EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 9/2023 is online

This month’s issue analyses first sales of Atlantic salmon in Estonia, Latvia and Sweden and sea trout in Estonia, France and Germany. The case studies of this month are: “Impact of pollution on fisheries in the Baltic Sea” and “Fisheries and aquaculture in Vietnam”.

FIRST SALES OF ATLANTIC SALMON AND SEA TROUT . Over the 36-month observation period (August 2020 to July 2023), the weighted average first-sales price of Atlantic salmon in Estonia was 9,25 EUR/kg, 78% higher than in Latvia (5,19 EUR/kg) and 64% higher than in Sweden (5,65 EUR/kg). During the same period, the weighted average first-sales price of sea trout in Germany was 8,49 EUR/kg, 4% higher than Estonia (8,15 EUR/kg), and 22% above the average price in France (6,97 EUR/kg).

EXTRA-EU IMPORTS. Between weeks 01/2023 and 33/2023, the price of frozen Atlantic and Danube salmon from Chile showed a downward trend. The price ranged between a minimum of 4,22 and a maximum of 7,43 EUR/kg, and volume highly fluctuated between 18 to 250 tonnes. Prices of prepared or preserved salmon, whole or in pieces (excl. minced) from United States fluctuated strongly in the period analysed ranging between 4,72 EUR/kg (week 38/2020), and 46,44 EUR/kg (week 42/2022). The high fluctuation in prices is directly related to volumes. 44% of the weekly prices were below 8,00 EUR/kg.

CONSUMPTION. This month the focus is on dab in Denmark. Over the past three years, household consumption of fresh dab in Denmark was of 43 tonnes/year in average. However, in 2023 the volume of consumption was 89% lower than the same period in 2020, while prices have increased by 43%. When compared to the previous year, the volume of consumption has decreased by 83%, while price increased by 32%.

The most recent weekly consumption data (up to week 38 of 2023) can be accessed on the EUMOFA website.

IMPACT OF POLLUTION ON FISHERIES IN THE BALTIC SEA. Following a Commission proposal made in August 2023, the Council of the European Union has agreed on fishing opportunities for 2024 in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea faces biodiversity loss, climate change, eutrophication, overfishing, and high levels of contaminants. The European Commission, concerned about this situation, organized the "Our Baltic Conference" in Lithuania on 29 September to address these issues. Solutions include allowing targeted fisheries on central Baltic herring and Bothnian herring, cultivating the seaweed and molluscs and introducing mussel-farming to re-oxygenate the water. Moreover, the Council has approved a proposal limiting total allowable catch (TACs) for three stocks: plaice (rollover), salmon in the Gulf of Finland (+7%) and main basin salmon (-15%), allowing healthy fisheries of plaice, Riga herring, salmon in the Gulf of Finland and sprat to continue. Central herring faces a 30-day closure to prevent spawner aggregation. By-catch allowances for western herring, western cod, and eastern cod are set, while remedial measures are maintained.

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN VIETNAM. In 2021, the total fishery and aquaculture production reached 8,3 million tonnes, marking an increase of 47% in comparison to 2012. In 2021, Vietnamese imports of fishery and aquaculture products amounted to 609.021 tonnes at a value of almost EUR 1,8 billion. In value terms, the main products imported were frozen shrimps (17% of total value) and frozen yellowfin tuna. The main countries of origin in value terms were India (17%, dominated by frozen shrimps), Norway (11%, dominated by frozen salmon fillets and frozen mackerel) and China (9%). Also in 2021, Vietnamese exports of fishery and aquaculture products reached 1,7 million tonnes at a value of EUR 7,7 billion. In value terms, the main fish products exported were frozen shrimps (25% of total export value), followed by preserved shrimps (17%) and frozen catfish fillets (15%).

MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT. Average prices for marine fuel in September 2023 ranged between 0,82 and 0,89 EUR/litre in ports in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. Prices increased by an average of about 8,3% compared with the previous month, and they decreased by an average of 19,2% compared with the same month in 2022.

Monthly Highlights no. 9/2023 is now available in English, French, and Spanish.

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