Lobster Markets
GLOBEFISH RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Lobster Markets Volume 87
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fishery Industries Division Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy Tel.: +39 06 5705 5074 Fax: +39 06 5705 5188 www.globefish.org
Volume 87
Lobster Markets by
Nicki Holmyard Nicole Franz (November 2006)
The GLOBEFISH Research Programme is an activity initiated by FAO's Fishery Industries Division, Rome, Italy and financed jointly by: -
NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service), Washington, DC, USA FROM, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Madrid, Spain Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Copenhagen, Denmark European Commission, Directorate General for Fisheries, Brussels, EU Norwegian Seafood Export Council, Tromsoe, Norway OFIMER (Office National Interprofessionnel des Produits de la Mer et de l’Aquaculture), Paris, France VASEP, Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers, Viet Nam ASMI (Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute), USA DFO (Department of Fisheries and Oceans), Canada SSA (Seafood Services Australia), Australia
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, GLOBEFISH, Fishery Industries Division Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy – Tel.: (39) 06570 56244 E-mail: GLOBEFISH@fao.org - Fax: (39) 0657055188 – http//:www.globefish.org
The designation employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Acknowledgement The research for the lobster market report has been initiated by Nicki Holmyard, journalist and researcher, who prepared the structure of the report and the original draft. Chapter 5 and the updating of statistics was handled by Nicole Franz, GLOBEFISH Trade and Marketing Consultant. We are also thankful for the information provided by Alice Hurlbatt, Project Manager, SW Australia. Layout was prepared by Tony Piccolo, the cover selected and inserted by Turan Rahimzadeh, both GLOBEFISH staff.
Photograph on cover page by courtesy of OAR/National Undersea Research Program (NURP)
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Applications for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, Information Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.
Š FAO
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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................ 1 1. LIVE LOBSTER – Characteristics, Storage and Transport ............................................. 5 1.1 Characteristics................................................................................................................. 5 1.2 Storage ............................................................................................................................ 6 1.3 Transportation................................................................................................................. 7 2. PROCESSED LOBSTER – Product Forms, Considerations and Opportunities .............. 9 2.1 Fresh, Whole Cooked Lobster ........................................................................................ 9 2.2 Fresh Lobster Meat ......................................................................................................... 9 2.3 Frozen Lobster ................................................................................................................ 9 2.4 Frozen Lobster Meat ..................................................................................................... 10 2.5 Frozen and Canned Secondary Processed Lobster Products......................................... 10 2.6 Adding Further Value ................................................................................................... 10 2.7 Quality Considerations.................................................................................................. 11 2.8 Market Considerations .................................................................................................. 11 3. WORLD LOBSTER PRODUCTION ............................................................................. 12 3.1 Landings by Species ..................................................................................................... 12 4. MAJOR LOBSTER PRODUCING COUNTRIES ......................................................... 15 4.1 CANADA ..................................................................................................................... 15 4.1.1 Landings............................................................................................................... 15 4.1.2 Canadian Primary Sector...................................................................................... 15 4.1.3 Canadian Secondary Sector.................................................................................. 17 4.2 USA .............................................................................................................................. 18 4.2.1 Landings............................................................................................................... 18 4.2.2 US Primary Sector................................................................................................ 18 4.2.3 US Secondary Sector............................................................................................ 19 4.3 AUSTRALIA................................................................................................................ 20 4.3 1 Australian Landings.............................................................................................. 20 4.3 2 Australian Primary Sector..................................................................................... 21 4.3.3 Australian Secondary Sector................................................................................. 21 5. LOBSTER MARKETS BY COUNTRY ......................................................................... 23 5.1 NORTH AMERICA ..................................................................................................... 23 5.1.1 Canada.................................................................................................................. 24 5.1.2 USA...................................................................................................................... 28 5.2 EUROPE ....................................................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Belgium ................................................................................................................ 33 5.2.2 France................................................................................................................... 36 5.2.3 Germany............................................................................................................... 39 5.2.4 Ireland .................................................................................................................. 42 5.2.5 Italy ...................................................................................................................... 44 5.2.6 Netherlands .......................................................................................................... 47 5.2.7 Spain..................................................................................................................... 50 5.2.8 Sweden ................................................................................................................. 53 5.2.9 United Kingdom................................................................................................... 56 5.2.10 Other European countries..................................................................................... 58 5.3 ASIA PACIFIC............................................................................................................. 70 5.3.1 Australia ............................................................................................................... 70 5.3.2 China .................................................................................................................... 71
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5.3.3 Hong Kong ........................................................................................................... 73 5.3.4 India...................................................................................................................... 74 5.3.5 Indonesia .............................................................................................................. 74 5.3.6 Japan..................................................................................................................... 75 5.3.7 Malaysia ............................................................................................................... 76 5.3.8 New Zealand ........................................................................................................ 76 5.3.9 Republic of Korea ................................................................................................ 77 5.3 10 Russia ................................................................................................................... 78 5.3.11 Taiwan.................................................................................................................. 78 5.4 AFRICA........................................................................................................................ 79 5.4.1 Namibia ................................................................................................................ 79 5.4.2 South Africa ......................................................................................................... 79 5.5 CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA......................................................................... 80 5.5.1 Bahamas ............................................................................................................... 80 5.5.2 Brazil .................................................................................................................... 81 5.5.3 Cuba ..................................................................................................................... 81 5.5.4 Honduras .............................................................................................................. 81 5.5.5 Mexico.................................................................................................................. 82 5.5.6 Nicaragua ............................................................................................................. 82 5.5.7 Peru ...................................................................................................................... 83 Annex I – List of contacts ..................................................................................................... 84 Annex II – Useful websites ................................................................................................... 91 References ..................................................................................................................................... 92
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FIGURES Figure 1: World landings by species .............................................................................................. 12 Figure 2: Export and Import unit value of lobster in Canada......................................................... 25 Figure 3: Monthly New York wholesale prices American lobster (1-1.5 lb; live), USD/lb........... 30 Figure 4: US lobster exports 2005 – main countries of destination (1,000 USD).......................... 30 Figure 5: French lobster exports (tonnes)....................................................................................... 39 Figure 6: Irish lobster exports (tonnes) .......................................................................................... 43 Figure 7: Fresh lobster, wholesale prices, Mercabarna (€/kg) ....................................................... 53 Figure 8: Spanish lobster exports (tonnes) ..................................................................................... 53 Figure 9: British lobster exports (tonnes)....................................................................................... 57 TABLES Table 1: World lobster landings by country..................................................................................... 2 Table 2: Lobster Export Volumes (MT)........................................................................................... 3 Table 3: Lobster Import Volumes (MT)........................................................................................... 3 Table 4: Lobster Export Values (1,000 USD) .................................................................................. 3 Table 5: Lobster Import Values (1,000 USD) .................................................................................. 4 Table 6: World landings by species ............................................................................................... 13 Table 7: Lobster fishing seasons in key producing nations............................................................ 13 Table 8: Commercial landings by province.................................................................................... 