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involved in collecting live red crab for shipment to China have That the epicentre had moved from China to the US and
had to cease operations for the time being due to restrictions Europe, the two biggest markets for seafood in the world,
on live trade. meant devastating losses for everyone in the retail trade and
Rock lobster exports from Australia, New Zealand, South food service sector. With these losses came another huge
Africa, and North America were another casualty of the problem: a steep rise in the numbers of people who suddenly
closed Chinese market. Wholesalers in Australia have asked became unemployed and therefore unable to provide for
for government assistance to tide them over their huge their families.
losses due to the unsold lobster and scallop, and they have Productivity has also been affected throughout the world
launched a social media campaign to increase domestic as social distancing rules and other emergency regulations
seafood consumption. keep people at home, and non-essential business premises
As at the end of March, Chile had not resumed salmon closed. In some instances, flexibility has been suggested; for
exports to China, preferring instead to focus on other example, the World Tuna Purse Seine Organization has asked
countries (Brazil, US, SE Asia) for the time being in the hope the Parties to the Nauru Agreement countries to temporarily
that exports can be redirected back to China in due course. relax vessel observer requirements so they can continue
Unfortunately in the meantime, Covid-19 had begun to pose harvesting. Similarly in Europe, the EU fish processors and
serious threats to these alternate markets, particularly the traders association (AIPCE-CEP) has recommended some
USA where the number of infections was the highest in the relaxations in the import procedures for seafood.
world by the end of March.
Asia and the Pacific
Major shrimp producers and exporters Ecuador, Vietnam,
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Indonesia, and India remain in the same situation as the On 24 March, India came under a lockdown period until
salmon exporters mentioned above. According to the Vietnam 3rd May as the official number of infected persons reached
Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the 15 722, with fears that up to 1.3 million cases could result
volume of shrimp and other seafood exports from Vietnam to if stringent measures were not taken immediately. Grocery
China is expected to fall by about 40% in the first quarter of shops, banks, hospitals and other essential services remained
this year as compared to 36 711 tonnes in the same period in open, but all forms of transport including air and rail, were
2019. Ecuador, which was optimistic about the resilience of suspended, except for those dealing with essential goods.
the Chinese market (re: 11 February press release from the According to the Economic Times, the lockdown will cost
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National Chamber of Aquaculture), is keenly keeping watch on India about US$120 billion (EUR 111 billion), or 4% of its GDP
the situation to ascertain when shrimp exports can resume. this year.
China, before the outbreak of Covid-19, was the top market
for their product, and so the closure had a huge impact on By March, squid and cuttlefish exporters were particularly
sales from Ecuador. Indonesian and Indian shrimp exporters, worried as Chinese demand had dropped significantly during
who were badly hit by the loss of business in China, and who the first two months of the year , and hopes of increasing
had started to diversify their markets to other destinations, volumes to the main European markets – Spain and Italy -
were unfortunately then hit by the spread of the virus to main were dashed as these two countries were the hardest hit by
markets in Europe and North America. the virus in that continent. In 2018-19, India had exported
US$6.7 billion worth of seafood, of which squids and cuttlefish
In late March, Chinese buyers of pangasius from Vietnam
had just started to reactivate imports, although prices together accounted for about 10%.
remain low to date. In 2019, China was the main destination Nevertheless, up till recently, the Marine Products Export
for Vietnamese pangasius, which was valued at Development Authority (MPEDA) maintained that in general,
US728.6 million, up 37% from 2018. Overall though, VASEP seafood exports from India had not been impacted in a major
said in a statement dated 24th March that “Due to impacts way, except for slowdowns in cargo transport, particularly
from the Covid-19, the production and trading activities of to China. The situation however became less clear after
seafood companies have been seriously affected, especially the Indian government implemented the lockdown period.
in the first two weeks of March”. Fishing activities in some States came to a halt and shrimp
Unprecedented disruptions in exporters said that because of the lockdown, they had started
global supply and sales to face difficulty in exporting to other countries.
In the Republic of the Maldives, non-canned tuna exporters
As at 18 April, the countries with the highest number of are struggling with the fact that exports dropped by 30%
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(reported) infections were the US with over 737 000 cases, in January 2020 as compared to the same month last year,
followed far behind by Spain, Italy, France, Germany, UK, reported the Maldives Seafood Processors and Exporters
and China.

INFOFISH International 3/2020 ● www.infofish.org