large block of fillets – on board. These frozen items are then taken to coastal processing
plants where they are thawed and further processed, cleaned and packed
f Frozen seafood from aquaculture is processed (clean, freeze, package and labelled) at the farm
level. Sold on to distributors or shipped directly to retailers262
f Main distribution channels:
– Direct to retailer – utilised for very large or very small product orders or private label
businesses
– Importers – sell to a distributor who then sells on to wholesalers, food service distributor.
Some specialised distributors dealing with supermarket chains etc.
– Broker – individual sales agents to sell products to retailers. Typically charge 2-5% of
wholesale price. Cheaper than distributor
f Sales outlets:
– Supermarkets have 62% share of the frozen seafood market
– Most seafood (approximately 70%) is consumed in restaurants rather than at home due to
concerns and lack of knowledge about preparation
– Top seafood restaurant chains in the USA include: Red Lobster (682 outlets), Landry’s Chart
House (200 outlets), Long John Silver’s (460)263
Pricing
f The table below highlights the whole sale price of various seafood products by market. These
reporting markets relate to the geographic regions outlined above.

Table 32: Selected USA wholesale seafood prices (Urner Barry – January 2011)264
Product Type Market reporting Size/format FOB price
($)
Bay scallops – (China – 150-200 per lb 3.50
Scallops Cultured)
120-150 per lb 3.80
80-120 per lb 4.00
Mid-Atlantic 60-80 per lb 4.40
40-60 per lb 5.00
Canada 40-50 per lb 7.35
30-40 per lb 8.45
20-30 per lb 9.40
10 -20 per lb 10.55
Processed 30-40 per lb 7.15
(USA) 10-30 per lb 7.95

258
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.82
259
ibid
260
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: United States, p.13
261
ibid
262
Matrade (2008) US Market for Seafood
263
Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: United States, p.15
264
USA – Urner Barry Newsletter (Jan 2011)

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Product Type Market reporting Size/format FOB price

($)
0-10 per lb 8.95
Dry 30-40 per lb 9.25
(USA) 10-30 per lb 10.30
0-10 per lb 12.90
20-30 per lb 10.90
NY Fulton Market 10-20 per lb 11.65
Sea scallops – 0-10 per lb 13.65
Shucked meat 10-30 per lb 10.65
New England 0-10 per lb 13.25
Bay NY Fulton Market Per lb 19.00
Bay (Chinese) NY Fulton 8lb can 22.50
3-5 oz. 2.40
Frozen fillet (China) 5-7 oz. 2.50
7-9 oz. 2.60
3-5 oz. 3.60
5-7 oz 3.75
Fresh fillet Miami 7-9 oz 3.90
Tilapia (USA) 9-11 oz. 3.95
Fresh fillet NY Fulton 4.40
Sole Twice frozen block New England 1.90
(Yellowfin)
Frozen fillet 2-4 oz 1.60
(Argentina/Uruguay - 4-8 oz. 1.65
Sea Trout Layer/Shatter Pack)
Mid-Atlantic X-Select 8.90
Select / Standard 8.65

Oyster NY Fulton Market X-Select/ Select/ 72.50

Standard
Cultivated NY Fulton Market 1.35
Small 2.00
NZ Green Mid-Atlantic Medium 2.30
Mussels Mussels Large 2.25

4.6.3 Competitive landscape

Domestic supply trends

f Total US supply:
– Domestic Capture: 3.9m tonnes in 2009.
f Aquaculture
– Aquaculture production in the USA has declined by volume between 2003 and 2009 from
421,611tonnes to 351,007 tonnes.
– However, the value of aquaculture has risen from $971m in 2003 to $1.2bn in 2009.265
– The largest aquaculture production in the US in 2008 was catfish with 233,564t. See table
below for information on aquaculture production of selected species.
f Caught
– Since 1977, the USA has phased out distant water fisheries. In 2007, less than 20% of
catches by US fleet originate outside the American “Exclusive Economic Zones 2 (EEZs)266.
– US domestic landings in 2009 were a total of 3.6m tonnes, with a value of $3.9bn 267.

265
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.30
266
Swartz et al (2010) “Sourcing Seafood for three major markets – the EU, Japan and the USA” pp.1370-1
267
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.18

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– The table below shows the domestic capture and aquaculture production for species relevant
for potential South African aquaculture producers.
–
Table 33: Domestic supply of selected US products (2009)268

Domestic capture Aquaculture production

Product
Tonnes Value ($m) Tonnes Value ($m)
Salmon 319,878 370 16,714 45.1
Scallops (sea) 26,309 382 0 0
Oysters 16.135 136 9,226 79.7
Mussels (blue) 2,444 7.4 387 4.5
Sea trout 427 1.3
Rainbow trout 177 0.6 16,213a 49.8a
Scallops (bay) 125 2.2 0 0
a= aquaculture production data for trout do not specify by species.

Existing SA trade
f US imports of edible and non-edible products from South Africa were valued at $80.7m
(R557.1m269) in 2009. This was approximately 0.4% of the total value of US fishery imports270.
– Of these imports, $25.2m were edible and $55.5m were non-edible fishery imports
f South Africa exported $26,193,00 in 2009, with 0.19% share of imports and key products
exported included
– Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (frozen in shell) – 52%
– Fish nes (prepared or preserved) – 11%
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 8%
f Geographical distance and logistics time to market have been identified as a constraint to
South Africa serving this market with fresh, higher-value finfish product271
Private sector market entry requirements
f Increasing trend towards sustainable seafood
– Over 30% of the US retail market and 15% of the foodservice market have sustainable
seafood purchasing policies272
– Wal-Mart, Whole Foods and Wegman supermarket chains have all moved to certify their
seafood under the Marine Stewardship Council certification system
– Currently one-third of Wal-Mart’s wild seafood is MSC certified
– All wild fish produce will be certified by 2012273

268
ibid
269
Based on an exchange rate of USD$1 = 6.90288ZAR [04/03/11]
270
Van Voorhees (2010) Fisheries of the United States 2009, p.5
271
The dti/Enviro-fish (2007) A Study on the Status of Aquaculture Production and Trade in South Africa, Volume 1,
p.31
272
Brown (2010) ‘The Emergence of Management Systems and Standards in Aquaculture: Impacts and Benefits for
Producers’, p.14
273
Matrade (2008) US Market for Seafood ; and Brown (2010),p.14

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PART C: MARKET DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The purpose of this section is to draw together the research and insights from sections 3 and 4 of
this document to assess the opportunities and challenges for of the various value chains, and
identify support initiatives to help realise these opportunities and address the associated
challenges.

5 Opportunities and challenges

The table below summarises the main short- and medium-term opportunities identified across the
value chains, as well as market development challenges.

Key market
Short- and medium-term opportunities along the
Value chain development
value chain
challenges
Abalone f Growth potential to Hong Kong market and major f Retaining a
mainland China cities (e.g. Shanghai) in short and premium position in
medium term, in particular for larger abalone the market
(potentially doubling or tripling existing volumes) i.e. f Reliable logistics for
additional 800 to 2,000 tonnes live product
o Potential to support additional 1,000 to 2,000 jobs
f Focus on canned in short-term, potentially shifting
to live and dried in medium and longer term if
airfreight logistics and processing quality can be
addressed
f Niche SA restaurant sales
o Opportunity constrained by portion price and
consumer preferences (e.g. R500/kg would equate
to around R150 for a 100g starter portion in a high-
end restaurant),
o Might be niche tourism-related opportunities e.g.
West Coast, Winelands, Cape Town restaurants
frequented by business travellers from the Far East

Bivalves f Primarily a domestic market opportunity f Price

f Opportunities for incremental growth in market competitiveness for
opportunity for live & fresh mussels, oysters and frozen product
scallops in higher-end retail and restaurants (market (less than R17/kg)
development and product substitution rather than and/or increased
direct import substitution) compliance of
o Mussel growth potential is likely to be covered by imports to
existing project expansions standards and
o Fresh scallops market is dependent of viability of testing regimes
production and is therefore likely to be more
medium term, likely to be less than 100 tonnes in
initial
f This could result in around 200 to 250 additional jobs
f Some scope for substitution of frozen mussel
imports (primarily half shell steamed) –
approximately 400 tonne market currently, could grow
back to earlier levels close to 800 tonnes if economic
conditions improve
f Potential scope to develop oyster culture/spat
industry

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Key market
Short- and medium-term opportunities along the
Value chain development
value chain
challenges

Trout and f Import substitution market opportunity in the short-term f Significant Atlantic
salmon for processed product e.g. smoked trout/salmon salmon opportunity
(around 90 tonnes and 2,000 tonnes current market), unlikely given
but sub-optimal growing conditions inhibit primary status as an exotic
production species
f Long-term import substitution less likely as tariff
protection drops
f May be some scope for niche exports based on “piggy
backing” on established market linkages e.g. organic
certified trout portions to China and France

