Vigorous demand for Chilean mussels and Peruvian scallops.

Mussels

In the period January to September 2014, world imports remained steady in comparison with the same time period in 2013 (no date available from Russia). In spite of this apparent stablity, performances by individual countries differed considerably. Spain’s imports went down by 15% and those of the Netherlands by 12%. France bought some 1 200 tonnes more compared with the same time period in 2013.

In the same reporting period, some major mussel exporters performed very well. New Zealand’s exports increased by 25% (or 5 100 tonnes). Exports of Mytilus edulis by Denmark expanded by an impressive 45%. In contrast, exports from the United Kingdom and Ireland declined respectively by 42% and 38%.

France, Europe’s number one purchaser of mussels on the international market, imported 43 800 tonnes during the first nine months 2014, 3% more than in the same time period in 2013. However, the position of individual suppliers varied significantly in the period. Spain and the Netherlands remained in the top positions, but lost important market shares to Chile, Italy and Denmark.

Over the first nine months of the years from 2009 to 2014, Spain’s imports of mussels have swung dramatically with a peak at 22 400 tonnes in 2011, followed by a considerable drop to 15 600 tonnes in 2012, a recovery in 2013 and finally importing 17 600 tonnes in 2014, which is the same as the average observed over the whole period.

Chile and China

Chile is the first western country to sign a bilateral free trade agreement with China. Its aquatic products will enter China’s market free of charge from 2015 onwards. Chilean exporters of salmon and mussels are all expecting an increase in sales. In order to promote their products, Prochile and the association of Chilean producers of Mytilus chilensis (AmiChile) held a seminar in Shanghai in early November 2014, with the theme “Discover the taste of Patagonia, discover the Chilean mussel”. Similar promotional initiatives had been undertaken in Russia in 2011-2012 and in Brazil in 2013-2014.

New Zealand and Republic of Korea

According to New Zealand officials, the free trade agreement signed with the government of the Republic of Korea is expected to be particularly positive for trade in mussels as the 20% tariff rate will be removed.

Chile

From January to September 2014, Chile exported 56 800 tonnes of mussels (Mytilus chilensis) worth USD 168 million. This is a rise of 2% in export volume and a 6% rise in value compared with the same period in 2013. St Andrew Smoky Delicacies remain the leading exporting company, exporting 9 618 tonnes of mussels for USD 27 million.

According to the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Services (SERNAPESCA), the total harvest of mussels from January to September 2014 was 209 850 tonnes, an 8% decline compared with the volumes harvested in the same time period in 2013. As in the previous year, 100% of the harvest came from region X.

USA

The USA is dependent upon external supplies of mussels but in order to stimulate the domestic production mussel farming installations have been authorised for the first time in the federal waters off the shores of New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Oysters

Globally international trade for oysters has been fairly active during the first 9 months of 2014. Imports reached 38 100 tonnes, showing a 7.6% increase compared with the same time period in 2013. The USA, the world’s largest importer with 7 800 tonnes bought in the period January to September 2014, experienced a 4% rise in comparison with the same time period in 2013.

Although France has always been self-sufficient in oyster production, from January to September 2014 imports increased by 30.4%. This indicates a clear response to the sharp drop in domestic production.

Effect of the herpes virus on oysters

Herpes has devastated 26% of France’s oyster production since the summer of 2008. Ostreid herpes virus-1, also known as Pacific Oyster Mortality Syndrome, can kill most of a farm’s stock of young shellfish very rapidly and has been linked to oyster deaths in Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Oyster lovers in France are already paying more to satisfy their desire. Retail prices for French oysters have surged 53% since December 2008, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.

The toxic herpes virus has spread across the world and is now present in Australia and New Zealand, where industries fear its damaging impact.

In October 2014, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) granted interim authorisation for Australian Seafood Industries (ASI) to collect a levy on the purchase of Pacific oyster spat. The levy will be collected from oyster growers who purchase Pacific oyster spat from hatcheries. Interim authorisation allows ASI to introduce the levy and commence research and development activities, while the ACCC considers the request for authorisation. The levy will commence at AUD 2.80 per 1 000 spat.

