EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 2/2024 is online

This month’s issue analyses first sales of Great Atlantic scallop in Belgium, France and Ireland and common edible cockle in Denmark, Portugal and Spain. The case studies of this month are: “Fisheries and aquaculture in Ukraine” and “Norway lobster in the EU”.

FIRST SALES OF GREAT ATLANTIC SCALLOP AND COMMON EDIBLE COCKLE. Over the 36-month observation period (January 2021 to December 2023), the weighted average first-sales price of Great Atlantic scallop in Ireland was 4,31 EUR/kg, 56% higher than in France (2,76 EUR/kg) and 60% higher than in Belgium (2,70 EUR/kg). During the same period, the weighted average first-sales price of common edible cockle in Spain was 6,99 EUR/kg, 309% higher than in Portugal (1,71 EUR/kg), and 1077% above the average price in Denmark (0,59 EUR/kg).

EXTRA-EU IMPORTS. Between weeks 02/2021 and 01/2024 prices of frozen cuttlefish from Morocco fluctuated greatly following an increasing trend and ranging between 2,83 EUR/kg (week 03/2021) and 7,63 EUR/kg (week 41/2022). During the same period, prices of frozen tilapia from China ranged between 1,29 EUR/kg (week 05/2021) and 3,18 EUR/kg (week 39/2022).

CONSUMPTION. This month we focus on hake in Italy, France, Portugal and Spain. Spain has the highest per capita consumption of hake among the four countries. In the three-year period surveyed, the average monthly volume of hake consumed in the four countries was highest in Spain at 4.590 tonnes, and lowest in France, at 236 tonnes. However, over the three-year period, hake consumption shows a decreasing trend in all four countries.

The most recent consumption data can be accessed here.

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN UKRAINE. In 2022, the Ukrainian aquaculture sector suffered damage worth nearly EUR 20,6 million, equivalent to 63% of its annual sales value, while the fishery sector experienced losses of EUR 24,1 million. In the first ten months of 2023, Ukraine’s import volume and value of fishery and aquaculture products amounted to 342.715 tonnes at a value of EUR 812 million. Compared to the same period in 2022, this was a 39% increase in volume and a 51% increase in value.

NORWAY LOBSTER IN THE EU. In 2023, reported first sales of Norway lobster in EU countries amounted to a volume of 13.515 tonnes and a value of EUR 154 million. In 2022, the EU-27 imported 12.382 tonnes of Norway lobster at a value of EUR 156 million, mostly frozen (58% of the imports total value) and fresh (42%). The major provider of Norway lobster to the EU market was by far the UK, accounting for 94% of the extra-EU import value, followed by Norway (3%), Morocco (2%), and Tunisia (1%).

MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT. Average prices for marine fuel in February 2024 ranged between 0,70 and 0,83 EUR/litre in ports in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. Prices increased by an average of about 4,7% compared with the previous month and fell by an average of 2,2% compared with the same month in 2023.

Monthly Highlights no. 2/2024 is now available here.

.