Tilapia f Limited opportunity due to unsuitable production f Production

conditions (exception may be project/s that secure a competitiveness
free or cheap source of heat) and supplying smaller
whole fish to the local market (in particular African
immigrant consumers)

Marine f Domestic market opportunity substituting for wild catch f Commercialisation

finfish (demersal and line fish) in higher-end retail and of production
restaurant markets through specialist wholesalers f Price
f Share of estimated 2,000 to 4,000 tonnes market competitiveness: at
- Assuming production of 2,000 tonnes, this current prices
could generate between 40 and 400 jobs, would need to
depending on technology and production supply so
choices (1 job for every 5 to 50 tonnes) wholesalers could
f Preferred fish of around 2.5 to 3kg in the round, or 200 sell on at R55 –
to 250g fillet portions R78/kg
f May be some scope for niche exports based on “piggy f Reliability of supply
backing” on other products or market access e.g. – year round
China, Nigeria, Spain supply or at least
during peak
summer season
Ornamental f Small import substitution opportunity for “bread and f Price
fish butter” fish – less than R10m market competitiveness
– e.g. guppies, tetras, cichlids, clownfish with Asian imports
f Potential highly specialised opportunity to export local f Supplying a wide
marine species e.g Zebra fish range of species
Wider- f Specialist feed production for the domestic, and f Current market
inputs potentially regional market scale is inadequate
– Extruded and pelletised feed to justify capital
expenditure

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A comment on accessing the Chinese abalone market

The Chinese market is a difficult one for international exporters to access, yet with increasing
wealth and a rising exchange rate, domestic consumption of seafood is certain to rise in the future.
Imports are seen as better quality than local products by Chinese consumers and in the food
sector, they are also considered to be much safer – scares from recent food safety scares in
China did not only strike a chord with Western consumers.
In terms of seafood, Hong Kong remains an entry point, with the majority of seafood imports
entering mainland China through the ‘grey channel’ – neither clearly legal or illegal channels that
are used to avoid China’s high import tariffs and difficult regulatory hurdles274. One stakeholder
also suggested this could be due to exchange control issues in China that make it difficult for
companies to make direct payments out of China to the rest of the world275. Stakeholder interviews
suggest that the Hong Jong gateway still play a key role in the importation of abalone;276
.
“Most of my sales go via Hong Kong, not direct to China. I formulate and complete contracts with
buyers in China but then send the produce from Oman to Hong Kong. This seems to be the
buyer’s preference.”
Abdullah Alees – CEO Alees Trading

However, this use of Hong Kong as a gateway has also led to a service gap between the majority
of abalone purchases and the ‘premium’ stand-alone and ‘hotel’ restaurants in Tier 1 Chinese
cities. Top restaurant are under pressure on sourcing practices – country of origin labelling etc,
and some (such as the Marriott group in Shanghai) use a form of central procurement for all their
raw materials. This means that top restaurants are unable to purchase supply from the grey
channels, and require direct, legal importation channels to develop277.

Importers therefore are predominantly based in Hong Kong. In a series of interviews with five live
abalone importers, the Tasmanian Abalone Council found that live abalone importers typically
import other live seafood products including fish, prawn and lobster. The importers claimed that
there are low margins for seafood due to high costs of storage, transport, buying and ‘grey
channel’ operations278. The produce is transported via truck, and these importers then sell to both
wholesalers (50%) and restaurants (50%) in major cities279.

However, one stakeholder believes that accessing the Chinese retail and HoReCa market directly
is very difficult;

It is impossible to sell directly into the retail and HoReCa markets for abalone. I have tried before,
but even though I could offer a cheaper price of $300-$500/kg than their current price of $1,000/kg
the retailers were not interested. There are strong ties with existing wholesalers and distributors. It
is easier to sell abalone through the wholesale market.
Abdullah Alees – CEO Alees Trading

There is also potential for abalone suppliers to target the up-market, specialty supermarket sector
especially for canned abalone – these retail outlets could be a good introduction for high-end
products such as canned abalone, before moving into more mainstream outlets. Some

274
Collins (2010) ‘China’s grey channels as access points for foreign food products to the Chinese domestic market’
China Information Vol 24 (1)
275
Stakeholder interview – Christo du Plessis
276
Stakeholder Interview – Christo du Plessis (Abagold), Abdullah Alees (Alees Trading), MAP Research and
Consultancy (2008) ‘Research with Abalone importers in China’; p.7
277
CRC Summary, and FoodLinks (2010) ‘Customer Perception of Canned Abalone’ – p.10
278
Research with 5 Abalone Importers, p.2
279
Research with Abalone Importers in Shenzen, China.

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specialty/high end supermarkets also have distribution and importing operations.

Table 34: List of specialty supermarkets and locations in China

Company Location
City Shop Supermarket Shanghai
Pines the Market (Chiro Group) Shanghai
Wuhan Life & Theatre Wuhan

Jenny Lou’s Beijing

Beijing Hua Lian High-End Supermarket Beijing
Ole Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzen

Understanding the Chinese consumer is also important for market development – market position
and branding must appeal to Chinese tastes and values. A recent McKinsey study found that;
“despite dramatic increases in affluence, product availability, and exposure to global lifestyles and
cultures, there appears to be a resurgence of interest in traditional values and beliefs among
Chinese consumers. Without understanding how this turn toward traditional Chinese values and
beliefs impacts consumer behaviour, companies risk missing the mark, no matter how great their
investments in product development, marketing.280”

Therefore, any future marketing promotions should appeal to these traditional Chinese values and
beliefs. For example, emphasising the herbal benefits of abalone (with the traditions of Chinese
herbal medicine), or linking the consumption of abalone with the traditional royal feasts.

Norge Seafood – A single-product promoter in China

Norge Seafood – an agency under the Minister of Agriculture and Coastal Affairs in China has
been a very successful example of single-product trade promotion in the Chinese market. The
agency takes the lead in generic ‘Norwegian Salmon’ promotions, but leaves the five main
producers to conduct branded promotions through their own offices and distributors in China. Joint
promotions between Norge Seafood and producers are rare.
Norge Seafood’s marketing strategy has moved from HoReCa promotions to targeting middle-
class consumers through retail promotions. For instance in 2010, 1800-2000 promotional days
were scheduled for hypermarkets in 25 1st and 2nd tier cities. There is also a small focus on five-
star hotels in 3rd tier cities where the HoReCa market is emerging.
Norge seafood typically conducts three activities in each location, looking for improvement in
retailer handling and customer purchases. Three promotional activities allows for a clear
assessment of customer receptiveness and retailer capacity. There is also careful monitoring of
sales before and after. The promotion also includes employee training on how to fillet and
package salmon in store, and customer-oriented training on cooking/preparing fresh salmon.

Lessons from Norge Seafood

Norge Seafoods’ experience suggest that the public sector support for international seafood
promotion should focus only on generic marketing on a national level and allow individual brands
space to compete in the market directly. Furthermore, Norge’s targeting of the HoReCa market in
third tier Chinese cities could also be a possible model for South Africa to follow in order to secure
market share in these emerging areas.

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Suessmuth-Dykerhoff et al (2008) ‘Marketing to China’s New Traditionalists’ McKinsey&Company

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6 Market development programme framework and implementation support

Various wider production recommendations have been captured in national and provincial
strategies, the recommendations below therefore focus mainly on market development issues.

6.1 Market development support

The following areas of support have been identified.

6.1.1 Logistics cooperation

f Objective:
– To reduce logistics costs for reducers in order to help open up new market opportunities
f Motivation:
– Logistics costs can be a key constraint to competing in markets, especially for smaller
producers that cannot negotiate competitive rates with logistics companies
f Target beneficiaries:
– Smaller aquaculture producers across all product groups aiming to serve national SA and
international markets
f Key activities:
– Explore collaboration amongst aquaculture actors to reduce logistics costs, either across
aquaculture sub-sectors with freight companies, or with large wild catch exporters to the same
market.
– For example, Oceana Lobster successfully exports live lobsters, particularly to China, and
noted no difficulties in terms of logistics and freight cost. Oceana Lobster is a division of the
larger Oceana Group, and due to the volumes and various divisions exporting through the
Group, the logistics company gave reasonable freight rates.
– The collaboration could take the form of industry associations negotiating long-term logistics
contracts on behalf of the industry to secure a strong working relationship and lower freight
rates; or companies could look to piggyback on the logistical operations of large exporters –
such as Ocean Lobster – to export to the same markets.
f Nature of resources required:
– Human resources: facilitation time
f Timeframes:
– Could start immediately
f Potential role players and partners:
– Potential facilitator: DEDAT, W. Cape Aquaculture Initiative
– Potential partners: Large established South African seafood groups e.g. I&J, Oceana, Industry
associations, logistics industry e.g. Rohlig

6.1.2 Assistance with certification

f Objectives:
– To promote adoption of relevant aquaculture certifications that will support competitiveness in
key markets
– To improve the affordability of achieving these certifications
f Motivation:
– Certification to ensure sustainability and traceability in the global seafood industry is
increasing in importance, especially for sales through supermarket channels in markets such
as the US and the EU. Certification can also be used by companies as a means to
differentiate in a crowded product market.
– There is limited publicly available information on the most useful certifications by product
category and export market.

