Consumption of seafood is low in Europe at present, which is expected for this time of year. However, preparations for Chinese New Year mean strong demand from China, and this has prevented prices in Europe from falling too far.

Restaurants were open in France during the end of year season in spite of the current COVID-19 resurgence, but increasingly the Omicron threat has seen restrictions reimposed in the restaurant industry. New measures are being introduced in January 2022 to limit Omicron contagion, including a stricter health pass based on full vaccination as well as remote working policies requiring a minimum of 3 days per week working from home. This will obviously have an impact on lunchtime dining in urban areas. As a result of the restaurant closures, stocks of many popular restaurant items, such as shrimp, cephalopods and lobster have gone unsold, leading to some downward pressure on price levels.

Read on issuu: