Phl 4th in fishery exports in Asia as markets shift

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Philippines – The Philippines ranks fourth in Asia in fishery product exports in an international fishery trade now shifting to “non-traditional” markets.

In the First Congress of the Integrated Services for the Development of Aguaculture (ISDA) held here yesterday, Remedios Ontangco of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) noted that “in international fisheries trade, the positive trend continued in 2010 , but has now changed direction along global financial status.”

She cited a recent projection made by of international fisheries trade analysts showing that by 2020, the top five fisheries retail markets would be the US, China, Japan, India and Russia.

“During the first quarter of this year, imports increased in traditional developed markets. But by mid 2011, the growth rates slowed down particularly in Europe and in the US markets,” she said.

Ontangco noted, however, an increase of fishery product exports from China, Norway, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Malaysia “through market diversification where aquaculture played an important role.”

She said these emerging markets are in Asia, Latin America, and Africa.

But Ontangco reported that while Asia now supplies 91 percent of the world’s demand for fishery products, the Philippines is outranked by three Asian neighbors in the value of their exports.

Ontangco cited latest studies indicating that in terms of “fishery export trends”, the Philippines has exports worth $630 million. This, she noted, is lower than the exports of Thailand at $6.89 billion, India at $2.84 billion and Indonesia at $2.55 billion.

She also noted that in terms of aquaculture production, the Philippines ranked third with 2.4 million tons, next to Indonesia with 4.7 million tons and India with 3.7 million.

“Freshwater aquaculture had been the main drive in national food security and foreign fishery trade,” Ontangco said in her speech in the conference.

She said that despite economic difficulties being experienced by a growing number of countries in the West, the “combined import value of 14 markets is now higher by 18 percent than in 2010.” These markets, she noted, are the European Union, the US, Japan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Russia, Thailand, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan.

Ontangco noted that demand rate for fishery products has slowed down in “developed markets” in the US, EU, and Japan, while growth rates in non-traditional markets have risen.

She said that in non-traditional markets such as China, demand for fishery products rose by 20.8 percent, South Korea by 8.80 percent, Hong Kong by 27.2 percent, Canada by 10.53 percent and Australia by 15.84 percent.

“Many are touching the $1 billion import bill in the developing world. There are smaller markets with a minimum import value of $50 million each and their total fishery imports equal to almost $5 billion,” she added.

Ontangco cited statistics indicating that Russia, Ukraine, and Poland imported more seafood in 2010 and 2011 c ompared to 2009.

“Also, fishery imports doubled in the African markets, reaching three million tons,” she reported.

Shrimp consumption is also going up in China, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, she noted, adding that “East Asia is now the largest market for live food fish.”

“Demand for live tilapia increased in the retail market and pink tilapia has replaced wild red snapper in many seafood restaurants,” she said.

Ontangco cited projections that Asia-Pacific and Central Asia regions “will grow and take 41 percent share of the global retail food market” and that “China will become the second largest food retail market by 2020, behind the US.”