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– Private standards in aquaculture are being developed by certification agencies all over the
world. Some of the most important agencies whose standards have been adopted by a large
number of role players include; GlobalGAP Fish Standards, Aquaculture Certification Council
Best Aquaculture Practice, WWF Aquaculture Dialogues, Global Aquaculture Alliance, Label
Rouge
– Unlike the wild capture industry and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification,
aquaculture does not have a dominant certification scheme, and credibility issues may
emerge as competing certification schemes conflict with each other.
– However, the WWF Aquaculture Dialogues have constructed an Aquaculture Stewardship
Council (ASC) certification scheme in consultation with the MSC which is global in scope and
due to be launched in 2011. This global standard is in contrast to some certification systems
which are nationally focused such as Label Rouge (France) and the ACC Best Aquaculture
Practice (USA) systems.
f Target beneficiaries:
– Small and large aquaculture producers in the Western Cape
f Key activities:
– Options for support could include provision of information on certification options, funding
support for certification, provision of sector specialists to advise companies on the most
appropriate certifications depending on their products and target markets.
f Nature of resources required:
– Human resources: information sharing, facilitation and advocacy
– Budgets: funding cost of certification or expert input
f Timeframes:
– Information sharing on certification requirements could start immediately
– Advocacy to secure funding could start immediately
– Timing for funding support or bringing in sector specialists would depend on securing funding
f Potential role players and partners:
– Potential partners: SABS, SANAS, the dti, Wesgro, WWF SASSI

6.1.3 Promotion in the domestic market

f Objective:
– Build domestic markets for aquaculture product through increasing consumer awareness and
preference for quality local product
f Motivation:
– Per capita consumption of fish and seafood in South Africa is low by global standards
– Domestic markets for aquaculture product, including bivalves, trout and finfish, are poorly
developed
– Consumer awareness of differentiating product characteristics is generally low
– In many cases, finfish farmers are developing production capacity without having a clear idea
of the size of the market or the entry price that the market will accept.
f Target beneficiaries:
– Western Cape producers and processors f bivalves, finfish, trout/salmon, with particular
emphasis on indigenous species
f Key activities:
– Direct sharing of information with producers around the market dynamics
– Direct sharing of information with wholesalers, retailers and restaurants about the
development of the aquaculture sector in the province, e.g.
“Mid-end” restaurants (e.g. Ocean Basket, John Dory, Something Fishy) – primarily mussels
and oysters, potentially also some large volume line fish e.g. yellowtail
Sushi restaurants (Cape Town focus) e.g. CTFM, Waterfront restaurants – marine finfish
High-end restaurants (Cape Town, West Coast holiday towns, Winelands, Overberg coast,
Garden Route, e.g. “Eat Out” award winning restaurants) - mussels, oysters, trout in short-
term (scallops and marine finfish in medium-term
Hotels: e.g. though CT Tourism membership, FEDHASA, CTRU

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Catering and commercial: e.g. CTICC convention centre

Retailers: Woolworths, Pick ‘n Pay, Spar, Checkers
– Facilitation of networking along the supply chain
– PR with food & lifestyle mags, TV shows and chefs, celebrity endorsements e.g. Taste (WW),
Food & Home, Elle Deco, House & Leisure, Eat Out , Pasella, Top Billing
– Enable focus in festivals e.g. Taste of Cape Town, Good Food & Wine Festival (may require
sponsorship)
– Marketing campaign with restaurants and higher end supermarkets to promote South
African/Western Cape aquaculture product to promote the quality and uniqueness of Western
Cape product
f Nature of resources required:
– Human resources: information sharing, networking, facilitation, PR
– Marketing budget e.g. events, brochures, posters, information cards
f Timeframes:
– Facilitation activities could start immediately
– Marketing activity timings will depend on budget allocations
f Potential role players and partners:
– Potential lead – W. Cape aquaculture initiative, DEDAT
– Potential partners: CTRU/Economic Development Agency, FEDHASA, food magazines,
retailers e.g. Woolworths, WWF SASSI, wholesalers

6.1.4 Tourism and film linkages

f Objective:
– To utilise the positive exposure potential of film crews and tourists visiting the Western Cape
to build positive brand associations and awareness of Western Cape aquaculture
f Motivation:
– The Western Cape is a growing destination for tourists and film crews (including travel and
food shows)
– This exposure represents a relatively high impact, low resource requirement opportunity
f Target beneficiaries:
– All aquaculture production in the province, but particular focus on export potential products,
potentially including abalone, scallops, indigenous finfish
f Key activities:
– Seek agreement with the industry on an approach to marketing in this form whilst addressing
any concerns about privacy, IP and security
– If agreement is secured, brief CTRU and CFC on the potential e.g. through existing Cape
Town Route Unlimited mechanism for linkages that relate to the tourism product offering of
the province
– The funding of visiting TV crews from target markets could also be coordinated with
promotional activities in key export markets. For example, Wine Australia (Australia’s wine
export promotion agency) offers a free media tour for eight Chinese media professionals to
visit the wine growing regions in Australia.
– Ongoing information sharing and referrals
– There is also potential for public funding for organised visits to farms or visitor areas, in
particular for Chinese and Korean visitors to abalone farms (taking into account industry
concerns about intellectual property and technologies). Public authorities could work closely
with tour operators in the Western Cape and aquaculture industry associations to promote
aquaculture tourism. Public support could be directed to assist farms with on-farm tourist
information and activities or to assist with health and safety regulations.
– Explore inclusion of abalone, indigenous scallop and finfish in tourist and business traveller
focused restaurants
f Nature of resources required:
– Human resources for facilitation and coordination
f Timeframes:

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– Could start immediately

f Potential role players and partners:
– DEDAT, CTRU/Economic Development Agency, FEDHASA, Cape Film Commission

Quick facts: Chinese tourism to South Africa

f There was a 62.3% increase in Chinese tourists to South Africa between 2009 and 2010. The
total number of Chinese visitors to South African in 2010 was 42,083.
f 78.3% of Chinese leisure travellers between 2003 and 2008 visited the Western Cape, and
spent more nights in the province than any other.
f 62% of Chinese visitors to South Africa in 2008 were from, Beijing, Shanghai or Hong Kong.
f The proportion of high income earners ( earning more than >R20,000 per month) travelling
from China to South Africa increased from 30% in 2004 to 62% in 2008.

The profile of Chinese visitors to South Africa in terms of income and city of origin fit in with the
typical abalone consumer profile in China. Additionally, the increase in Chinese tourism
numbers, and an increase in the number of high-earning demographic visitors to South Africa
suggests that abalone tourism may be a potentially lucrative opportunity.

[Source: South Africa Tourism (2010) ‘Marketing South Africa in China’]

6.1.5 International branding and promotions

f Objective:
– Build positive brand associations with Western Cape aquaculture in key international markets
– Provide information to consumers that will overcome hesitancy in purchasing unfamiliar
products
f Motivation:
– Western Cape product needs to develop and retain a premium position in international
markets in order to compete and thrive
– Expanding market share requires building associations around issues such as quality, taste,
freshness, luxury and product safety, as well as educating consumers about how to prepare
products
f Target beneficiaries:
– Abalone producers, but also producers of bivalves, finfish and Western Cape luxury
producers more widely
f Key activities:
– Brand development (agreement on brand values, positioning and personality, whether or not
manifest in a tag line and logo). Associations may include clean/pure, tasty due to nutrient
rich water, luxury, environmentally responsible. The initiative could build on lessons from SA
fruit promotion, Scotland, Australia, US, Chile etc, including the relationship between seafood
and other food & wine branding
– In-store promotions in key markets – China, Hong Kong, potentially also France
- Including branding, story, and information on preparation e.g. recipe booklet
- Inclusion of producers products and company brands
- Small volumes of Western Cape production is likely to require a focus on niche stores
– Potential for cross-cutting promotional activities abroad where aquaculture sub-sectors
(especially abalone) can be promoted as part of a broad basket of South African produce
such as lobster, abalone, wine, ostrich and rooibos to emphasise ‘South Africa’ brand.
– These cross-cutting promotional activities could involve working collaboratively with
aquaculture industry associations and other export councils. See the USDA Chengdu in-store
promotion activity below - which involved regional export agencies and a range of produce -
as an example.

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– International promotions should be timed to coincide with national holidays or celebrations,

such as Spring Festival in China, or Christmas in France.
– See the box below on international promotional and marketing strategies for further
information of international promotional support.
f Nature of resources required:
– Marketing budgets and partnerships with marketing experts
f Timeframes:
– More likely to be medium-term: requires securing budgets, buy-in from producers and related
lifestyle product exports
f Potential role players and partners:
– Wesgro, the dti, International Marketing Council, export councils, key companies and existing
exporters in the sectors

International promotional and marketing strategies: South African abalone marketing

activities281

The South African abalone industry is already active in developing the Chinese market thorough the
South African Abalone Export Council. The Council was set up in 2007 and includes 10 abalone
exporters. The Council is part funded by the dti and membership levies. The strategy of the Council is to
develop a generic brand awareness of South African abalone and raise consumer awareness of South
African abalone.

