The latest issue of the EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 8/2019 has now been published. The headline messages from this month’s market insights are listed below.
FIRST SALES IN EUROPE
In July 2019, seafood first-sales value and volume were greater in Belgium, Italy, Latvia, and Portugal, when compared to July 2018. In Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden the first sales were lower in July 2019 compared to July 2018.
FIRST SALES OF EUROPEAN SEABASS AND JOHN DORY
From January to July 2019, first sales of European seabass in the UK decreased by 14% in value and 21% in volume, compared to the same period in 2018. In Portugal, first sales increased by 3% in value and 9% in volume, while in France, first sales of European seabass remained consistent in both value and volume.
During the same period, first sales of John Dory increased in both Italy and Portugal but decreased in France. In Italy, first sales grew by 17% in value and 13% in volume, and in Portugal the increase was by 9% and 18%, respectively. In France, first sales of John Dory declined by 2% in value and 7% in volume.
EXTRA-EU IMPORTS
The extra-EU import price for fresh or chilled gilt-head seabream from Turkey was 3,96 EUR/kg in the first week of September (week 36 of 2019). This was an increase of 6% compared to the same week in 2018.
CONSUMPTION
In January–July 2019, the average retail price of fresh trout for household consumption was 5,99 EUR/kg in Poland, two times lower than the price in France.
FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN ARGENTINA
In Argentina, seafood exports amounted to 455.000 tonnes, valued at EUR 1,76 billion in 2018. Shrimp has become the top exported species, accounting for 39% of the total volume and 61% of the total value of seafood exports in 2018. In the same year, the annual domestic consumption of fish was 7,9 kg per capita and the most popular species for consumption among Argentines were hake and squid.
AQUACULTURE IN THE EU
In 2017, aquaculture production in the 28 EU Member States reached 1,37 million tonnes, with a value of EUR 5,06 billion. The UK, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece were the main producing countries, accounting for more than 70% of total EU production in terms of both volume and value. Salmon, trout, oyster, European seabass, gilt-head seabream and mussel (Mytilus spp.) are the main farmed species in the EU, accounting for more than 75% of total value in 2017.
GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS
In 2017, the EU fishing fleet registered a net profit of EUR 1,30 billion, only slightly lower than the record EUR 1,34 billion registered in 2016. Both the large-scale and the distant-water fleet segments registered higher economic performance than the small-scale coastal fleet.
MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT
In September 2019, the average marine fuel price in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK was 0,51 EUR/litre – a 5% increase compared with August 2019.
EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 8/2019: https://www.eumofa.eu/documents/20178/155928/MH+8+2019+EN.pdf
Source: EUMOFA