15 Table 9: US landings by species..................................................................................................... 18 Table 10: Lobster landings by territory (June to June)................................................................... 20 Table 11: Lobster product average prices (USD/kg)...................................................................... 25 Table 12: Canada lobster exports (tonnes) ..................................................................................... 26 Table 13: Canada lobster imports (tonnes)..................................................................................... 26 Table 14: USA lobster exports (tonnes) ......................................................................................... 31 Table 15: USA lobster imports (tonnes)......................................................................................... 31 Table 16: EU lobster production (tonnes) ...................................................................................... 32 Table 17: European lobster production by species......................................................................... 32 Table 18: Harmonized System (HS) Combined Nomenclature (CN – EUROSTAT) ................... 33 Table 19: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 34 Table 20: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 35 Table 21: Main suppliers of lobster to Belgium (100kg imported)................................................ 35 Table 22: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 37 Table 23: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 38 Table 24: main EU export destinations for French lobster (100kg) ............................................... 39 Table 25: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 40 Table 26: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 41 Table 27: Main suppliers of lobster to Germany (100kg imported)............................................... 41 Table 28: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 42 Table 29: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 43 Table 30: Main EU export destinations for Irish lobser (100kg) ................................................... 43 Table 31: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 45 Table 32: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 46 Table 33: Main suppliers of lobster to Italy (100kg imported) ...................................................... 46 Table 34: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 48 Table 35: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 49 Table 36: Main suppliers of lobster to the Netherlands (100kg imported) .................................... 49 Table 37: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 51
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Table 38: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 52 Table 39: Main EU export destinations for Spanish lobster (100kg) ............................................. 53 Table 40: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 54 Table 41: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 55 Table 42: Main suppliers of lobster to Sweden (100kg imported) ................................................. 55 Table 43: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 56 Table 44: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 57 Table 45: Main EU export destinations for UK lobster (100kg) .................................................... 58 Table 46: Extra EU lobster imports (100 kg) ................................................................................. 59 Table 47: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 60 Table 48: Main lobster suppliers to Austria (100kg imported) ...................................................... 60 Table 49: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 61 Table 50: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 62 Table 51: Main suppliers of lobster to Denmark (100kg imported)............................................... 62 Table 52: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 63 Table 53: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 64 Table 54: Main suppliers of lobster to Finland (100kg imported) ................................................. 64 Table 55: Extra EU lobster import (100kg).................................................................................... 65 Table 56: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 66 Table 57: Main suppliers of lobster to Greece (100kg imported) .................................................. 66 Table 58: Total lobster imports (tonnes) ........................................................................................ 67 Table 59: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) .................................................................................. 68 Table 60: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) ................................................................................... 69 Table 61: Main suppliers of lobster to Portugal (100kg imported) ................................................ 69 Table 62: Lobster exports (tonnes)................................................................................................. 71 Table 63: Lobster exports (tonnes)................................................................................................. 72 Table 64: China lobster imports (tonnes) ....................................................................................... 73 Table 65: Hong Kong lobster imports (tonnes).............................................................................. 73 Table 66: India lobster exports (tonnes)......................................................................................... 74 Table 67: India lobster imports (tonnes) ........................................................................................ 74 Table 68: Indonesia lobster exports (tonnes).................................................................................. 75 Table 69: Japan lobster imports (tonnes)........................................................................................ 75 Table 70: Malaysia lobster exports (tonnes) .................................................................................. 76 Table 71: Malaysia lobster imports (tonnes) .................................................................................. 76 Table 72: New Zealand lobster exports (tonnes)............................................................................ 77 Table 73: Republic of Korea lobster imports (tonnes) ................................................................... 77 Table 74: Russian Federation lobster imports (tonnes) .................................................................. 78 Table 75: Taiwan lobster imports (tonnes)..................................................................................... 78 Table 76: South Africa lobster exports (tonnes)............................................................................. 79 Table 77: Bahamas lobster exports ................................................................................................ 80 Table 78: Brazil lobster exports (tonnes) ....................................................................................... 81 Table 79: Cuba lobster exports (tonnes)......................................................................................... 81 Table 80: Honduras lobster exports (tonnes).................................................................................. 82 Table 81: Mexico lobster exports (tonnes)..................................................................................... 82 Table 82: Nicaragua lobster export (tonnes) ........................................................................ 83
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INTRODUCTION This document looks at the world lobster market for the four main commercial species: European lobster (Homarus gammarus), American lobster (Homarus americanus), rock lobster (Jasus sp) and tropical or spiny lobster (Panulirus sp). It should be noted however, that the rock lobster fishery in Australia catches both Jasus and Panulirus species and uses the generic term ‘rock’ for both. It is generally agreed that spiny lobster and rock lobster are interchangeable terms referring to some 40 species of clawless lobster found around the world but for the purposes of this document, they are considered separately. Lobsters belong to the family of crustacean and the phylum arthropoda, and fall into two distinct categories – those with a large pair of claws and those without. Clawed lobsters include the European and American species, together with freshwater crayfish, while the spiny and rock lobsters (some of which are also confusingly called crayfish in certain parts of the world) do not have claws. Regardless of species, the carapace of a lobster is calcareous and tough, and is reinforced to protect the internal organs o f the head and thorax, and the gills at the bases of the legs. The strong muscular abdomen or tail is surrounded with a segmented exoskeleton and is the main eating part in spiny and rock lobsters, while the claws of the American and European lobster also contain prized meat. The segmentation on the exoskeleton enables the lobster to articulate its body and move, and is regularly shed as the lobster increases in size. All lobsters have obvious antennae, which comprise compound eyes on mobile stalks, and often growing longer than the body. They are stiffer and highly distinguishable in the rock and spiny lobsters. Another noticeable feature on rock and spiny lobsters is a pair of small horns above the eyes. Pairs of small limbs around the mandible or mouth are used for feeding, while five pairs of legs provide the lobster with the ability to ‘walk’ across the ocean floor. It is the first pair of legs that is modified into well-developed claws or pinchers in Homarus sp. They are used for defence and to capture prey, and must be banded when lobsters are caught, to prevent them damaging each other. Lobster remains a highly prized delicacy the world over, and a number of technical developments are ongoing in all the major lobster producing countries, to ensure that stocks will remain sustainable for future generations. These include development of hatchery techniques to enhance existing fisheries, which have been successful for Homarus species, and which are in the trial stages for rock lobster. Given that live lobster is such a valuable export commodity, considerable time and effort has been put into the development of its storage, together with overland and airfreight transport systems, to ensure it reaches the restaurant or consumer in prime condition. The processed lobster market has also developed considerably in recent years, with companies seeking to make lobster products more easily accessible to the consumer. Simple processes such as ready-cracked claws and meat selection packs in attractive packaging have all contributed to an increase in demand.
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A look at the latest FAO statistics on world lobster landings by country, (Table 1) shows a current stable pattern of landings at around 160,000 tonnes.
Table 1: World lobster landings by country 2000 Australia 19,837 Bahamas 9,023 Canada 45,331 Cuba 7,500 Europe 2,891 Indonesia 3,596 Mexico 2,799 New Zealand 3,858 Nicaragua 6,534 South Africa 2,081 USA 40,662 Others 14,633 Total 162,896 Source: FAO Fishstat; * ABARE
2001 16,407 7,042 51,412 6,789 3,176 4,490 2,509 3,654 4,195 2,746 34,240 15,238 165,438
2002 13,886 10,012 45,111 7,983 3,097 4,758 2,993 3,513 4,493 3,384 39,662 15,843.00 158,030
2003 16,437 10,378 48,772 5,268 3,224 5,348 2,958 3,398 3,922 2,773 34,732 16,451 161,842
2004 18,099*) 9,317 45,623 7,602 3,266 7,720 3,056 2,913 4,375 3,291 36,813 15,920 163,145
Landings in the USA and Canada combined account for more than half of all world landings of all species of clawed and spiny lobster. Australia is also an important player in the global market, with landings of around 18,000 tonnes in 2004. Other countries landing significant quantities include The Bahamas and Cuba. Landings in Indonesia have shown consistent growth over the past four years, and this trend is expected to continue. World trade in lobster has grown steadily over the last decade, with both exports and imports increasing. World lobster exports rose from $1.1 billion in 1991 to $2.19 billion in 2004, due to increased sales of frozen and fresh/chilled products. Canada was the major exporter of live lobster products with sales worth $370 million in 2004, followed by the United Kingdom with $31.1 million, Belgium with $16.4 million, and The Netherlands with $8.3 million. World lobster imports increased from $1.03 billion in 1991 to $2.147 billion in 2004, mainly due to increased demand for frozen and particularly live products in the hotel and restaurant sector. The United States was the major importer of live lobster with a value of $290 million in 2004, followed by Canada with $138 million, France with $59.7 million, and Spain with $54 million. The United States was also the largest importer of lobster products worth $1 billion in 2004, or 47% of the global imports; followed by Japan with $178 million, France with $168 million and China with $158 million.