To this end, the Council has engaged in a number of promotional and marketing activities in China
(predominantly in Hong Kong) which include commissioning celebrity chef and travel writer – Walter Kei –
to promote South African abalone on his lifestyle programmes, create new abalone recipes and appear on
adverts and billboard promotions. The Council advertises on Chinese TV and places advertorials in
cuisine and lifestyle magazines; it also advertises on bus shelter and billboards. Additionally, the Council
has also attended trade shows alongside the dti – mostly in a promotional capacity and not to actively find
buyers or agents in the Chinese market. The Council also conducts market research – such as a three
year tracking study on consumer perceptions of South African abalone. According to this research, South
African abalone has recently become the most recognised source of abalone, taking over from Australia.
However, one area that the Council has not conducted promotional activities is in direct retail or HoReCa
promotions. As a member-based Export Council, there is some difficulty in promoting at a retail level due
to the Council’s role as an industry association.

“We would like to increase retail promotional activities, but it is difficult for an Export Council to do so.
There are complications regarding which individual brands to promote and it is a conflict of interest for the
Council. Therefore we leave the individual brand promotions to individual members.”
Michael Upson – CEO SAAEC

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Stakeholder interview – Michael Upson SAAEC

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Other countries’ promotional activities

Other examples of national food stuff promotion strategies in China include receptions at the Canadian
Consul’s residence in Shanghai – one for restaurant owners and chefs, and another for government and
business representatives. Another example is Wine Australia’s promotional strategies, which among other
activities includes hosting media tours to Australia and a ‘scholarship’ for two traders to visit Australia. The
successful Norwegian strategy for promoting salmon is outlined in Section 6. The US also conduct in-store
promotions that cut across product types – for instance a one-week, in-store promotional campaign in four
retail outlets in Chengdu for products such as US turkey, California grapes, Alaska seafood, dried fruits, US
wine and cookies. This week long promotion resulted in $42,600 sales of US products and 68 new-to-market
products. The promotion also distributed 500,000 units of promotional material and had coverage on
Sichuan TV and local newspapers.

Salmon industry in Chile: Lessons for South Africa

Salmon is not a native species to Chile, and commercial farming only started in the country thirty years ago.
However, from a low base of $38m exports in 1989, Chile’s salmon export sector has grown exponentially
and was worth over $1bn in 2003. In 1981, Chile was not even in the top five world producers and now it
produces 25% of global production, second only to Norway. Clearly then, Chilean aquaculture in salmon
has been a great success – but what lessons are there for South African aquaculture in the future?

Public support
Chilean salmon farming began as a joint venture between Chile’s National Fisheries Service (SERNAP) and
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1969 and continued until 1987 where it was replaced by
another public program involving CORFO and JICA. These public research programmes identified suitable
locations for aquaculture, as well as learning opportunities in terms of cultivating techniques, transport, fish
diseases etc. The projects were an important source of information and skills for independent start-up firms.

The government supported start-up companies – e.g. a government loan from CORFO in 1975 allowed
Sociedad de Pesqueria Llanquihue to start the first commercial venture. At the same time, the government’s
venture capital agency- Fundacion Chile – set up a salmon farming company - Salmones Antártica - which
aimed to facilitate technology transfer and develop local knowledge. The company imported new technology
– the floating net pen from Scotland and Norway, adopted new techniques, and provided technical
consultancy services to private set-up firms. The role of Salmones Antártica and Sociedad de Pesqueria
Llanquihue’s success was their significant demonstrative effect on local firms, as the number of salmon
companies in Chile blossomed from 3 in 1980 to 36 in 1985 and 120 in 1987 on the back of their success.

Joint action
The initial salmon farming entities in Chile were mostly small enterprises without the scale or finance to play
a large role in global markets. In 1986, seventeen firms formed the Association of Salmon and Trout
Producers of Chile (APSTC) to overcome the scale problems and establish Chilean salmon as a high-quality
product in global markets. The APSTC defined product standards and self-monitored processing standards
which led to the strict ‘Code of Standards for Chilean Salmon’ which evaluated farming and processing
parameters and established different grades of salmon (Premium, Grade I and Industrial Quality). These
APSTC standards applied to members and non-members and inspection of the certification was conducted
by private third-party certifiers. The government supported these private standards by financing the
implementation of the certification, and using the APSTC standards as the basis for national industry
standards.

The APSTC also addressed the problem of fish disease control and environmental contamination by setting
up the Salmon Technology Institute (INTESAL) in 1993, with the government covering 45% of the costs. The
APSTC also saw a collaborative export organisation emerge between 1990 and 1993 where 13 companies
combined to form SALMOEXPORT which aimed to open new markets in Asia and Europe and improve the
international market positioning of Chilean salmon.

Potential lessons for South Africa include: Initial research programme, certification payment, fund start-
ups, facilitate technology transfer, and pay a percentage to a research institute.

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6.2 Wider support needs

At the request of the project steering committee, some wider support needs have been identified
and are described below.

At the outset it needs to be recognised that in the past the government’s response to aquaculture
sector development has largely been driven at the national level with minimal input from the either
the provincial or local government agencies. Interventions have been driven by the various
departmental mandates, and this has often led to a fragmented approach to sector development.
In recent years, there have been considerable improvements to the national departments’
response to sector development, and in this regard the departments have started to coordinate
activities. However, the approach still represents a top down approach to governance with little
input or guidance from the provincial and local levels.

This is partially due to a lack of skills and resources at the provincial and local levels.
Nevertheless, the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWP) through the Western
Cape Aquaculture Development Initiative (WCADI) represents something of a departure from the
old models, and provides an opportunity for the Western Cape Province to influence how
aquaculture develops at the provincial and local levels. In terms of the strategic planning, the
Western Cape Aquaculture Sector Development Plan provides a suitable starting point with which
to initiate interventions.

The following provides an indication of some of the interventions that would assist the WCADI to
promote development of the sector

6.2.1 Sub-sector specific interventions

The sections below provide some product group specific support needs that have emerged
through the research and analysis in this project.

a. Abalone

The Abalone industry, and in particular the Abalone Export Council, are marketing South African
as a high quality value niche product. DAFF regularly confiscates poached abalone and sells it on
the international markets. As poached product it is of a lower quality than the farmed abalone, and
while its sale may to some extent increase the visibility of the South African product, the sale of
low quality product is counter to the marketing efforts of the industry. In collaboration with the
industry, consideration needs to be given to lobbying DAFF to change its policy on the sale of
poached abalone.

In addition, there is significant scope to increase production capacity, and it would therefore be
appropriate to promote the development of further production capacity.

b. Marine finfish

In terms of production, Saldanha Bay shows considerable potential for development of sea based
cage culture systems, and efforts should be made to promote interventions in this area. The most
suitable culture species in the short term is likely be yellowtail, as this culture technology has been
demonstrated.

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c. Bivalves

The potential to reinvigorate mussel production in Saldanha Bay should be investigated.

The potential to develop the oyster culture industry should also be assessed. Currently, spat are
imported and there are no functioning hatcheries in the country (one has been built in Port
Elizabeth but it is not functional). The economic potential to develop hatchery facility at Saldanha
Bay and increase production should be investigated.

d. Trout and salmon

In terms of the Western Cape production, a change in imports from the Northern hemisphere to
Lesotho where there will likely be significant economies of scale, will likely put pressure on prices
that can be attained for the small-scale producers in the Province. It is possible that margins for
the small scale producers may become tight and producers will have to generate considerable
economies of scale to remain competitive. This being the case, consideration should be given to
supporting potential larger scale production systems, such as the proposed salmon cage culture
operation in Saldanha Bay.

6.2.2 General interventions

a. Targeted research agenda

This report provides insight into those species / species groups that show market potential.
Provincial research should focus on those species that show the best market potential in the short
term, for those that the show the best prospects fro development in terms using existing
technologies or technology transfers. In consultation with the tertiary research institutions, the
private sector, and provincial government departments, WCADI should identify provincial research
needs and coordinate the development of a provincial research agenda. solicit funding, and
ensure that provincial research funding is channeled appropriately. Furthermore, it would be
appropriate to engage the private sector and national government departments and programmes
that have a research / technology development mandates (e.g. DAFF / DST Innovation fund,
THRIP, NRF) to align their research funding to provincial needs.

Research could relate to production, processing and packaging, e.g.:

f Commercialisation of production technologies e.g. cage culture
f Product selection to meet market requirements and premium e.g. larger abalone,
environmentally sustainable production methods
f Processing for improved yield, quality characteristics or shelf life e.g. pressure sealed oysters
f Modified atmosphere packaging

b. Capital investment support

There has been substantial primary research on feed technology and alternative plant feeds. The
support required is to assist feed manufacturers to secure machinery and technology to produce
high quality aquaculture feeds. Currently the size of the South African aquaculture market is not
large enough to warrant heavily capital investment in specialised aquafeed production (specialist
extrusion machines, pelletisers etc.) by private feed companies. Government incentives in the
form of government subsidies/tax breaks would be helpful to encourage this investment.