In the USA, climate change and the rapid shift in acidification levels of a bay or an inlet have severe impact on yields of shellfish production in Pacific Northwest fertile zones. With the consumption of oysters growing in the United States along with the importance of shellfish aquaculture to regional economies, NOAA scientists created an early alert system informing oysters and other shellfish growers about water acidification. With this real-time data, shellfish operators can make micro-adjustments to their systems - adding calcium carbonate to their pools, for instance - or waiting until conditions improve to introduce seed larvae.

ASC oysters

Three UK oyster farms have become the first in the world to enter assessment against the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) Bivalve Standard for responsible aquaculture. Jersey Sea Farms, Jersey Oyster Ltd and Seymour Oysters are all based in Jersey.

Luxury at affordable price

Oysters, which have always had an image of luxury, are becoming popular. For Christmas 2014, Lidl, a discount retailer, offered packs of six fresh oysters(Crassostrea gigas) sourced from a Scottish co-operative at the unbeatable price of GBP 2.79.

Scallops

Based on the figures for the first 9 months of 2014, China has once again demonstrated its number one position as a scallop trader. In the period, it was responsible for 30% of total world imports and 32% of total world exports.

In the same period the world’s second largest trader is the USA, followed by France. In 2014 Canada, fourth largest exporter with 7 000 tonnes shipped abroad, performed well (+25%), whilst Argentina’s sales dropped considerably (-21.7%).

EU imports of scallops in the period January to September 2014 were at the lowest level registered since 2009. France, with a drop in imports of 6 500 tonnes from a 2010 high, is largely responsible for the overall EU decline of 9 400 tonnes. The main reasons seem to be the constant decline of the purchasing power of French householders since 2009 and the good performances of the local scallops fisheries.

When comparing imports in the period January to September over the past 6 years, the performances of France main supplying countries have changed considerably. Peru gained market share and climbed from third position in 2009 (+18% market share) to the first position in 2014 (36% market share). In contrast, the USA dropped from first position to fourth. Argentina lost large market share as well, falling from 20% in 2009 to 13% in 2014.

Spain’s imports of scallops declined sharply in the period January to September 2014 compared with the same time period in 2013 (-33%).

Clams, cockles, ark shells

The Republic of Korea, the world’s largest importer of small bivalves (clams, cockles, arkshells), with a 28% market share in the period from January to September 2014, registered growing imports, up 18% compared with the same time period in 2013, while Japanese imports dropped by 10%.

New geoduck farm

The largest producer of farmed shellfish in the United States, Taylor Shellfish Farms, recently began the process to obtain a permit to establish a 30-acre geoduck (Panopea generosa) farm in Dungeness Bay. The world renowned shellfish farm includes 11 000 acres of tidelands along the Washington coast and British Columbia, with numerous farms around the Puget Sound. The authorization is under scrutiny by local NGOs and a coalition of citizens as it is  feared that this vast project will have negative impacts on eelgrass beds, surf smelt and sand lance spawning habitat.

First MSC fishery in India

India’s Ashtamudi clam (Paphia malabarica) fishery is the first in the country to earn Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. In 1991, the catch peaked at 10 000 tonnes a year but declined by 50% in 1993 because of overfishing. In order to allow stocks to recover, a closed season and mesh size restrictions for nets were introduced, along with a minimum export size and a prohibition on mechanical clam fishing. These measures showed immediate results, and the clam fishery has sustained landings of around 10 000 tonnes a year for the past decade. Up to 1 000 fishers in the area rely on the clams for their livelihoods. Another 3 000-4 000 people are involved in cleaning, processing and trading the clams.

Outlook

The EU report on the economic and ecological impacts of large sustainable aquaculture published in October 2014 provides insights into the issues and implications of increased EU aquaculture. The EU recognises aquaculture as an important contributor to the EU food basket, economic growth and employment. However, the authors make a strong statement in saying “very few Member States have clear policies on aquaculture development”, and much remains to be done in terms of adapted public policy.