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Table 2: Lobster Export Volumes (MT) Country Canada USA Australia Cuba Bahamas South Africa Indonesia Spain Brazil New Zealand India Others Source: FAO Fishstat
2000 42,863 29,281 15,937 5,036 3,637 1,938 3,315 2,464 2,039 2,790 5,088 23,222
2001 45,233 27,336 13,164 4,379 2,276 1,842 4,237 2,038 2,335 2,212 1,593 24,029
2002 47,618 30,780 11,497 5,334 2,797 2,149 3,989 2,682 2,767 2,150 2,449 21,796
2003 47,640 28,498 12,767 3,003 3,237 2,110 4,892 2,707 2,479 2,244 1,958 20,153
2004 44,663 26,338 13,771 4,476 3,014 2,915 2,803 2,684 2,557 2,123 2,088 22,905
Table 3: Lobster Import Volumes (MT) Country USA Canada Japan China, Hong Kong SAR France Spain Italy China Taiwan Province of China Malaysia Belgium United Kingdom Others Source: FAO Fishstat
2000 47,444 18,292 13,030 9,402 9,393 6,787 5,647 4,895
2001 46,383 17,009 10,515 10,308 9,174 6,437 5,558 1,694
2002 50,668 22,351 10,468 9,090 8,512 7,261 5,186 1,075
2003 50,227 18,100 9,580 8,696 8,659 6,312 5,717 2,232
2004 48,624 15,979 9,184 8,977 8,887 7,582 6,052 3,050
6,004 143 3,210 1,887 9,519
4,128 183 2,741 1,638 9,693
3,902 132 3,122 1,568 12,773
3,521 185 2,859 1,627 11,377
2,903 2,841 2,828 2,077 10,562
2003 738,713 298,891 322,593 92,361 65,542 48,625 65,758 47,884 372,267
2004 736,785 328,469 315,291 87,919 81,371 72,454 67,435 63,947 438,645
Table 4: Lobster Export Values (1,000 USD) Country Canada Australia USA Bahamas Brazil Cuba New Zealand South Africa Others Source: FAO Fishstat
2000 607,231 356,510 293,645 106,067 50,690 72,335 58,947 28,855 423,571
2001 617,860 274,066 263,517 68,542 58,572 66,294 53,920 34,817 329,594
2002 664,703 292,900 306,073 80,740 70,982 76,987 59,443 41,102 382,807
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Table 5: Lobster Import Values (1,000 USD) Country USA Japan France China, Hong Kong SAR Canada Spain Others Source: FAO Fishstat
2000 893,149 253,351 146,578 180,988 152,246 90,751 327,270
2001 835,756 198,173 134,156 192,068 136,513 90,336 308,210
2002 931,376 210,294 136,387 167,869 165,245 100,895 322,123
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2003 1,004,879 183,458 156,786 156,395 161,312 95,608 359,414
2004 1,000,496 178,268 168,113 158,524 158,336 111,452 372,753
CHAPTER 1 LIVE LOBSTER – Characteristics, Storage and Transport 1.1
Characteristics
Live lobster is considered by many companies to be their ‘signature’ product, because to keep a lobster in prime condition through fishing, handling and transport, involves a great deal of effort and expertise. The natural colour of Atlantic Lobster varies from blue-green to rusty brown and some have been found with a blue or white (albino) shell. All except the white-shelled lobster will turn pink/red when cooked. Spiny and rock lobster come in a multitude of colours when live, but also turn pink/red when cooked. American lobster can be sorted into as many as fifteen different grades, given that each grade can have large, medium and small specimens, but the general range is Chix at 11.20lb, Quarters at 1.20-1.45lb, Halves at 1.45-1.75lb, Selects at 1.75-3lb and Jumbos at 3-6+lb. At the small end of the scale are Canners, which weigh approximately 1/2 to 1 lb. American consumers are the most partial to Jumbos, the number of which has been declining over the past decade. The highest world demand is for chix and quarters although the very largest specimens are permanently on request by upmarket restaurants in e.g. Japan and Hong Kong to enhance seafood displays. Rock and Spiny lobsters are generally sold whole or as tails. Weighing from 1-5 pounds – although they can grow up to 15 pounds, they lack the large claws found on the European and American lobsters and therefore do not present the same opportunity for providing additional meat products. In the US, spiny lobsters are generally sold as frozen tails. However, the majority of the world harvest is sold live to Asian markets. Spiny lobsters are marketed as either warmwater or coldwater, depending on the area in which they are caught, with the latter getting a premium because of their preferred flavour, texture and reputation for superior processing. The world harvest of spiny lobster is approximately 70,000 tonnes with leading producers including Australia, Brazil, the Bahamas, Cuba, Nicaragua and the US. The most important species of warmwater spiny lobster is Panulirus argus, which is found throughout the Caribbean and accounts for just over half of all spiny lobster landings. The most important species of coldwater spiny lobsters are Panulirus cygnus, also known as the Australian spiny lobster, traded under the official marketing name of Western Rock Lobster, Jasus edwardsii from New Zealand, and Jasus landii, which comes mostly from South Africa. Another Australian lobster is the Eastern Australian rock lobster, Jasus verreauxi, also called the green lobster or packhorse lobster. Lately, it was re-classified and is now called
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Sagmariasus verreauxi. The Eastern Australian rock lobster (J / S verreauxi), is the smallest Australian commerical fishery with only about 100T or 1% of the Western rock lobster fishery, a trap fishery. Following the Western rock lobster (P. cygnus), Southern rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) is the second largest lobster fishery in Australia with a total of approx 4000T quota/landings. Nearly all the J. edwardsii are exported live, whereas Western rock lobser is mainly exported cooked. The next major fishery is Tropical/ painted rock lobster (P ornatus). Tropical/painted rock lobster is fished by hand, and is mainly a live product exported into Asia and is about 10% of the volume of Western rock lobster. To differentiate between the most common coldwater and warmwater tails (P. cygnus and P. argus, respectively), it is necessary to check their shells. Caribbean warmwater tails are a darker shade of red, with distinct yellow spots and a yellow band across the tail, whereas Australian tails have much less prominent markings. Unfortunately, other species can be harder to differentiate. Spiny lobster tails are sometimes sold under a confusing letter grading system (A, B, C etc) but are best bought and sold strictly by size, with most grades sold in 2 to 4 ounce increments, such as 5-6 ounces, 20-24 ounces etc. Lobsters are subject to seasonal changes and national regulations concerning supply, size and characteristics. In the summer and early autumn season, the American and European lobsters migrate to warmer inshore waters to moult their shells and grow new ones and are known as soft shell lobsters. Soft-shelled lobsters lose nutrients as part of the moulting process and absorb considerable amounts of water. They are weak at this time, and can be difficult to store live. Hard shell lobsters stay in the colder, deeper waters and benefit from a high meat content that can be 50-60% higher than soft shell lobsters. They can be fished and stored in lobster pounds, and are thus generally available all year round - subject to variations in supply and consequently to variations in price. Moulting is done throughout the life of the lobster to enable it to grow. During its first year a lobster will moult as many as 10 times. Lobsters will continue to moult approximately once a year until maturity. Older lobsters may moult only once every two to three years. It takes a lobster 6-8 years to reach a market weight of approximately 1 pound in cold waters, but species living in warmer water can achieve market weights in far less time. 1.2
Storage
Lobster dealers cope with the seasonal changes in supply by making use of lobster pounds or other live holding systems, in which hard shell lobsters can be maintained in peak condition for up to 6 months. The seasons for harvesting lobster in Canada are staggered to protect the vulnerable summer moults. Lobster pounds, as the name suggests, are intertidal areas where the water level can be controlled by floodgates to maintain a natural environment for lobsters until they are required for sale. These are being phased out in favour of indoor live holding systems
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where lobsters are held individually in trays in a stacking system. Chilled, filtered seawater is run constantly through the system, and a number of different arrangements have been developed that preserve the fresh caught quality of the lobster by ensuring it is kept in a state of reduced metabolism. The latest recirculation systems can hold up to several thousand pounds of live lobster in prime condition for many months. 1.3
Transportation
The transportation of live lobster can cause stress and physical damage to the animals, and cause considerable variation in product quality at its destination. Factors likely to cause stress include changes in temperature due to inadequate cooling in warm climates, insufficient warmth in cold climates, low humidity, low oxygen, overcrowding, and rough handling. In addition, because lobsters are solitary animals and naturally defend their habitat, they can experience stress when put in communal settings. Seasonal differences in blood protein levels and shell hardness must be taken into account when choosing lobsters for shipping, as an animal in a weak condition starts off its journey at a disadvantage. The shipping of poor specimens should therefore be avoided. Live lobsters must be kept cool during shipping, but packaging coolants such as wet ice or gel packs must not come into direct contact with the animal as they can cause stress and mortality. Under the best shipping conditions, the humidity within the packing box will be approximately 70%. The most common method of shipment for live lobsters is in fibreboard boxes lined with expanded polystyrene. An absorbent pad should be placed in the bottom of the box and the lobster can be cushioned and separated from its neighbours with moist paper, chilled wet sponges or gel packs. A number of shippers still use seaweed, but it should be noted that some algal species produce noxious gases as they break down, which can harm the lobsters. New packing systems that allow lobsters to be packed vertically in individual compartments are now available. A “Cloud Pack” system, which has been approved by IATA and many major air cargo carriers, consists of a bottom section that holds the live lobster body and tail, a centre section that holds the claws, and a cover that contains gel ice and a moisture medium. The tail is folded under itself and the live lobster is placed in a compartment with the head and claws above the body. This packaging is expensive but can be reused, and one point in its favour is that it reduces mortality. A similar system, the “Habitat Packaging Solution”, a complete holding and shipping system designed to preserve the fresh caught quality of each individual live lobsters, has been developed for East Coast Seafood in the US. During travel the lobster loses weight and starts to accumulate nitrogenous waste materials, including ammonia. To prevent this happening, live lobsters should be conditioned, or held without feeding for several days prior to shipment. Care must be taken not to leave the animal too long as it will begin to digest its muscle tissue, which will then result in a build up of waste that the process was designed to avoid. Trials are ongoing with materials that can absorb ammonia or split the molecule into non-toxic substances, but these remain experimental.
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To avoid cannibalism and physical damage, the claws of live Homarus sp must be either pegged together or banded shut. Most shippers use bands, as these cause less physical damage to the animal. Freshly fished lobsters, i.e. those that have not been held in a chilled water storage system, should have their body temperature reduced over 48 hours prior to shipping, in chilled tanks. This also allows the shipper time to ensure all lobsters are in a fit condition to travel and to cull damaged and weak specimens. The shipping temperature will depend upon the species and the ambient temperature of the harvest area, but in general, coldwater species can be chilled to 4 degrees Centigrade and shipped at temperatures ranging from 1-7 degrees Centigrade. Tropical species may be rendered dormant at temperatures as high as 14 degrees Centigrade. Lobsters can be kept alive, out of water, in a high humidity environment for approximately 24 hours. Once the transport time increases beyond 24 hours mortality increases significantly, and beyond 48 hours losses can be considerable. It is therefore imperative that a good relationship is built with the transport company to ensure minimal delays occur between packing and arrival of the lobster at its destination. One note of importance is to ensure that all relevant paperwork including export and health certificates are correctly filled in, as product shipped inter-state and inter-country are highly likely to be held over by veterinary inspectors if paperwork is incomplete.