Assistance is also needed for capital investments for primary production and processing, in
particular for bivalves and finfish where production capacity is less established (whether through
incentives, development finance or risk capital or venture capital).

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c. Capacity building and training

Capacity and training need to be developed at all levels. At present there is a lack of capacity of
professionals and training institutions specialising in technology development, technical training or
skills development for middle services, basic training for unskilled workers, and a lack of
supporting skills training for HDIs participating in SMEs. WCADI should build on the training
successes that were initiated by AISA in the Western Cape, and promote training at all levels. This
could include:
f Undergraduate bursaries for disadvantaged individuals to study aquaculture
f Post-graduate and post-doctoral scholarships linked to a targeted Western Cape research
agenda.
f SETA accredited in-service courses for middle services and unskilled personnel and training
facilities and the provision of on-farm training programmes

d. Product safety

Product safely issues and the requirements for phytosanitary measures to export shellfish are
currently constraining enterprise sustainability and successful exporting. Traceability protocols are
increasingly required by retailers and distributors and need to be developed for all sectors
producing aquatic products for human consumption.. The Department of Trade and Industry (the
dti) through the National Regulator for Compulsory Standards (NRCS) and the South African
Bureau of Standards (SABS) are responsible for providing standardisation services that improve
the competitiveness of South African industry, products and services. These institutions need to
provide support and guidance in terms of providing cost effective phytosanitary services to the
industry.

e. Facilitated compliance with environmental legislation

South Africa’s environmental legislation represents a major constraint to sector development. The
current situation is characterised by over-regulation and the non-transparent application of legal
instruments. Environmental managers are often viewed as taking a reactive as opposed to a
proactive approach to aquaculture - a response no doubt to the current instruments that do not
take adequate consideration or demonstrate understanding of aquaculture development.

Proactive intervention is therefore necessary as environmental legislation affects all stages of

aquaculture development. Ideally interventions would come in the form of changes to the
legislative frameworks, however this will take time, and in the interim, the current legislative
dispensation will continue to constrain sectoral development. In this situation, there is an argument
to provide facilitated compliance with legislation. Such facilitation could take many forms such as
assisting start up companies with the EIA / basic assessment processes, assisting in the cost of
compliance with shellfish sanitation and monitoring, NRCS testing for drug residues, traceability
and health certification. Advocacy might also be required around a constructive approach to site
permitting in terms of water, EIAs and “noxious” processing industries.

Any such assistance would need to be structured so that the support was offered until industry
reaches a critical mass.

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6.3 Recommended short-term support priorities

Given the limited resources available for sector development in the short-term, it will be necessary
to prioritise support.

Initiatives that primarily require human resources (including facilitation, coordination, information
sharing, and advocacy) which may be more possible to implement in the short-term include the
following:
f Sharing the findings of this report with industry and decision-makers in an accessible format
f Advocacy relating to:
– Change in policy around sale of poached abalone
– Taking market-oriented approach to supporting production, taking into account volumes,
pricing and quality requirements
– Aligning research agenda
– Effective product safety testing and phytosanitary support to the sector
– Allocation of existing training and skills budgets to relevant aquaculture skills
– Accommodation of aquafeed and aquaculture capital investments within incentives and
development finance
f Facilitation and coordination relating to:
– PR, film and tourism promotion of the industry (with industry, CTRU, Cape Film
Commission, Cape Town Tourism, local tourism offices, local food publications e.g. Taste,
Food & Home, online publications and blogs e.g. Cape Town Magazine, festivals e.g.
Taste of Cape Town, markets e.g. Biscuit Mill, Earth Fair Food Market)
– Collaborative transport and logistics for local and international freight
– Working with WWF SASSI on relationships with retailers and restaurants developing
seafood purchasing policies, where possible to support local responsible/sustainable
aquaculture

Of the above initiatives, information sharing, product safety testing, collaborative logistics and
building relationships with retailers and restaurants could be considered the highest priority.

Initiatives that require more significant marketing budgets include the following:
f Development of a Cape aquaculture brand related to purity, taste, quality, responsible
production
f Marketing campaigns with local restaurants and high-end retail
f International in-store promotions in collaboration with other high end lifestyle products (based
on similar initiatives, the required annual budget would be in the order of R35 to R40m)
f Commercialisation and production equipment support for finfish and bivalves
f Financial support for international certification
f Funding of new aquaculture bursaries
f Supporting compliance with environmental legislation for small businesses

Of the above initiatives, from an international market development perspective, the most critical
areas of support are likely to be certification and in-store promotion.

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APPENDICES

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Appendix A: Summary of species and markets not selected for detailed analysis

a. Species not selected for detailed analysis in this project

i. Rock Lobster (Jasus lalandii, Penulirus homarus homarus)

Over the past five years or so, Rhodes University has undertaken a research project to establish
the environmental and nutritional requirements for the culture of the East coast rock lobster. While
the environmental parameters required for their culture in grow-out systems has been established,
there remain problems with respect to the development of a viable formulated feed that would be
required for large scale grow-out. Furthermore, the breeding cycle of the species has yet to be
closed, and thus any developments would have to be based on the grow-out of wild caught
juveniles. This is also problematic in terms of large-scale production. The funding for this research
has come to an end, and the research programme is no longer operational. While it may be
resurrected in the future, there remains a significant amount of primary research that needs to be
completed before a viable pilot production system can be developed.

Reasons not prioritised in this study: Rock lobster culture in South Arica should be viewed as a
long term development, that in future may or may not prove successful. It is for these reasons that
the species group is not recommended for further analysis.

ii. Bloodworm (Arenicola loveni)

The technology for bloodworm production is currently being developed by one of the abalone
farms in the Western Cape. Production is based on using effluent waters form the abalone farm.
However, in comparison with other sub-sectors, production volumes are likely to remain very low.

Reasons not prioritised in this study: The species is not recommended for further analysis.

iii. Seaweed (Ulva lactuca; gracileria)

Currently, South Africa has no operational seaweed production facilities that are based on agar /
alginate production. In 2003, seaweed production was restricted to just three operators who
cultivated 48 tons. The product was exported to the agar processing industry. The culture
technology that was applied used simple rope and raft culture. An experimental operation at
Saldanha Bay ceased due to low summer production resulting from nutrient depletion in the
summer as a result of temperature stratification in the water column. Another experimental
operation at St Helena Bay did not develop as secure water access rights could not be obtained.
Seaweed culture for the agar / alginate production requires large volumes of product to justify the
high investment costs in developing processing capacity. Seaweed culture is currently being
developed across the Western Indian Ocean, often as a small scale farming activity in the
lagoons. The product is exported for processing. In its raw form, seaweed is a low value product
(in Tanzania in 2006, it was traded at around 0.11 – 0.2US$/kg dry weight), and the challenge for
South Africa would therefore be to develop sufficient production capacity to justify the cost of
developing value added processes / products. Without the volumes of production, this is unlikely
to happen, and unless a programme is set up to develop this type of culture, the sector is unlikely
to grow.

As an aside, a number of abalone farmers have developed tank based seaweed culture systems.
These systems use the nutrient rich farm effluent waters as the medium within which to grow the
seaweed. These systems have the advantage that they strip nutrients from the farm effluent
waters, and provide an additional food source for the abalone. However, the seaweeds produced
are used to feed to the abalone and reduce the farms’ feed costs. In 2008, the abalone farms
produced 608 tons of seaweed.

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Reasons not prioritised in this study: For the reasons mentioned above, Seaweed is not
recommended for further analysis.

iv. Sea horses (Hippocampus capensis)

Five species of seahorse are found in the waters off southern Africa. Of these, only one species
(the Knysna seahorse, Hippocampus capensis) has been the focus a dedicated research
programme. In the late 1990s, Rhodes University ran a research programme to investigate the
aquaculture potential of the species. The results of this programme suggested that the species
was a poor aquaculture candidate, and subsequent trials at a commercial abalone farm failed to
produce meaningful results.

Reasons not prioritised in this study: The commercialisation of this species is unlikely, and is
therefore not recommended for further analysis.

v. Sea cucumbers

The sea cucumber species that is cultured in the Southern African region is the Sandfish
(Holothuria scabra). This is a tropical species for which the culture technology is currently being
piloted in Madagascar. Attempts have been made to culture South African species at the Sea
Point aquarium in Cape Town, but these attempts have yet to yield tangible commercial results.

