EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 5/2025 is online

This month’s issue analyses the evolution of first sales at the commodity group level and the first sales in EU Member States. It examines the consumption and extra-EU imports of flatfish. The case studies featured this month are: 'Fisheries and Aquaculture in Myanmar' and 'Tilapia'.

MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT. Average prices for marine fuel in March 2025 ranged between 0,56 and 0,77 EUR/litre in ports in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. Prices decreased by an average of about 7,1% compared with the previous month and decreased by an average of 14,2% compared with the same month in 2024.

FIRST SALES IN EUROPE. In January-February 2025, the first-sales value was EUR 622.9 million, a 6% increase from 2024, while volume decreased by 8% to 327,972 tonnes. The value increase was driven by small pelagics (+8%) and crustaceans (+12%). Groundfish saw a 6% value drop with a 38% decrease in volume. Freshwater fish value surged 179%, but volume fell 38%. In February 2025, first sales in Denmark of Norway lobster increased to 5,848 tonnes, compared to 5,763 tonnes in 2024. In France, eel sales saw a significant recovery, with the average price tripling to EUR 191/kg, following a sharp drop in 2024.

EXTRA-EU IMPORTS of flatfish in the period January - December 2024 accounted for a total value of EUR 534,9 million and total volume of 99.346 tonnes. Compared to the same period in 2023 it represents by 6% decrease both in terms of value and volume.

CONSUMPTION. In the period from February 2022 to February 2025, household consumption of flatfish monitored in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden showed a downward trend in volume, while the price displayed a slight upward trend from EUR 12.26/kg in 2022 to EUR 14.43/kg in 2025.

The most recent consumption data can be accessed here.

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN MYANMAR. In 2024, Myanmar exported 442.000 tonnes of fishery and aquaculture products valued at EUR 669 million. This represented a 10% increase in volume but a 0,4% decrease in value compared to the previous year. Thailand was the largest destination in terms of volume and value, accounting for 41% and 40% respectively. The largest export product from n volume and value was “other marine fish”, amounting to 300.000 tonnes and EUR 402 million in 2024. The second largest export product was fishmeal, with 69.000 tonnes exported in 2024, valued at EUR 65 million.

TILAPIA.In 2023 global production of tilapia reached 7,5 million tonnes, mostly from aquaculture (90% of global production).. China and Indonesia were by far the main producers of tilapia in 2023, reaching 1,8 and 1,4 million tonnes respectively (27% and 21% of the aquaculture production). EU production reached 970 tonnes in 2014, produced mostly by Poland and Germany.

Monthly Highlights 5/2025 is available for download here.

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