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CHAPTER 2 PROCESSED LOBSTER – Product Forms, Considerations and Opportunities 2.1
Fresh, Whole Cooked Lobster
Fresh, whole cooked lobster is a natural, ready-to-eat product that provides consumers and chefs with a no fuss cold buffet option, which can also be steamed or boiled if required hot. Generally sold in a vacuum packed pouch, a fresh whole cooked lobster will have a 7-10 day shelf-life from the time of production. 2.2
Fresh Lobster Meat
Fresh lobster meat is popular with caterers as it offers a simple way to increase menu options with a high value product. Lobster meat is generally hand picked and sold in tamper-proof containers or vacuum packs, and may contain a combination of tail, claw and knuckle meat ready for use. Tail meat is also sold on its own as a higher value product. 2.3
Frozen Lobster
Frozen whole lobster is available raw, blanched or steam cooked, in a number of different presentation packs and may be natural, glazed or brined. Processing frozen lobster products utilizes the latest technological advances in blast freezing that ensures the highest quality and flavour of frozen whole lobsters and lobster meat. Under ideal frozen temperatures of -26 to -30°C (-15 to -20°F) or below, frozen lobster can be stored with no quality loss for up to nine months. Lobsters may also be frozen using liquid nitrogen. Cold pack frozen lobster meat is packed in cans, and requires frozen storage as it is not sterilised or retorted. For chefs, buying ready cooked lobster removes the problems of handling and storage and provides a readily cooked, weight guaranteed product. For consumers, the ease of preparation and service makes cooked lobster a popular product. Frozen whole blanched lobster: these are first cooked for two minutes, then vacuum packed and frozen immediately. Cooking is completed by the end user, for a fresh-boiled taste. Frozen whole lobster: these are blanched or cooked in a vacuum skin pack and specialized technology allows an extended shelf life of 24 months. Frozen whole cooked lobster: lobsters are cooked and vacuum-packed in light brine or wrapped in waxed paper. Smaller weights (200-250 g), known as "baby boils," are cooked in a liner, frozen and packed in 5 kg cartons. The Popsicle pack contains a small whole cooked lobster packaged in a vacuum sealed cello bag with saltwater brine, which is then blast frozen to preserve the lobster’s fresh
9
caught taste. Frozen Popsicles are generally available in 300-450gm sizes and are processed mainly from May to June and from August to September. Lobsters may be packed several to a carton, individually held in net bags, or separated with waxed paper or plastic strips. Individual skin packs can be used with raw, partly cooked and cooked lobster and present particularly well to the consumer. 2.4
Frozen Lobster Meat
Lobster meat is available in a wide variety of forms, including block frozen, blast frozen and flash frozen forms, prepared with or without brine and with or without glazing. It may be raw, boiled or steam cooked, then packed in vacuum packs, pouches, skin-wrap packs, clear plastic trays, or cans, depending on the product and the intended market. Spiny lobster tails are sometimes glazed (up to 20% of tail weight), which can lead to short net weights, whereas coldwater tails are generally sold dry, but protected with plastic to prevent drying and freezer burn. A look at the types of products found worldwide, using all types of lobster, includes the following: • Shell on lobster tails – raw or cooked • Peeled lobster tails – raw or cooked and deveined • Pre cooked lobster meat from head, leg and claw, with cartilage removed • Raw lobster meat pieces (broken tails) • Block frozen raw lobster meat • Pre-scored lobster claws and arms – natural or brine frozen • Cocktail claws, with 90% of the shell removed for easy eating • Split half-lobster portions – cooked or raw • Minced lobster loaf – deboned lobster body meat Presentation and packaging is playing an increasingly large part in the marketing of lobster and lobster products, especially where retail packs are concerned. Effective use is made of attractive window sleeve packs, through which the skin or vacuum packed product can be clearly seen, but on which is printed product and cooking information. 2.5
Frozen and Canned Secondary Processed Lobster Products
Processors are able to maximise yield per lobster by producing a wide variety of frozen and sterilised shelf stable products. These include the liver, which is processed as a green coloured paste/spread known as tomalley; lobster roe, which is also called red caviar; lobster concentrates/extracts and lobster meat paste. Hot pack canned lobster are sterilised or retorted and are therefore shelf stable. Concentrates, pastes and extracts are sought after by the food service industry as they provide a standardised, consistent product that can be used to make sauces, pasta fillings, soups, bisques, pates, terrines and mousses, pie fillings and seafood noodles. 2.6
Adding Further Value 10
One company in Australia is currently leading the way in the further value added market by processing large lobster into frozen medallions for retails and foodservice customers, providing a sashimi grade meat for Japan, and bottling lobster oil, which is proving immensely popular with consumers and chefs. Carefully targeted market research and focus group research provided much of the inspiration for these new developments. Value may also be added through use of international schemes, such as the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) sustainability label, which shows consumers that a product has been produced/fished in a responsible manner. The Australian Western Rock Lobster was the first product to be certified by the MSC. There are a number of other ‘sustainability’ schemes operated by individual countries, but there is currently no data available to show the monetary value to producers of using particular labels. 2.7
Quality Considerations
To ensure a strong market for lobster and lobster products, it is necessary to pay particular attention to quality issues. Poor handling, storage and transport, whether of live or processed products, will lead to an inferior product. A live lobster in prime condition will curl its tail when touched. Lack of immediate response, broken legs, broken antennae and missing claws are all signs of poor handling. These also indicate that the lobster has been subject to stress and is therefore likely to be of inferior quality. Lobsters kept in pounds for a lengthy period may appear ‘mossy’ and whilst this does not affect meat quality, it can put buyers off. Attention to storage water quality is thus of prime concern. Poor quality processed lobster meat will show signs of dullness and/or yellowing. A high quality product should have a bright whitish colour and a firm texture. Grey meat indicates that the lobster was dead before processing, and grit in the sand vein which is a result of poor handling and storage, will lead to a strong ammonia taste. Buyers should be aware that soft shell lobsters have a poor meat to shell ratio and suffer higher mortalities during storage and transportation. Glazing of lobster products is a contentious issue, leading to short weight for the customer. A light glaze can enhance the appearance of the product and protect it from freezer burn. However, some lobsters have been found to be soaked or injected with up to 20% additional water to increase the unit weight. Such practice is to be discouraged. 2.8
Market Considerations
Given that consumption is increasing in the main consuming countries for live lobster and lobster products, there are excellent opportunities to enter the market. However, careful research is necessary in order to ensure that: • The product is required by the market • The product satisfies the import veterinary regulations of the target country • The product satisfies consumer expectations • The product can be sold at a price acceptable to the market • There are sufficient quantities of the product to maintain supply 11
CHAPTER 3 WORLD LOBSTER PRODUCTION 3.1
Landings by Species
Over the past 10 years, world production of the main lobster species has varied by around 15,000 tonnes, reaching a peak of 166,008 tonnes in 2004, and commencing with less than 150,000 tonnes in 1995. A look at landings by species (Figure 1 and Table 6) shows that up to1996, production of American lobster was in the low 70,000 tonnes, rising to a stable total of around 83,000 tonnes from 1999 onwards. Spiny lobster production has been relatively stable throughout the period with world landings between 63,000 tonnes and 69,000 tonnes, with a peak recorded in 2004 of over 72,000 tonnes. Figure 1: World landings by species 180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000
European lobster
American lobster
Spiny lobster
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
0
Rock lobster
Source: FAO Fishstat
Apart from a peak of 12,000 tonnes in 1997, Rock lobster production has varied between 9,300 and 10,000 tonnes, showing an ongoing stable pattern. European lobster landings continue to hover just under the 3,000 tonne level, with a peak of 3,300 tonnes in 2000.