Reasons not prioritised in this study: Sea cucumbers are generally difficult to breed in captivity,
and in the short to medium term the prognosis for developing the culture technology for the South
African species is poor. Therefore the species group is not recommended for further analysis.

vi. African catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

Marketing of catfish in South Africa has proven to be problematic due to the inability of producers
to sell their product at a higher price than production costs. Catfish is largely unknown in the South
African market place. Furthermore, the reddish appearance and strong flavour of the fillets has
proven to be problematic with consumers. A collapse in catfish culture in the late 1990s was a
direct result of a lack of market research and product development in South Africa. Furthermore,
international markets are non-viable due to high production costs in South Africa as well as the
large-scale availability of the preferred Ictalurus spp. in the America’s and Pangasius spp. in the
Far East. There is a potentially untapped black urban market for fresh, live catfish, provided the
price is low (ca. less than R20/kg) and a distribution network is established. African immigrants
from Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo and other countries will readily buy catfish which is a
traditional dish. However, while the size of this market has yet to be quantified, it would appear to
be relatively small. In terms of market acceptance to the wider domestic populace, a number of
marketing efforts have been undertaken to improve consumer perceptions, such as changing the
name, filleting and value addition. To date, there efforts have all proved unsuccessful.

Reasons not prioritised in this study: Taking the above issues into consideration, it is unlikely that
catfish production will become a major sub-sector in the short to medium term, and therefore it is
not recommended for further analysis in this study.

vii. Marron (Cherax tenuimanus)

In 2008, there were two marron farmers in South Africa, one in the Western Cape and one in the
Eastern Cape. However, neither farm was actually in production. In fact, since 2005, production
has reduced from 5 tons to zero. While the technology for marron farming has been developed
overseas (principally Australia), technology transfer to South Africa seems to have been
problematic, and the sector has been plagued by production (particularly breeding), and to some
extent, predation issues. While production techniques vary, they are primarily based around tank

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and pond culture for the juvenile phase of production, and semi-intensive pond culture for the
grow-out phase of the operation. The product is sold to the high end domestic markets in the
urban centres where prices for live animals are around R160-180/kg.

Reasons not prioritised in this study: Due to the production difficulties that have as yet to be
resolved, it is unlikely that the sub-sector will become a major producer sector in the short to
medium term and therefore the sub-sector is not recommended for further analysis in this study.

b. Markets not selected for detailed analysis in this project

Market Key market dynamics282

Europe regional f Total EU seafood consumption was estimated at 11 million tonnes in 2005
overview283 – High average per capita consumption of seafood (average of around 22kg
per capita p.a. in 2005)
– France, Spain, the United Kingdom and Italy account for more than 70% of
EU consumption
f The EU accounts for around 47% of world imports of seafood
– Imports have moderate growth rates (averaging around 4.3% p.a. between
2005 and 2009)
– 45% of imports are supplied from within the region, but imports from
developing countries are growing rapidly
f Western European purchasing is driven by perceived freshness and health,
whilst environmental concerns are also an increasing issue284
f Farmed fish is gaining acceptance in some categorised; primary concerns
relate to environmental issues
f Alternatives to traditional species are slowly being accepted
f Supermarkets and market stalls are the key outlets (with a move away from
traditional smaller specialist fishmongers in most countries) – this is shifting
bargaining power away from producers and limiting the scope for small
suppliers285
f Market entry requirements can be onerous in terms of permission to enter the
market, e.g. traceability, labelling and certification
– Requirements for high level of inspections (e.g. recent requirement that 20%
of Indian aquaculture product should be inspected)
– Requirements can also be subject to sudden changes e.g. bans or unbanning
on imports of items (e.g. shellfish, scallops286)
f There is good airfreight access from South Africa to the EU for fresh/chilled
product, and there are historical trading relations with many European markets
f South Africa exports $273,508,000 to the EU, with 0.7% share of imports;, and
key products exported include:
– Frozen fish fillets (excl. swordfish and toothfish) – 23%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 21%
– Cuttle fish and squid – 18%
– Hake (frozen, livers and roes) – 10%
– Fish nes (prepared or preserved) – 8%
f Products identified as having opportunities for developing countries include:
– New (including tropical) species as substitutes for traditional species;
crustaceans and molluscs
– Those that are adapted to meet current consumption trends, e.g. healthy

282
All population and per capita GDP figures from CIA World Fact Book, available at
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
283
Sources include CBI (20010) The Fishery Products Market in the EU; General Fisheries Commission for the
Mediterranean (2010) Synthesis of Mediterranean marine finfish
aquaculture - A marketing and promotion strategy, Studies and Review No. 88
284
Seafood Choices Alliance, (2005) The European Consumer and Sustainable Seafood Choices
285
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (2010) Synthesis of Mediterranean marine finfish
aquaculture - A marketing and promotion strategy, Studies and Review No. 88
286
For example, see FIS (2010) European market open for fresh scallops

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Market Key market dynamics282

eating, convenience (e.g. value-added products), indulgence/new
experiences, environmental sustainability and traceability/food safety;

Italy287 f Population of approximately 58 million, per capita GDP of $30,700 (both 2010
estimates)
f Estimated consumption levels of 1,245,000 tonnes/ €4,825m per annum /
around 21kg per person p.a.; higher consumption in the South (26kg per person
p.a.)
f Key species consumed (2006) are anchovies, hake, clams, prawns, sardines,
mullet, cuttlefish, swordfish, cannocchie/squilla shrimps and
nephrops/Norwegian lobster
f Within the Mediterranean region, Italy is the largest market for European sea
bass (around 17,000 tonnes in 2004) and gilthead sea bream, and is also
significant market for trout (35,000 tonnes) (FAO)
f Major import categories include;
– Tunas, skipjack and Atlantic bonito (prepared or preserved) - 13%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 9%
– Shrimps and prawns (frozen, in shell or not) – 8%
– Cuttle fish and squid – 7%
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 6%
f South Africa exported $81,716,000 in 2009, with 1.6% share of imports and key
products exported included
– Cuttle fish and squid – 31%
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 28%
– Fish nes (prepared or preserved, whole or in pieces, but not minced) – 17%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 9%
– Frozen hake (livers and roes) – 6%
f Relatively stable demand levels, i.e. it is not considered a high growth market
(4% import growth between 2005 and 2009)
f Seafood consumption is growing relative to meet demand, but overall is still
considered a luxury rather than a staple, particularly in the case of shellfish
– Preferences in the southern areas for fresh seafood; more consumption of
frozen seafood in the North.
f Rise in processed/value-add items, e.g. fillets (hake, swordfish, salmon and
monkfish); also growth in demand for farmed sea bass
f Italy is considered to be a price sensitive market
United Kingdom f Population estimate of 62 million, per capita GDP of $31,000 (both 2010
estimates)
f Per capita consumption is estimated at 21kg p.a.
f Salmon, tuna, cod and haddock are key species, although efforts have been
made to shift demand away from cod to alternative species
f Frozen fish is relatively more important in the UK than most other European
markets
f Supermarkets dominate seafood retail, whilst specialised fish and chips shops
still dominate the food service market segment, accounting for half of sales
f Major import categories include:
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 21%
– Tunas, skipjack and Atlantic bonito (prepared or preserved) - 12%
– Shrimps and prawns (prepared or preserved) – 9%
– Shrimps and prawns (frozen, in shell or not) – 9%
– Fresh or chilled fillets and other fish meat whether or not minced – 7%
f South Africa exported $12,085,000 in 2009, with 1.84% share of imports and
key products exported included:
– Frozen fish fillets (excluding swordfish and toothfish) – 61%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 23%
– Frozen hake (livers and roes) – 5%

287
Sources include Seafish (2008) Seafood exporters profile: Italy

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– Cuttle fish and squid – 5%

– Fresh or chilled fillets and other fish meat whether or not minced – 4%
Turkey f Population estimated at 78 million, per capita GDP of $$12,300 (2010 EST.)
f Estimated per capita consumption of 11kg p.a. in 2007, but high growth rate
expected related to increased per capita income and urbanisation
f Higher consumption in the coastal areas, in particular Marmara and Aegean
regions
f Species consumed include anchovy, rainbow trout, whiting and horse mackerel,
with a preference for whole fresh fish
f Fish markets and mobile seller still form a major distribution channel, although
supermarkets are gaining market share

