First quarter decline in EU imports of scallops and mussels.

The first quarter of 2014 was characterised by a noticeable decline in EU imports of both mussels (-11%) and scallops (-14%). Spain’s imports of both species have severely declined by 44% and 70% respectively. Overall, global export of mussels declined slightly while that of scallops has increased moderately. The modest international trade of oysters during the first quarter has not shown any sign of changes compared with the same period in 2013.

Mussels

The overall global export of mussels declined by 1.8% during the first quarter of 2014 compared with the same time period in 2013. This trend reflects a very diverse production situation. While sales from large-scale producers in Chile, the Netherlands and Denmark declined by 11%, 14% and 12% respectively, other producers, such as Spain and New Zealand, performed well and boosted their exports by 11% and 18%.

EU

EU imports of mussels declined during the first quarter of 2014 by a severe 11% compared with the first quarter of 2013. Total global purchases dropped by 5 800 tonnes to 45 100 tonnes. Imports within the intra-EU declined by 2 900 tonnes (-7%), whereas extra-EU imports dropped down to 8 100 tonnes (-26%), compared with 11 000 tonnes during the first quarter period of 2013.

France, the top EU and global importer during the first quarter, remained stable with their imports , at 13 800 tonnes. Imports from the Netherlands, France’s main supplier, declined by 12%, while purchases from Spain, France’s second largest supplier, increased by 10%. The most noticeable movement in French imports during the first quarter of 2014 were supplies from Italy (+220%) and from Denmark (+140%).

Italy, the second largest EU importer, has seen its imports drop by 8% (-1,000 tonnes) during the first quarter 2014 compared to the same period in 2013, buying less from Spain (-500 tonnes, -5%) and from Chile (-500 tonnes, -3%).

Spain’s imports from Chile experienced an even more dramatic decline (-53%), with 1 900 tonnes less compared with the first quarter of 2013.  All together, Chilean mussel exports declined by 11% in volume.

During the first quarter of 2014, the EU’s global imports of mussels plunged to 45 100 tonnes (-11%). After four years of imports surpassing 50 000 tonnes during each first quarter, this 2014 amount is close to the first quarter 2009 level.

UK

A high concentration of the bacteria Escherichia coli has led to a ban on Mytilus edulis mussels in parts of Cornwall in May 2014. The Food Standard Agency, the UK governmental body in charge of food safety, downgraded the water quality of more than ten estuaries from grade B to grade C, making it unlawful to harvest the shells in these waters. This decision was a consequence of wet weather, which caused sewage to be washed into waterways affecting water quality.

Scotland

Despite the bacteria issue that caused a number of producers to voluntarily suspend commercial production for several months in 2013, production of mussels Mytilus edulis for the market for end consumers reached 6 757 tonnes in 2013, reflecting a 8% increase compared with 2012. The historical record of Scottish production was reached in 2010 with 7 199 tonnes harvested.

Chile

The Grupo Dani canning company was approved this past April with the Friend of the Sea standard for Chilean mussels farmed by Pesquera Catalunya in the South East Pacific. During the World Cup, Chile has taken the opportunity to promote its food products, including its mussels.

Germany

The blue mussels fishery in the Wadden Sea of Lower Saxony earned Marine Stewardship Council certification in late 2013. In 2010, fishers there landed 1 070 tonnes of blue mussels.

Oysters

World trade of oysters has remained very limited and stable at around 10 000–11 000 tonnes during the first quarter of the year. International purchases from the three largest importers, the USA, Japan and Hong Kong SAR, have not moved when compared to the same period the year before. France, the fourth largest global importer, has increased their imports by 9% due to a severe decline in domestic production from the high mortality caused by a herpes type virus (Globefish Highlights, April 2014).

Sales from the Republic of Korea, the world’s top exporter, climbed 17%, while sales from China decreased by 29%.

France

In France, the number one market for oysters in Europe, average retail prices remain very high, at EUR 9.95 per kg in May 2014, compared with EUR 6.45 per kg in May 2010 for the same variety (Crassostrea gigas) and same size (66g to 85g per oyster). This price increase is a consequence of the supply shortage.