12
Table 6: World landings by species
European lobster American lobster Spiny lobster Rock lobster
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2,981
2,589
3,219
2,933
3,285
2,600
2,781
2,727
2,818
2,932
70,631
71,866
78,146
77,155
83,105
83,062
83,803
82,422
81,315
79,795
61,620
59,216
59,255
56,524
63,445
65,923
58,294
63,312
62,696
71,959
11,266
10,625
12,582
10,227
10,396
10,280
9,944
10,672
10,711
10,681
2,589
3,219
2,933
3,285
2,600
2,781
2,727
2,818
2,932
European 2,981 lobster Source: FAO Fishstat
Table 7: Lobster fishing seasons in key producing nations Seasonality of Lobster Fisheries in Key Nations Country Species Australia Western Panulirus cygnus Northern Southern Victoria Tasmania New South Wales New Zealand
Season Start
Season End
15-Nov 30-Jun The East Coast season is closed 1 Oct – 1 Feb, the Commonwealth fishery is closed Nov and Dec. ** 01-Nov 30-Apr 16-Nov 31-Aug 01-Nov 31-Aug All Year
Panulirus ornatus Jasus edwardsii Jasus edwardsii Jasus edwardsii Jasus verreauxi Jasus edwardsii Jasus verreauxi
All Year
Jasus landii Palinurus gilchristi
All Year
Panulirus argus
01-Jun
31-Jan
Panulirus argus Panulirus interruptus Panulirus inflatus Panulirus gracilis
01-Jul 01-Oct
29-Feb 15-Mar
16-Sep
31-May
01-May 01-Aug
30-Apr 31-Mar
South Africa
Cuba Mexico
United States Federal Florida Canada
Homarus americanus Panulirus argus
Homarus americanus 30-Apr 10-Oct ** source: Department of Environment and Heritage, Assessment of the Queensland East Coast Tropical Rock lobster Fishery; and Assessment of the Torres Strait Rock lobster Fishery (http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/fisheries/qld/tropical-rock-lobster/pubs/tropical-rock-lobster-assessment.pdf; http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/fisheries/commonwealth/torres-strait-rock-lobster/pubs/torres-strait-rocklobster-assessment.pdf)
13
Table 7 provides information on the fishing seasons of key producing nations. When producers are considering entering the fresh lobster market, the availability of competitors’ products is a major consideration.
14
CHAPTER 4 MAJOR LOBSTER PRODUCING COUNTRIES 4.1
Canada
4.1.1
Landings
Canada currently provides more than half of the world's supply of live and processed Atlantic Lobster, with peaks in landings exceeding 52,000 tonnes in 2001, and a volume of almost 44,000 tonnes in 2005. In value terms, the fishery was worth approximately $CAN 590 million, with unit values gradually rising from an average of around $CAN 12.4/kilo in 2001 to $CAN 13.4/kilo in 2005. It should be remembered however, that unit value varies with availability and demand, and will be higher at peak times of demand such as holiday seasons. Table 8: Commercial landings by province 2001 MT
2001 $Can 000’s 375,317 93,835
2002 MT
29,406 26,507 Nova Scotia New 8,270 7,872 Brunswick Prince Edward 8,727 104,992 9,018 Isle Quebec 3,603 46,612 3,161 25,657 2,058 Newfoundland 2,117 52,123 646,413 48,617 Total Source: Fisheries and Oceans, Canada
2002 $Can 000’s 372,104 95,387
2003 MT 26,441 7,377
2003 $Can 000’s 379,230 88,552
102,349
9,160
43,920 23,486 637,248
3,538 2,256 48,772
2004 MT
2005 MT
25,764 6,719
2004 $Can 000’s 343,696 76,400
23,840 5,706
2005 $Can 000’s 338,673 72,818
109,422
9,144
97,848
8,264
100,793
46,955 25,870 650,029
3,838 1,910 47,375
49,829 21,090 588,863
3,393 2,741 43,944
45,980 32,755 591,019
Table 8 shows that Nova Scotia harvests by far the largest quantity of lobster, with landings slightly declining since 2004 to 23,840 tonnes in 2005. New Brunswick has experienced a decline of 2,000 tonnes over the past two years, while landings in Prince Edward Island have increased slightly during that time, but with a dip in average unit value during 2002 from $CAN 12.03/kilo to $CAN 11.34/kilo in 2005. Landings in both Quebec and Newfoundland dipped in 2002, but picked up again in 2003. 4.1.2
Canadian Primary Sector
Lobster harvesting in Canada is a family tradition, in which little has changed for 150 years, apart from advances in boat and gear technology. Fishing takes place on a daily basis within 15 kilometres of the shore, with lobsters caught in baited traps attached to lines and hauled one trap at a time. This is labour-intensive, but it results in minimal disruption to the ocean floor and the environment. Each fisher has between 200-300 traps, which are marked with uniquely coloured buoys. During the fishing season, traps are checked on a daily basis, lobsters checked for carapace length, and undersized and egg-bearing females returned to the sea with a V-
15
notch marked in the tail to identify her as a breeding female. Traps are then re-baited with fish and replaced in the water. Use of conservation methods and enhancement of the lobster fishery through release of hatchery-raised juveniles is of prime concern to the industry, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans oversees an integrated management system, which is regarded as one of the most complex and sophisticated in the world. The lobster fishery is largely managed by effort control and seasonal openings rather than by quota, and is carefully monitored. The aim is to ensure sustainable development by conserving biological diversity, while maximizing socio-economic benefits. The lobster season typically peaks in the spring (April-June) and again in December. The coastline of Atlantic Canada is divided into 41 regions or zones, each of which has a different lobster fishing season ranging from 8 weeks to 8 months. This staggering of the harvest protects summer moults, and enables the industry to deliver the hard-shell lobster preferred by the consumer. There is also one year-round fishery located some 90 kilometres off the coast.
The largest lobster ever caught in Canada weighed 44 pounds and was estimated to be around 65 years old. Scientists have found that lobster organs do not degenerate, and believe that potentially, they could live indefinitely. Predation – whether human or animal, may therefore be the only limit on their longevity.
16
4.1.3
Canadian Secondary Sector
Fishermen land their catch directly into processing facilities or into refrigerated trucks that transport the lobsters to nearby processing plants. Lobsters are generally separated onboard into two groups - those being sold as a live product, and those destined for processing into various product forms. Lobsters to be sold live will be sent to holding facilities, while those for processing will be briefly stored in refrigeration units until they are cooked or processed for raw meat products. Processors aim to freeze lobsters as soon as possible after harvest and it is not unusual for them to be processed and frozen within 4-8 hours of being taken from the sea. Live lobster is generally available year-round from processors, distributors or direct from lobster holding pounds. Advances in holding technology and temperature control now allow lobsters to be held in good condition all year round. Over the past decade, the quantity of Canadian lobster sold live has consistently been around 60 percent, with the US as the main market, taking around 70 % of total production. Frozen products account for 30 percent, with canned making up the remainder. In Canada, lobsters as small as 1/2 to 1 pound, sometimes called "canners," may be legally caught, but they cannot be shipped live to the US. Important secondary markets for Canadian lobster are France, Belgium, Japan and Hong Kong for both live and frozen products, and the US and Germany for canned products.
17
4.2
USA
4.2.1
Landings
Table 9: US landings by species 2001 2001 2002 (MT) ($,000) (MT) American 32,293 249,510 37,688 Spiny 1,871 21,644 2,355 US Total 34,240 271,154 39,662 Source: US National Marine Fisheries Service
2002 ($) 293,894 25,715 319,609
2003 (MT) 32,515 2,256 34,732
2003 ($) 283,516 23,969 307,485
2004 (MT) 40,079 2,649 42,728
2004 ($) 365,882 28,241 394,123
Of the 42,728 tonnes landed in 2004, Maine led all states with 76% of the total harvest. Other important states are Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Spiny lobster is primarily harvested in Florida and California. The last three years has seen both an increase and a decrease in landings of American lobster, according to landing information from the US National Marine Fisheries Service. Their statistics show a 5,000 tonne increase in landings in 2002 compared with 2001, but a similar drop in landings for 2003. However, a sustained increase in landing price over the three years, from USD7.73/kg in 2001 to USD7.80/kg in 2002 and USD8.72 in 2003, eased the overall situation. 2004 saw an increase in terms of volume to more than 40,000 tonnes and a value increase to 365,882 USD, bringing up the average landing price to USD/kg 9.13. Landings of spiny lobster species remained broadly similar during the period, although prices reduced from an average of USD11.57 in 2001 to USD10.66 in 2004, which contributed to an overall reduction in value between 2001 and 2004 of just over USD16 million. An examination of US State landing data shows that Maine consistently lands around 77% of the total US American lobster catch, with Massachusetts landing 16% and Rhode Island 5%. 78% of the Caribbean spiny lobster catch is landed in West Florida, with 8% landed in East Florida and 14% in the State of California. A small fishery also exists for spiny lobster in the US territories of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Northern Marianas Islands and Guam, but these typically amount to less than 100 tonnes per year. US fishermen land approximately 3,000 to 4,000 tons of spiny lobster a year, with Florida accounting for around 85% of the catch. California, which accounts for the remainder, produces a slightly larger species, Panulirus interruptus. 4.2.2
US Primary Sector
The American lobster is fished in the Northwest Atlantic, from Maine to North Carolina, while the spiny lobster is fished in Florida (east and west coast) and California on the west coast. The US offshore fishery is managed under the New England Fishery 18
Management Council and fisheries within 3 miles of the shore are managed by individual states under an Interstate Fishery Management Plan. Fishermen and scientists are working closely together in the US to make the lobster fishery healthy and more efficient. Management measures put in place to ensure a sustainable future include gear restrictions and use of lobster traps with escape vents to allow undersized lobsters to escape. Lobster traps must also have biodegradable escape panels that create a large opening in the event of the trap becoming lost at sea. This allows the lobster to escape, or to use it as a shelter that can be freely accessed. Conservation measures currently dictate that any American lobsters with a carapace length less than 3¼ inches must be returned unharmed to the sea. It is illegal to land lobsters of less than this size. In addition, all berried (egg bearing) females must be returned. The Californian Spiny lobster season is from August to March, but the American lobster may be caught all year round. Whereas Canada's lobster fishery is closed during the summer moulting season, the American fishery does not shut and a high percentage of the catch from July to September is of new shell lobsters. The majority of the catch is taken July and October, and 85-90% of the harvest is of lobster that has just reached the legal size of 3 ¼ inches. At this size, it weighs around 1 pound. 4.2.3
US Secondary Sector
There are a number of large processing companies who buy direct from fishing boats to fulfil forward orders for fresh and frozen lobster. To ensure their products are of the highest quality, lobsters for live sale are generally rushed from the landing stage to begin a seasoning and conditioning process in storage ponds or chilled tanks, during which time their stress levels raised during harvest, will be reduced to a minimum. This period, which takes at least two days, also allows the processor to remove the weaker lobsters. Fresh lobsters are then carefully iced, packed and shipped by road or air transport to their destination. Processors aim to cook processed lobsters within hours of arrival onshore, to preserve the ‘just landed’ taste and texture and to avoid the build up of ammonia, which would spoil the end product. All processors must conform to FDA and USDC/NMFS (national) regulations regarding hygiene and traceability standards, and will additionally conform to any regulations required by countries to which they export lobster. Computer controlled steam and water boiling processes ensure that lobsters and lobster products are cooked to perfection, before undergoing rapid chilling and freezing. Major markets for US lobster include Spain, Italy and France.