Japan288 f Population estimated at 127 million, per capita GDP of $34,200 (2010
estimates)
f One of the highest consumptions of seafood per capita in the world (65 kg/year
gross weight, 34kg net weight in 2005, valued at $104.5 billion)
– However, consumption is declining – there is a trend towards increased meat
eating and Westernised diet amongst young people
– Reduction of consumption in the home, increased food service and
convenience-based consumption (in part related to a rise in small households
and working women) e.g. shift from fresh whole fish towards filleted fish and
sashimi, bento boxes
– Strong regional variations in seafood preferences
f Approximately 45% of local consumption is imported
– Japan accounts for around 13.8 % of worlds import of seafood (2008)
– The majority of imports are from other Asian countries – China, Vietnam,
Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea (Russia, the US, Chile and
Canada are also major suppliers)
– Major imports include shrimp, tuna, marlin, salmon and trout, crab, processed
eels, cod and pollock roes
f South Africa exported $ 160,36,000 in 2009, with 0.12% share of imports and
key products exported included:
– Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (frozen in shell)– 32%
– Rock lobster and other sea crawfish (not frozen) – 23%
– Abalone – 13%
– Flour, meal and pellet of fish, crustaceans , molluscs and other aqua
invertebrates (unfit for human consumption) – 8%
– Cuttle fish and squid – 6%
f Sushi shops held 10% market share within the overall US$ 126.44 billion
restaurant market segment in 2008
f Very stringent quality, food safety, traceability and market entry requirements,
and consumers are relatively price conscious
– Freshness is very important – fish is often bought only a few hours before
being consumed
– Visual appearance is very important – consumers “eat with their eyes” and
view “food as art”
– Environmental sustainability is increasingly a consideration
f Supermarkets have become the most significant distribution channel, with a
decline in the importance of wholesale markets; some regional exceptions exist
e.g. the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo
f Consumers are experimental in trying new food and taste experiences

288
Sources include Canadian Agri-Food Service (2007) The Fish and Seafood Market in Japan; Seafish (2008) Seafood
exporters profile: Japan; US FAS GAIN (2009) Japan Exporter Annual Guide

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Indonesia289 f Population estimated at 243 million in 2010, per capita GDP of $4,300 (both
2010 estimates)
– 30 million consumers fall within middle to upper income brackets, and
represent a market for premium imported products
f The food and beverage industry value was estimated at $27.9 billion in 2009
f High-end seafood imports include salmon, oyster, crab, scallop and lobster, in
particular through hotel, restaurants and food service distribute channels
f Competition with suppliers in the Asian region and Australia is strong
f Since 2008, all imported processed food requires product registration, which
can be a barrier to market entry
f Direct flight access is available from South Africa, but internal logistics can be a
challenge, given that the country consists of 17,500 islands and cold chains are
not properly established (although Java represents a significant market of over
120 million people and has well-established infrastructure)

Egypt290 f Population estimated at 80 million in 2010, per capita GDP of $6,200 (both
2010 estimates)
f Traditionally small neighbourhood shops were the key distribution channel, but
large supermarkets are gaining market share (including international retailer
chains)
f Food tastes are also becoming increasingly Westernised
f Significant aquaculture production takes place locally
Cameroon291 f Population estimated at 19 million in 2010, per capita GDP of $2,300 (both
2010 estimates)
f Large supermarkets are present in the urban areas of Douala and Yaounde,
whilst Asian entrepreneurs run many small retail operations (these stores tend
to be more dependent on imports). Street sales are another key distribution
channel
f Imports are estimated at $81,197,000 (2006)
f Major import categories include
Mackerel (frozen, livers and roes) – 73%
Fish nes (frozen, livers and roes) – 19%
Sardines (frozen, livers and roes) – 4%
f South Africa exported $722,000 in 2009, with 0.9% share of imports and key
products exported included:
– Mackerel (frozen, livers and roes) – 90%
– Tunas nes (frozen, livers and roes) – 5%
– Fish nes (frozen, livers and roes) – 5%

United Arab f Population estimated at 5 million in 2010, per capita GDP of $40,200 (both
Emirates292 2010 estimates)
f UAE imports 17% of all Middle Eastern seafood imports (2008)
– Imports are estimated at $300,721,000 (2008)
f Major import categories include
– Shrimps and prawns (frozen) – 27%
– Tunas, skipjack and Atlantic bonito (prepared or preserved) – 12%
– Fish nes (frozen, livers and roes) – 9%
– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 7%
f South Africa exported $224,000 in 2008, with 0.7% share of imports and key
products exported included:
– Hake (frozen, livers and roes) – 29%
– Fish nes (prepared or preserved) – 20%
– Fish nes (frozen, livers and roes) - 17%

289
Sources include Australian Government (2010) Food and beverage to Indonesia; US FAS GAIN (2010) Indonesia
Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Food Service Sector Update
290
Agri-Food Canada (2007) Agriculture and Agri-food Sector - Profile - Egypt
291
Sources include Agri-Food Canada (2009) Past, Present & Future Report: Cameroon
292
Sources include Agri-Food Canada (2008) Food in the United Arab Emirates: Fish and Seafood

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– Fish nes (fresh or chilled, livers and roes) – 9%

– Frozen fish meat whether or not minced (excl. swordfish, toothfish) – 8%
f Market sizes are not readily available, but estimates are that the Dubai seafood
market alone was worth at around $200m in 2006, with the hospitality sector
(hotel and restaurant) being a key market for high-end seafood – estimates are
that there are close to 400 hotels in Dubai
– The high presence of expats has stimulated demand for non-traditional
shellfish and crustacean products such as clams, mussels, oysters, lobsters,
scallops, as well as salmon
f Fish markets or souqs continue to be a key distribution channel
f Efforts are underway to develop local aquaculture, which may impact on import
growth

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Appendix B: Overall trade flow analysis

The statistics presented in this section are based on customs data reported by trading countries.
These statistics are captured using the Harmonized System (HS), an internationally standardised
system of codes and product names, developed and maintained by the World Customs
Organization, for classifying traded products.

i. Definition of relevant HS categories for analysis

The table below shows all of the relevant HS codes that relate to seafood/aquaculture products.
This group of products is subsequently used for the statistical analysis presented later in this
section. Please note that these statistics will capture both farmed products as well as fishery
products.

HS HS Product description Further explanation

category
03 f Fish, crustaceans, f Fish products:
molluscs, aquatic – Live, fresh or frozen whole fish
invertebrates – Fresh or frozen fillets
– Smoked or cured fish
– Fish meal (for human consumption)
f Fish species identified (at and HS 6 level) include:
mackerel, tuna, salmon, hake, cod, sardines, trout,
toothfish, haddock, sole, halibut, flatfish, swordfish,
herring, coalfish, seabass, eels, sea bass, coalfish,
dogfish
f Crustaceans, molluscs and other similar products:
– Live fresh or chilled
– Frozen
– Dried, salted or in brine
f Crustacean, mollusc and similar species identified (at
an HS 6 level) include:
– Crustaceans: rock lobster, shrimps and prawns,
crabs
– Molluscs and other similar species: mussels, oysters,
scallops, snails, octopus, etc.
f Further detail may be provided at an HS8 or HS10 level
for specific markets, for example, abalone
121220 f Seaweeds and other f Specific species included: ulva, gracileria
algae, fresh or dried
whether or not ground

1603 f Extracts & juices of f Includes meat juice and extracts

meat, fish, or
crustaceans,
molluscs/other aquatic
invertebrates

1604 f Prepared/preserved f Prepared or preserved fish, with species identified at

fish and caviar the HS6 level including: tuna, skipjack & bonito,
haddock, sardines, salmon
f Caviar or caviar substitutes

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1605 f Crustaceans and f Specific species identified include: lobster, crab,

molluscs, shrimps and prawns
prepared/preserved f Molluscs are not broken down by species, although
further detail may be provided at an HS8 or HS10 level
for specific markets, for example, abalone

230120 f Flour, meal and pellet f No further detail

of fish, crustaceans,
molluscs/other aqua
invertebrates, unfit for
human consumption

Whilst trade statistics are useful in providing a good indication of trade (products, markets, growth
rates, etc.), there are a number of factors that need to be considered when reviewing the outputs
of any analysis of trade statistics293:

f Trade data is never complete: Smuggling and non-reporting represent a serious problem in a
number of countries. In addition, trade statistics, like any source of information, are not free of
mistakes and omissions.
f Re-exports: Most countries include imports for re-exports and re-exports in their trade
statistics. A low-income country may show up as an exporter of airplanes simply because its
national airline has sold second-hand planes.
f Merchandise vs. services trade: Detailed trade statistics are available only for merchandise
trade and not for services, although the latter may account for a sizeable share of national
exports.
f Misleading product groupings: Even at the lowest level of disaggregation, product groups in
the trade nomenclatures do not necessarily reflect trade names and often contain a wide
range of different products. The term “not elsewhere specified”, abbreviated as nes is also
used to indicate products that do not fall into other identified categories, therefore need to be
interpreted relative to other product categories.
f Exchange rate fluctuations: Exchange rate fluctuations are not always properly recorded in
international trade statistics. Values are normally aggregated over the period of one year in
local currency and converted into US dollars.
f Mirror statistics: For countries that do not report trade data to the United Nations, partner
country data is normally used – an approach referred to as mirror statistics. Mirror statistics
are a second-best solution rather than having no data at all. But, they have a number of
shortcomings when compared to the first-best solution of nationally reported data:
– They do not cover trade with other non-reporting countries, and as a result, mirror
statistics hardly cover South-South trade and would not be a suitable source for an
assessment of intra-African trade.
– There is the problem of transhipments, which may hide the actual source of supply.
– Mirror statistics invert the reporting standards by valuing exports in c.i.f. terms (i.e.
including transport cost and insurance) and imports in f.o.b. terms (excluding these items).

