EUMOFA Monthly Highlights No. 9/2021 is online

This month’s issue analyses first sales of Atlantic salmon (France, Estonia, Latvia) and whitefishes nei (Lithuania, Sweden). The case studies of this month are: “Fisheries and Aquaculture in Iceland”; “Bluefin tuna fattening industry in the EU”.

FIRST SALES IN EUROPE. In July 2021 compared to July 2020, Bulgaria, Estonia, and Portugal recorded an increase in both first-sales value and volume of fisheries and aquaculture products. The most recent weekly (up to week 42 of 2021) and monthly (August 2021) data for first sales in Europe can be accessed on the EUMOFA website.

FIRST SALES OF ATLANTIC SALMON AND WHITEFISHES NEI. From August 2018 to July 2021, the weighted average first-sales price of Atlantic salmon in France was 42,40 EUR/kg, 432% higher than in Estonia (7,98 EUR/kg), and 832% greater than that of Latvia (4,55 EUR/kg). Over the same period, the weighted average first-sales price of whitefishes nei was 20% higher in Lithuania at 4,65 EUR/kg than in Sweden at 3,88 EUR/kg.

EXTRA-EU IMPORTS. Since week 1 of 2021, both price and volume of frozen Pacific salmon from the United States showed a downward trend. Supply ranged from 0,023 to 95 tonnes.

CONSUMPTION. Over the past three years (June 2018 – July 2021), total Dutch household consumption of pangasius was 6.105 tonnes and Dutch households spent on average 11,31 EUR per month for a kilogram of pangasius. The most recent weekly consumption data (up to week 41 of 2021) can be accessed on the EUMOFA website.

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN ICELAND. In 2020, Iceland exported 626.000 tonnes of fishery and aquaculture products, worth a value of EUR 1,93 billion. This is a decrease of 3% of exported volume and 7% of value compared to 2019. France, the USA, and the UK were the main destination countries for the Icelandic export of live/fresh products.

In 2020, Iceland imported 24.000 tonnes of fishery and aquaculture products, which was 46% less volume than 2019. The countries from which Iceland have imported the most in recent years are Norway, Peru, Chile, Estonia, Canada, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the UK.

BLUEFIN TUNA FATTENING INDUSTRY IN THE EU. In 2019, the EU was the leading global producer of bluefin tuna, accounting for 47% of total catches. Other major producers were Japan, Morocco, and Tunisia. EU catches of bluefin tuna amounted to 14.533 tonnes, with major producers being France, Italy, and Spain. Other important EU producers include Croatia, Portugal, and Greece.

In 2019, production in the EU bluefin tuna fattening industry amounted to 22.434 tonnes for a total value of EUR 308 million. Malta was the most important producer country, accounting for 53% of the total volume and 49% of the total value. In 2019, extra-EU exports of bluefin tuna products were 12.864 tonnes at EUR 167 million. Of this volume, 68% was fresh tuna and 29% was frozen tuna – products mostly destined for Japan (85%).

GLOBAL HIGHLIGHTS. At the end of July, the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania concluded negotiations for the renewal of the bilateral agreement on sustainable fisheries.

MACROECONOMIC CONTEXT. Average prices for marine fuel in September 2021 ranged between 0,49 and 0,54 EUR/litre in ports in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Prices decreased by an average of around 5,2% compared with the previous month and increased by an average of 69,2% compared with the same month in 2020.

Monthly Highlights 9/2021 is available in English, French and Spanish.