As bivalves are mainly marketed in live form, the logistic problems created by COVID-19 and resulting border controls and restrictions have resulted in far less products entering international trade. Compared to other types of seafood, cuts in trade are the highest for bivalves. Due to lower demand, prices went down last year, while normally bivalves have quite stable prices.

Mussels

In the first nine months of 2020, total world imports of mussels declined by 18 percent to just over 200 000 tonnes. France and Italy, the world’s major mussel importers, recorded 10 000 tonnes less of imports from January-September 2020 when compared with the same period of last year. The main problem for the mussel market was the lockdown due to COVID-19 in European countries, which lasted during various months. Mussel consumption in France was 5 percent lower in 2020 when compared with the previous year.

Fresh mussels are difficult to clean at home, so consumers are discouraged from buying these types of products for home cooking. In principle, mussel is an ideal product for ready meals, but the production is rather slow, as consumers in Europe are very traditional. Spain reduced mussel output in 2020, due to COVID-19 restrictions in markets. Chile remained the top mussel exporter, managing to increase its shipment to the world market. Most of these shipments were destined for Spain, where mussels are processed. In fact, Spain has a well-developed mussel processing industry. Products from this industry benefitted from the change in consumer patterns, favouring the retail marketing of canned mussel products. Favoured by good demand of the retail sector and the
home delivery sector, the Spanish mussel processing industry grew in 2020. Imports of mussels into Spain went up from 14 600 tonnes in January-September 2019 to 15 740 tonnes in the same period of 2020. Other mussel producers in Europe, such as France, the Netherlands, and Italy could learn from this experience and diversify the mussel offerings from just live products to some ready meals and canned products.

In the opening days of 2021 shipments of live bivalves from Scotland to France were impacted by the new rules after Brexit. Reportedly shipments were stuck in custom offices, leading to a loss or a deterioration of the products.

Oyster

Oyster production and trade was even more affected than mussels by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Restaurants in France were closed in October 2020 and remained closed until mid-February. This was obviously very bad news for festive seafood products, especially oysters. In France, consumer purchases of oysters declined by 7.6 percent last year. In view of low domestic demand, French oyster producers reduced their production, and also the export performance was impacted. Thus, France lost its traditional position as the top world’s exporter of oysters to China. In the first nine months of 2020, exports declined by 27 percent when compared with the same period of 2019. In addition to COVID-19 related problems, disease problems for the oyster itself have impacted French performance.

Clams

World trade of clams was far less affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. This type of trade concentrates on Asia and the main markets, Japan and the Republic of Korea, managed to keep the virus under control. As a result, trade shrunk by only 8 percent during the first nine months of 2020. China continues to be the main clam exporting country, with somewhat less exports last year. In Southern Europe, clams are mainly consumed in restaurants, where the lockdown due to COVID-19 impacted sales.

Scallops

Similar to all other bivalve products, scallop production and trade suffered from the sluggish market situation created by the impact of COVID-19. Trade slumped by 12 percent. China, the main importing and exporting country of scallops, reported substantially reduced trade in this product. Peru, which is the second main provider of scallops to the world’s market, also recorded less products going to the export market.

Scallop import prices in the French market went down by 17 percent between 2019 and 2020. In 2019 the price of frozen scallops was USD 15.00 per kg, and decreased to USD 12.50 per kg in 2020. For live scallops, the corresponding decline was from USD 20.00 per kg to USD 19.00 per kg.

Difficult outlook

After years of expansion in bivalve consumption, 2020 had seen a decline in all markets and for all species. It is likely that the situation will stabilize over the course of 2021, provided the vaccine programme will lead to a normalization and a reopening of restaurants, especially in Europe, where bivalve consumption is mainly taking place. Prices are expected to recover from their present low throughout the year.

The COVID-19 crisis has shown that bivalve producers and traders have to modify their business idea, and invest in value addition, which should go beyond the offer of just frozen half shelves.
The bright Spanish example shows that it is possible to produce a good ready meal, for sales in supermarkets and through home delivery services.