293
TRALAC, Weaknesses of trade data:
http://www.tralac.org/cgibin/giga.cgi?cmd=cause_dir_news&cat=1044&cause_id=1694#weaknesses

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ii. Global and African imports

Total imports of the products identified above amount to US$99bn, with Europe, East Asia and the
US representing key markets. Sub-Saharan African imports represent only 2% of global imports.
The charts below shows the relative sizes of key markets for the selected product groups:

Total world imports (2009): US$98.5bn

Sub-Saharan Africa Spain

2% Middle 6%
East Other France
6%
North Other North
America America Europe
16% 45%
Italy
5%
US
15% Germany
5%

UK
4%
Other East Asia
& Pacific Sweden
3%
Hong Kong
3%
Korea Other Europe
3% China
18%
5%
East Asia
& Pacific
30%

Japan
14%

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Within sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, South Africa and Mauritius make up over 70% of
the market for identified products. The breakdown by country is shown below:

Total Africa imports (2009): US$3.1bn

DRC Other
1%
Mozambique
2%
Nigeria
Ghana 34%
3%
Cameroon
3%

Seychelles
4%

Angola
4%

Mauritius
10%

South Africa Côte 'd'Ivoire

11% 16%

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The table below shows the value of imports from each country, together with import growth rates
from 2005-2009 and South Africa’s market share of those imports. Markets showing above
average growth rates are highlighted in orange.

Markets Imports (2009) in US$ CAGR (2005-09) SA share

Top world markets
USA $13,851,234 2.02% 0.16%
Japan $13,412,048 -2.12% 0.16%
Spain $5,986,497 0.91% 1.39%
France $5,574,587 5.07% 0.25%
Italy $5,145,246 4.23% 1.49%
China $5,054,605 5.90% 0.31%

Germany $4,924,492 9.80% 0.29%

UK $3,541,895 2.41% 0.43%
Korea $2,676,590 3.12% 0.04%
Sweden $2,590,358 13.15% 0.03%
Hong Kong $2,556,238 7.71% 2.25%
Netherlands $2,264,558 12.66% 0.16%
Top African markets
Nigeria $783,384 0.94% 0.07%
Egypt $412,274 8.97% 0%
Côte d’Ivoire $363,910 15.56% 0%
South Africa $256,304 19.69% N/A
Mauritius $225,474 11.57% 3.33%
Libya $133,561 19.35% 0%
Morocco $116,763 29.82% <0.01%
Angola $88,099 16.56% 3.77%

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The major products imported into key markets (overall and for Africa) are shown below:

Total markets imports (2009) – main products

Product Product label Imported value in CAGR (2005-

code 2009, US Dollar 2009 or as
thousand available)
030429 Frozen fish fillets (excl. $11,242,018 1.58%
swordfish and toothfish)
030613 Shrimps and prawns, frozen, in $10,002,519 1.07%
shell or not, including boiled in
shell
030379 Fish nes, frozen $5,355,419 7.75%
160414 Tunas, skipjack & bonito, $5,329,702 10.43%
prepared/ preserved, whole/in
pieces
030212 Salmon Pacific, Atlantic & $5,114,013 14.64%
Danube, frozen or chilled
230120 Flour, meal & pellet of fish, etc. $3,846,389 6.15%
160520 Shrimps and prawns, prepared $3,679,041 7.29%
or preserved
030419 Fresh or chilled fillets and other $3,529,121 -1.06%
fish meat
030269 Fish nes, fresh or chilled $2,956,258 0.63%
030749 Cuttle fish and squid $2,236,498 1.25%

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Further detail on key products exported to key markets (both overall and for sub-Saharan Africa)
are shown in the graphs below.

Frozen fish of unspecified species is the largest import across the majority of markets, with shrimp
and prawns (frozen or prepared/preserved) also representing an important product category, in
particular for the US and Japan.

Selected markets imports (2009) – main products

$14 000 000

$12 000 000

Other

$10 000 000 Cuttle fish and squid

Fish nes, frozen

Fish nes, prepared or preserved

$8 000 000
Fish nes, fresh or chilled

Shrimps and prawns, prepared or preserved

$6 000 000 Fresh or chilled fillets

Tunas, skipjack & bonito,prepared/preserved

Salmon Pacific, frozen or chilled

$4 000 000
Shrimps and prawns, frozen

Frozen fish fillets (excl. swordfish and toothfish)

$2 000 000

$-

The graph below shows the major products imported by African markets.

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Africa imports (most recent year) – main products

$900,000

$800,000

Other
$700,000
Frozen herring
Flour or meal, not for human
$600,000 consumption
Other dried fish

$500,000 Frozen skipjack or bonito

Frozen yellowfin tuna

$400,000 Other frozen tuna

Dried cod
$300,000
Frozen mackerel

$200,000 Other frozen fish

$100,000

$0
le

e
ia

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An analysis of the value per kg of imported products (shown below) shows a significant variation
across geographies and product groups. This information is important from a South African
perspective as it provides an indication of which products are likely to represent higher value niche
products.

Imports of selected markets and products (2008): value per kg (US$/kg)

Overall
Product (HS 6 Hong (selected
US Italy France Japan Spain UAE
and abalone) Kong countries
)
Abalone $43.69 $46.43 n/a n/a $40.01 n/a n/a $42.81
Rock lobster &
other sea $32.7
$27.88 $11.48 $30.42 $32.70 $39.89 $39.25 $29.02
crawfish, not 9
frozen
Frozen bluefin
$26.93 $29.19 $5.13 $6.00 $28.06 $7.72 $1.61 $26.99
tunas
Lobsters, $13.7
$18.17 $31.30 $14.52 $19.19 $25.25 $12.94 $26.60
frozen 1
Caviar and
caviar
$18.7 $260.8
substitutes $37.09 $22.89 $19.38 $20.63 $28.28 $22.22
4 0
prepared from
fish eggs
Fresh or
$12.5
chilled bluefin n/a $27.09 $8.38 $13.85 $22.16 $12.33 $21.32
0
tunas
Ornamental n/a n/a $7.35 $34.67 $113.2 $15.4 $8.20 $20.97

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Overall
Product (HS 6 Hong (selected
US Italy France Japan Spain UAE
and abalone) Kong countries
)
fish, live 9 8
Salmon,
Pacific,
$10.7
Atlantic and $17.31 $14.39 $16.75 $13.69 $13.90 $10.52 $14.38
9
Danube,
smoked
Sole, fresh or $13.3
$26.27 $6.07 $14.93 $13.88 $43.23 $1.58 $13.40
chilled 4
Crustaceans $12.5
$2.11 $7.98 $12.46 $9.68 $8.77 $4.67 $10.33
nes, frozen, 8
Sea bass, $10.7
$13.66 $4.88 $8.82 $8.50 n/a $23.67 $10.17
frozen 7
Shrimps and
$5.62 $7.67 $7.65 $7.13 $8.95 $7.38 $4.87 $7.73
prawns, frozen
Trout, fresh or
$5.02 $6.89 $8.16 $5.50 $8.52 $6.30 $11.00 $5.74
chilled
Molluscs, nes $11.73 $4.44 $5.61 $5.01 $4.78 $5.41 $7.00 $5.41
Oysters $8.92 $5.20 $4.12 $3.76 $5.21 $4.96 $15.12 $5.20
$49.4
Trout, live n/a n/a $4.02 $3.28 n/a $3.90 $4.23
0
Mussels $4.37 $4.10 $3.84 $2.96 $6.17 $4.07 $5.94 $4.02
Snails,(ex sea) $19.06 $4.01 $6.34 $10.22 $27.13 $1.18 n/a $3.57
Seaweeds and
other algae,
fresh or dried $5.57 n/a $1.28 $0.05 $0.02 $0.18 n/a $0.08
whether or not
ground
Grand Total $8.91 $6.57 $5.80 $5.52 $5.28 $4.48 $2.89 $5.41

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iii. South African exports

The charts below show South Africa’s exports markets, both to the world and to the rest of Africa:

Total SA exports to world (2009) : Total SA exports to Africa (2009) :

US$438.3m US$34.7m

Spain DRC Other

Other Nigeria
20% Malawi Cameroon
Zambia 25%
Africa
Congo
8%
Zimbabwe
Germany 8%
UK
Italy
China 18% Angola
10%
Portugal
Mauritius
Australia 22%
Mozambique
Japan
USA Hong Kong 17%
5%
5% 13%

Thailand, India and China are the key suppliers to South Africa, as shown below:
South Africa imports (2009): by main suppliers

Other
19%

Malaysia
2%
Morocco
2%
Chile
2%
Mozambique
Thailand
2%
50%
Argentina
3%
Norway
3%

New Zealand
3%

China
4%

India
10%

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Appendix C: List of market reports consulted

See separate spreadsheet

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Aquaculture Market Analysis & Development Programme 5 April 2011

Appendix D: List of stakeholder consulted

See separate spreadsheet

Prepared by Kaiser EDP and Enviro-fish Africa 134