USA

Three years after the BP Deep Water Horizon oil spill in the US Louisiana Gulf, oyster producers are experiencing one of their lowest production years on record. The steep decline in natural beds resources and the fall in harvest is suspected to be a consequence of the oil spill, though experts have no specific explanation of the cause of the low presence of oysters. Since the Gulf produces 70% of US oysters, the unavailability pushes dock prices inevitably up, with increases of 50% reported.

Scallops

According to estimates for the first quarter of 2014, world exports of scallops reached 29 800 tonnes, a 7% increase compared with the same period in 2013. China is by far the number one exporter of scallops (36% market share), with 10 700 tonnes exported during the first three months of the year, reflecting a 23% rise compared with the same period in 2013.

EU

The total EU import of scallops dropped by 14% to 10 900 tonnes in the first three months of 2014 compared with 12 700 tonnes during the same period in 2013. The decline in the first quarter of 2014 has been exceptionally important (1 900 tonnes less, or -28%) when only considering the intra European movements of goods, compared with 2013. Purchases of extra-EU countries have remained rather stable at 6 000 tonnes (+2%).

France is by far the largest EU importer. With 4 700 tonnes bought during the period of January to March 2014, France absorbed 43% of all scallops entering into the EU in that period. Italy came second with 1 300 tonnes imported, which is 13% or 200 tonnes less than the same period a year earlier.

Peru, the largest supplier of Argopecten purpuratus, performed strongly in its exports to France, with supplies soaring to 1 900 tonnes during the first quarter 2014, recording a 90% increase. Meanwhile, US exports to France declined sharply by 67% to 300 tonnes.

France’s imports of the UK Pecten maximus remained stable with some 1 000 tonnes imported during the first quarter of year 2014, reflecting a stable flow since 2008.

Italy’s imports of scallops were very modest with 1 300 tonnes purchased during the first quarter of 2014, recording a 200 tonnes (-13%) decline over the same period last year.

The most severe decline was noticed with Spanish imports which declined by 70% during the first quarter of 2014 compared with the same time period in 2013.

UK

The UK is Europe’s largest producer of pectinadae species including Pecten maximus and Aequipecten opercularis, also called Queenies. These molluscs’ species are found in diverse concentrations around the coast of the country.

Isle of Man

In the Isle of Man, Aequipecten opercularis is a specialty, celebrated at the Sure Queenie Festival, which is organized in late June of every year. In 2013, the Man queen scallops have been awarded the European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status. This award means that queenies landed elsewhere or that do not meet the specifications set by the PDO cannot claim to be Isle of Man Queenies. To obtain the label, the scallops must to be caught in a light, low impact trawl that does not damage the seabed or force any grit into the shell, be landed day fresh into the Isle of Man, be hand processed within 24 hours of landing, have roe on and be without any added water.

In 2014, tougher restrictions have been introduced by the Mann government to help regulate the queen scallop fishing industries in the Irish Sea. New licences delivered by the government will restrict harvest in terms of catch size and length of the fishing season. Other measures recently brought in include a minimum landing size, a minimum net mesh size, a weekend ban on fishing, fishing curfews and the introduction of a defined zone in which queen scallops can be fished for using dredges. The 2013 season which ran between June and October produced 4 000 tonnes.

Clams, cockle, ark shell

The world trade of clam, cockle and ark shell species was estimated at 60 000 tonnes during the first quarter period of 2014. Japan is by far the largest importing country, with a 31% market share. The Republic of Korea comes second, with 17 800 tonnes imported in the first quarter, compared with 14 600 tonnes (+22%) during the same time period last year. China is the largest supplier of these species, with 41 800 tonnes exported during the first quarter of 2014, supplying a 70% share of world exports.

Outlook

Mussels and scallops are the most intensively traded bivalves at the international level, with 60 000 and 30 000 tonnes respectively traded during the first three months of 2014. In contrast, oyster trade is comparatively limited (10 000 tonnes during the same period). The EU is an active market with a few large producing and consuming countries, some of which are dependent upon external supplies. This is clearly the case for France, a net importer that consumes far more scallops than it produces. In comparison, Spain is a net exporter as the country produces more mussels than it consumes.

International trade with EU members (intra and extra) is subject to strict sanitary controls, and during the first quarter of 2014, 19 bivalve mollusc consignments have been rejected at the border compared with 16 during the same time period the year before. The major detected risk to human health wassalmonella spp. and norovirus Group II.