19
4.3
AUSTRALIA
4.3 1
Australian Landings
Rock lobster has been the most valuable single-species fishery in Australia for the past couple of decades, earning the country around AUSD 415,048,000 in 2004/05. Several different species of rock and spiny lobster make up the fishery, the most prolific and therefore valuable of which is Panulirus cygnus, the Western rock lobster. Western rock lobster has the highest gross value of production (GVP) due to volume, however Southern rock lobster is generally more valuable on a per kg basis, especially at landing. An examination of landings over the past three years shows that total production has gradually been increasing, rising from 14,322 tonnes in 2001/2 to 19,721 tonnes in 2003/4 decreasing to 18,099T in 2004/5. It should be noted that statistics are compiled from June – June each year. During that period the first sale value has fallen by AUSD 96,000,000 (GVP in 2004/5 year for all species was AU$ 415,048,000). This is linked to the export price of lobster, which has fallen due to a number of factors, the most significant of which is the appreciating value of the Australian dollar against the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen. Because Australia is a small producer of fish, the export prices received by the country’s producers are set in world markets. When the dollar value is high, this results in lower export prices. While the majority of the country’s lobster fisheries remain relatively stable, the Western rock lobster fishery has increased by around 5,000 tonnes over the past three years. Prices however, have decreased by AUSD 43 million, which is a considerable reduction for one fishery. Total volume of Western rock lobstser for the season 2005/06 was 10,384MT. The total value of exports of that season is still unknown . Table 10: Lobster landings by territory (June to June) Rock Lobster
New South Wales 103
Victoria
Queensland
Tonnes 493 436 2001/2 $’000 4,716 21,505 5,113 2001/2 Tonnes 122 488 632 2002/3 $’000 5,432 17,658 7,412 2002/3 Tonnes 108 496 535 2003/4 $’000 4,196 13,730 6,230 2003/4 Tonnes 99 467 600 2004/5 $’000 3,779 13,697 6,957 2004/5 Source: Australian fisheries statistics, ABARE
Western Australia
South Australia
Tasmania
Total
1518
Commonwealth Waters 330
9,050
2,392
305,268
91,862
64,450
8,852
501,766
11,477
2,361
1,409
579
17,069
281,023
82,666
51,707
14,342
460,239
13,742
2,400
1,601
839
19,721
261,398
61,365
44,921
13,725
405,565
12,303
2,343
1,602
50
18,099
264,569
66,041
47,630
758
415,048
20
14,322
4.3.2
Australian Primary Sector
The Australian lobster commercial fishery catches a number of different species. The tropical lobster Panulirus ornatus is fished all year round in Queensland, while Jasus verreauxi is found in the east of the country. Jasus edwardsii the Southern rock lobster has a 10-month season and is fished in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. In addition, there is a licensed recreational fishery in Tasmania, which lands around 73 tonnes. The Western rock lobster fishery is a limited entry fishery, and is the largest of the four main fisheries, and the only fishery managed by input controls rather than under a quota system. The Western rock lobster fishery for Panulirus cygnus was one of the first managed fisheries in the country, and scientists have recorded data since the early 1960s. It was realised at an early stage that in order to keep up a heavy exploitation rate, a continuous intensive research and management program would be required to protect breeding stocks and maintain the lobster population. These conservation efforts were rewarded in 2000, when the Western Rock Lobster fishery became the first in the world to be awarded MSC certification as ecologically sustainable. Five hundred boats are now employed in thisfishery, and as lobsters can produce high seasonal incomes, licences and gear are highly valuable assets. A 100-pot licence with boat and gear is valued at about AUD 4 million, so entry to the business is high. Western rock lobsters are fished between November and June using baited pots, and commercial diving for lobster in Western Australia is banned. Since 1963, when licence and pot numbers were frozen, the catch has varied between 8,000 and 14,000 tonnes, but scientists estimate the sustainable catch to be around 10,000 tonnes. Conservation measures in Western Australia include strict guidelines on seasonal closures, minimum size requirements and a ban on catching breeding females. In total, the industry employs over 1,500 people in the catching sector. 4.3.3 Australian Secondary Sector In the 1950s the main market for rock lobster was as a fresh chilled product or frozen tails to the US. This changed in the 1980s and 1990s when the main market was for whole live product to Asia (Taiwan, Japan, China and Hong Kong) and this remains largely the case today. However, some producers are investing heavily in market and product development and are beginning to reap the rewards from doing so. One company in particular (Ferguson Australia) is taking a commodity, price driven product suffering from the problems of variable quality and availability, and turning it into a quality, branded gourmet range that includes: • Live / Whole Cooked Lobster • Lobster Spiders • Lobster Medallions – Retail & Foodservice packs • Cooked Lobster Meat • Sashimi Grade Lobster • Lobster Liver • Lobster Oil 21
These products provide consumers and chefs with convenient, portion and price controlled, user friendly options, with no mess or waste and an extended shelf life. It also assists stock management by providing a market for larger, discoloured lobster that was traditionally discarded. In 2004 Southern Rock Lobster Limited was established as the national industry development body to help unite all the producers and processors (of Jasus edwardsii only) and to develop the market and enhance the image of the product. At the same time, the development of an Australian Seafood Board helped to position Australian Seafood as a premium product in the minds of consumers and enabled Australian Southern Rock Lobster to attain its ‘Clean Green’ accreditation. The Clean Green program is a training & accreditation system providing ‘pot to plate’ environmental, food and workplace safety standards with independent 3rd party auditing of practices. The Southern Rock Lobster industry’s highly successful “Clean Green” environmental management programme, won a United Nations 2005 World Environment Day Award and put the product firmly on the map. Main markets for Australian lobster include Asia - China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and the EU - Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands and the UK.
22
CHAPTER 5 LOBSTER MARKETS BY COUNTRY The following paragraphs provide an overview on lobster product trade flows in the commercially most important countries. It has to be considered that the trade statistics from FAO Fishstat and from EUROSTAT include also other lobster species like Palinurus spp. 5.1
North America
Canada and the USA are the world’s largest lobster producers and closely tied by strong trade relations. The USA imports up to 80% of Canada’s total lobster production, while Canada represents the largest market for US lobster, importing as much as 50% of the total US lobster landings. It has to be considered that a considerable share of the lobster imported by Canada from the US is processed and re-exported to the US. Canada supplies mainly high quality live lobster and processed lobster, while the US serves the lower quality segment of these markets. Usually, live lobster is divided into three shell quality categories: new shell – lobster which changed shell two to three months ago firm new shell – lobster which changed shell three to six month ago hard/old shell – shell changed more than six month ago Hard shells fetch the highest prices as they contain more meat and have a lower mortality rate. Demand of lobster products in Canada and the USA is largely stable, with peak season during the summer months. In North America, lobster is considered less exclusive than in Europe. It is very common that lobster sandwiches, rolls and other lobster products are consumed as snacks throughout the day. North American consumers use canned and vacuum packed lobster products mainly for the preparation of lobster sandwiches, seafood salads, lobster cocktails, lobster mayonnaise, stew, chowder or soups. A considerable choice of prepared lobster convenience products is available. Canned lobster is usually traded in its own juice or in brine. Traditionally, canned lobster was produced as ‘hot pack’, but is now also offered as ‘cold pack’. The ‘hot pack’ production consists in boiling the lobster meat in the can while ‘cold packs’ contain raw meat as the sealed cans are frozen. Currently, the frozen lobster product segment registers the highest growths and innovation rates. Some pet food in North America, in particular for cats, includes lobster.
23
5.1.1
Canada
It is estimated that 80-85% of the total domestic lobster supply is exported and only 1520% are consumed in the domestic market.1 Export of lobster, Canada’s most valuable seafood, oscillates around 45,000 tonnes since 2001. About 60% of the export volume is live lobster, followed by the fast-growing frozen lobster segment. Main season for Canadian lobster landings are in spring (New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) and late fall/early winter (Nova Scotia). The summer months, from June to September, and the Christmas/New Year season generate peaks in demand. By far the most important destination for Canadian clawed lobster exports are the USA (approximately 80% of the total lobster export value), followed by Europe (approx. 10% mainly France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) and Asia (approx. 6% - mainly Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong). Canadian lobster is exported to approximately 60 countries. Products sold to Asian markets do usually fetch the highest prices. In the period January-May 2006, Homarus exports from Canada increased by 15% to 16,328 tonnes in terms of volume compared to the same period in 2005. This could be partially explained by the reduction of the unit value by 6% to 19.54 CAND/kg. Prices usually drop in May-June when abundant supply from Canada is available. The declining value of the US dollar has limited the decrease of the price level in CAN dollars. As shown in figure 2, lobster export prices grew from 10 CAND/kg in 1990 up to around 24 CAND/kg in 2005 while import prices grew in the same period from 9 CAND$/kg to approximately 12 CAND. A main driver for growth is increased demand in the main market USA and the fairly stable level of landings. Other factors with influence on prices are weather conditions and quality aspects. A considerable share of lobster imports from the US seems to be used for processing and re-export to the US. Through participation in trade shows, information dissemination and promotion, the Atlantic Canada Lobster and Seafood Promotion Group is actively supporting the development of the international market for Atlantic Canadian lobster.
1
Gardner Pinfold, 2006
24
Figure 2: Export and Import unit value of lobster in Canada Import unit value (CAN$/kg) 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
ROCK LOBSTER
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
LOBSTER
Export unit value (CAN$/kg) 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0
ROCK LOBSTER
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
LOBSTER
Source: Fisheries and Oceans (Federal Government Department), Canada
Table 11 gives an overview on price developments for frozen and live lobster in different markets. Table 11: Lobster product average prices (USD/kg) Frozen clawed lobster products 4th quarter 3rd quarter ‘05 05 9.38 36.31 30.68 13.07 10.68 23.53 30.38 34.66
Hong Kong Japan Taiwan USA Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, 14.52 UK) Source: Western Rock Lobster Development Association
23.27
Live clawed lobster products 3rd quarter 4th quarter 05 ‘05 14.88 15.95 16.76 16.63 14.86 16.61 15.04 14.06 16.11
16.27
Table 12 shows the dominance of live lobster in Canadian exports. Processed products like frozen lobster, tails or canned meat are increasingly gaining significance.
25
Table 12: Canada lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity 1994 American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen 9,946 Lobster tails or meat, canned 2,865 Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen 104 Lobsters nei, frozen 36 Lobsters, live 19,521 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen 31 Total 32,503 Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
8,894
8,165
9,781
8,713
12,909
12,531
13,050
12,738
13,620
10,650
3,028
3,071
3,724
3,434
4,089
4,750
4,715
5,195
5,098
5,532
73 43 19,882
89 46 20,467
343 27 20,226
59 19 21,118
23 120 22,869
58 72 25,402
23 58 27,296
63 32 29,578
68 71 28,770
43 338 28,092
30 31,950
13 31,851
1 34,102
33,343
7 40,017
50 42,863
91 45,233
12 47,618
13 47,640
8 44,663
Canadian lobster imports are dominated by live lobster from the USA. Table 13: Canada lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity 1994 American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen 91 Lobster tails or meat, canned 19 Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen 61 Lobsters nei, frozen 658 Lobsters, live 7,385 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen 13 Total 8,227 Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
199
195
120
206
278
241
272
91
40
118
36
89
37
173
82
98
80
59
71
71
21 550 8,160
24 480 9,606
10 575 12,533
12 565 9,560
17 738 15,002
61 675 16,955
25 465 15,978
17 754 21,182
56 545 17,251
72 573 15,075
22 8,988
32 10,426
381 13,656
234 10,750
114 16,231
262 18,292
189 17,009
248 22,351
137 18,100
70 15,979
Improved holding and processing techniques guarantee the availability of Canadian lobster throughout the year. Increased pressure on the catering sector to serve cost efficient and quick to prepare products has reduced the share of live lobster that is marketed. Live lobster is a risky commodity and requires adequate infrastructures, including tanks all along the distribution chain. By now, almost 50% of the Canadian catches pass through some form of value addition. In addition to live lobster in lined cardboard or styrofoam boxes with gel packs as coolant which receive a premium price, the Canadian lobster product range includes the following: o whole frozen lobster, cooked, in brine (Popsicle pack: laminated pouches, sealed and blast frozen, 10 pieces per case) o whole frozen lobster, cooked, vacuum packed in light brine or wrapped in waxed paper
26
o whole frozen lobster, blanched, vacuum packed o whole frozen lobster, blanched or cooked, vacuum skin packed – storable up to 24 months o ‘Baby boil’ - whole frozen cooked lobster (5 kg cartons, 200-400g) o raw frozen tails, IQF, individually wrapped in cellophane pouch (4.5 kg boxes; 4 boxes per master, 85-225g) o ‘Cold Pack’: canned frozen lobster meat, cooked, in brine (320g, 900g, 2.2kg) o ‘Hot Pack’: canned meat, cooked, (70g, 142g, 280g) o cooked frozen lobster meat, vacuum packed and blast frozen, canned and blast frozen, canned and retorted tails claws tails and claws claws/knuckles whole pieces chopped and salad meat Picture: http://www.mainelobsterprocessors.com/products.html
o frozen raw lobster meat, hyperbaric treatment, vacuum packed tail Claws knuckles legs combination of the above
Picture: https://www.livelob.com/lobstergram/shop?method=category&catid=TL-MT8
o frozen pieces, vacuum packed o canned lobster paste, including tomalley and/or roe and meat (112g) o frozen tomalley and roe, vacuum packed o frozen cocktail claws ‘Easy open” (pre-scored and steam cooked) o minced lobster loaf (deboned body meat in poly bags or vacuum packed and frozen) o Ready-to-use seasonings for lobster
Picture: http://www.fernand.com/lobsters.htm
One Canadian company has developed an innovative system based on hydrostatic pressure which allows an efficient extraction of raw meet from the shell.
27
5.1.2
USA
The term ‘American lobster’ is considered a valuable brand by the US industry. Clawed lobsters caught in the United States are available fresh mainly from July to November. Frozen lobsters are available year-round. Lobster prices depend on supply and demand and the weather. Peaks are reached during the season starting with Memorial Day and drop with Labor Day weekend. Canned lobster was the first value added lobster product and is still a popular product which is available at accessible prices in almost every US supermarket. The main markets for lobster in the US are Maine, Massachusetts and New York. It is estimated that four major firms based in Boston control approximately 50% of the US wholesale market for lobster as the efficiency of lobster distribution depends on large volumes as it generates only small margins. Generally, the lobster market is however considered to be competitive which explains the oscillation of prices around the equilibrium level determined by variations in supply and demand. In terms of commercial landing value, American lobster is the country’s second most valuable seafood product after shrimps and prawns. In 2005, US lobster exports were worth USD 346,505,000. According to the Maine Department of Marine Resources, the average lobster price in 2005 was 4.60 USD/lbs US lobster exports grew by 30% during 2000-2005 mainly due to increased sales to Canada, which remains the most important market for US lobster exports. US lobster exports to Canada are processed and often sent back as ‘Product of Canada’ to the US market for domestic consumption or to be exported to other markets, mainly to the European Union. However, exports to Canada decreased by 45% in terms of value and volume in the period January-May 2006 compared to the same period in 2005. Fresh lobster exports from the USA to Canada peaked in 2004 (USD 143.7 million, accounting for more than 22% of total US fish and seafood exports to Canada). US traders benefit from better and cheaper transport infrastructures to Europe and Asia compared to their Canadian counterparts. France, Spain, Italy and Japan represent other major markets for US lobster exports (see figure 4). Live lobster prices show a constantly oscillating but steadily growing trend (see figure 3) with a current wholesale price range of 7-8 USD/lbs for 1-1.5 lbs lobster. Ex-vessel prices to fishermen at the Boston market for live lobster were USD 4.80/lbs on 21 August 2006. Frozen warmwater lobster tails fetched the following prices in the week ending on 18 August 2006: Origin: Belize – 6/7/8 oz: 20.50 USD Brazil – 5oz: 20.95 USD; 7oz: 20.95 USD; 10-12oz: 20.10 USD; 12-14oz: 20.10 USD; 14-16oz: 20.20 USD Honduras – 5/6/7/8oz: 22 USD: 10-12oz: 21.00; 12-14oz: 20.90 USD; 14-16oz: 20.90 USD Nicaragua - 6/7/8oz: 20.50 USD; 10-12/12-14/14-16oz: 19.85 USD
28
These prices reflect the market preference for smaller sized lobster tails. There is interest to further strengthen the positive image of American lobster as a quality brand in world markets. In addition, the US lobster industry shows interest in strengthening processing facilities within the US to develop value-added products to increase market opportunities for what so far is mainly traded as live lobster and considered a low-value, high-risk commodity. The Maine Lobster Promotion Council is envisaging cooperation with the non-profit Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership to support the business development of small and medium manufactures. Hard shell lobsters fetch higher prices than soft shell lobsters. Increased use of soft shell lobster for value-added products is translating into slightly growing prices. US lobster product imports rose 30 % during 2001-2005 to a total value of USD 614,039,000, primarily from the purchase of live and frozen clawed lobsters from Canada. The total import volume of lobster products in 2004 was more then 48,000 tonnes. Live lobster accounted for 46% of the total import volume. Clearwater, one of the largest lobster producers worldwide, has developed a new production system called hyperbaric treatment. It allows maximum yields which are offered in four different product forms: tail as IQF (56-85g, 85-113g, 113-170g, 170g); claws; claws and knuckles (250g) and legs. These products can be stored up to 24 months. Live spiny/rock lobster exports are relatively limited, with main destinations Canada, Japan, China and the Caribbean. Production in 2006 was negatively affected by hurricanes like Hurricane Rita which destroyed equipment and reduced the available fishing time. As a result, many boats, fishing tags and lobster businesses are for sale in the Golf region. Harvest usually peak in late March. US imports of spiny/rock lobster total approximately 10,000 tonnes a year. The vast majority consists of frozen tails from Brazil, the Bahamas, Nicaragua, Honduras and Australia. The US also imports approximately 1,000 tonnes of live spiny/rock lobster annually, primarily from Mexico. Some frozen spiny/rock lobster is also imported from New Zealand, South Africa and increasingly China. Domestic spiny/rock lobster consumption is estimated to grow by 6% annually.
29
Figure 3: Monthly New York wholesale prices American lobster (1-1.5 lb; live), USD/lb 10.00 9.00 8.00 7.00 6.00 5.00
Source: NMFS/ITN - 20051215.
Figure 4: US lobster exports 2005 – main countries of destination (1,000 USD) 180,000 160,000 140,000 120,000 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 CANADA
ITALY
SPAIN
Source: FAS
30
FRANCE
JAPAN
Jan-05
Jan-04
Jan-03
Jan-02
Jan-01
Jan-00
Jan-99
Jan-98
Jan-97
Jan-96
Jan-95
Jan-94
Jan-93
Jan-92
Jan-91
Jan-90
Jan-89
Jan-88
Jan-87
3.00
Jan-86
4.00
Table 14: USA lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity 1995 American/Eur opean lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, 1,741 frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned 79 Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen 14,234 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen 131 Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, frozen 662 Total 16,847 Source: FAO Fishstat
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
1,677
1,225
1,495
1,784
1,630
802
596
851
646
176
166
223
196
284
300
332
390
409
15,725
19,170
17,311
23,541
26,968
25,928
29,484
26,716
24,997
311
495
307
208
89
50
53
103
25
1,064 18,953
542 21,598
378 19,714
443 26,172
310 29,281
256 27,336
315 30,780
438 28,498
261 26,338
Table 15: USA lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity 1995 American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen 3,377 Lobster tails or meat, canned 2,639 Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen 51 Lobsters nei, frozen Lobsters, live 13,400 Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen 789 Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, frozen 12,268 Total 32,524 Source: FAO Fishstat
5.2
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
4,266
1,481
135
73
101
91
60
27
259
2,778
3,256
3,147
3,922
4,525
4,783
5,334
5,267
4,588
32 12,920
320 2,977 13,727
12 4,012 15,138
40 6,866 16,847
148 8,285 20,593
59 8,071 22,390
76 8,911 24,060
76 9,052 22,546
45 7,851 22,442
977
1,161
509
319
688
523
335
270
188
10,400 31,373
10,031 32,953
9,142 32,095
12,633 40,700
13,104 47,444
10,466 46,383
11,892 50,668
12,989 50,227
13,251 48,624
EUROPE
Lobster in Europe is mainly purchased by the hotel, restaurant and institution (HRI) sector. Live lobster is still the most valuable and requested product form even though this implies strong price variations. Currently, the European market prefers smaller sized lobster, so-called chix of approximately 450 g. Previously 900-1,400 g sizes were preferred.
31
Suppliers keep stocks of live lobsters to benefit from higher prices during peak seasons. Prices decline during the main fishing season in summer before they start increasing again from October, with a peak at Christmas, and high levels due to low production from January to March. The intra-European production is unable to provide sufficient supply as European stocks are less abundant than the North American ones. Landings of European lobster have stabilized around approximately 3,000 tonnes over the past 10 years. Main producers are the UK, Ireland and France. Depending on the season, European live lobster costs up to twice as much as American lobster. The strong Euro makes US lobster imports even more competitive as European consumers have more spending power. Table 16: EU lobster production (tonnes) Country 1995 UK 1,373 Ireland 648 France 389 Spain 155 Italy 197 Greece 523 Portugal 108 Sweden 29 Netherlands Denmark 27 Belgium 3 Cyprus 2 Germany 9 Latvia Total 3,463 Source: FAO Fishstat
1996 1,050 629 381 190 312 212 151 26 44 5 17 3,017
1997 1,576 561 426 121 331 374 73 27 39 2 <0.5 3,530
1998 1,501 657 297 132 174 155 46 26 18 4 <0.5 3,010
1999 1,834 632 381 110 161 170 110 25 13 11 1 2 <0.5 3,450
2000 1,156 648 405 56 123 201 105 20 12 11 1 4 2,742
2001 1,101 816 404 122 166 233 22 18 33 11 6 6 <0.5 2,938
2002 1,203 776 348 172 152 112 18 19 11 11 1 5 <0.5 10 2,838
2003 1,339 714 364 388 184 90 22 30 19 9 1 3 <0.5 3,163
2004 1,287 934 318 229 179 89 39 31 18 8 1 1 1 3,135
Table 17: European lobster production by species European lobster Common spiny lobster Lobsters nei Palinurid spiny lobsters nei Source: FAO Fishstat
1995 2,747 317 11
1996 2,209 425 25
1997 2,834 430 27
1998 2,528 227 35
1999 2,958 222 92
2000 2,336 185 89
2001 2,510 234 15
2002 2,390 200 18
2003 2,465 229 245
2004 2,580 213 192
385
357
239
195
167
123
174
229
224
150
While total import volumes are fairly stable, the import values have decreased since 2002 due to the weak dollar. Processed lobster mports from non-EU countries are currently penalized by tariffs of approximately 20%. The main European markets for lobster products in order of importance are France, Spain, Italy and Belgium. Even though some discounters are now offering lobster products, they are still considered high end food products and associated with luxury. From time to time there is some
32
campaigning against lobster, especially against live lobster trade from organizations like PETA. Table 18: Harmonized System (HS) Combined Nomenclature (CN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EUROSTAT) 03061100 03061110 03061190 03061210 03061290 03062100 03062210 03062291 03062299 16053000 16053010 16053090
5.2.1
Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish, whether in shell or not, including frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish in shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water Frozen crawfish tails (Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.) whether in shell or not, including crawfish tails in their shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.), whether in shell or not, including frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish in shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water (excl.crawfish tails) Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole, including lobsters in shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish (Palinurus spp., Panulirus spp., Jasus spp.), whether in shell or not, live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, including lobsters in shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, incl. parts of lobsters in shell, cooked by boiling or by steaming in water Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces
Belgium
According to Eurostat figures, total lobster imports to Belgium are relatively stable around 3,000 tonnes since 2000 with approximately 66% originating from non-EU countries. Live lobsters, mainly from Canada, represents the most important product. In 2005, Canada supplied in fact more than 14 tonnes of live lobster to Belgium. Within the European Union, France is the main supplier of lobster products to Belgium, in particular in the frozen lobster segment.
33
Table 19: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN 1996 Frozen crawfish tails 687 Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish 211 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole 3,701 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) 319 Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked 161 Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' 12,336 Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked 6 Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved 190 Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total 17,611 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 227
1998 209
1999 123
2000 380
2001 646
2002 397
2003 677
2004 347
2005 946
230
129
21
683
576
410
219
306
53
3,822
5,018
6,895
5,716
3,790
4,015
3,233
3,567
4,520
422
57
105
627
12
26
39
436
1,306
89
75
55
60
56
56
78
122
57
14,844
14,514
17,781
16,723
14,787
15,399
15,078
15,704
15,521
255
321
264
83
296
203
403
197
346
2
274
5
2
4
146
153
191
218
238
296
110
128
304
175 20,214
478 20,954
138 25,575
191 24,955
282 20,688
10 20,814
158 19,995
147 20,954
183 23,236
34
Table 20: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 729
1997 222
1998 532
1999 724
2000 85
2001 100
2002 181
2003 106
2004 276
2005 455
376
1,844
1,468
2,980
1,518
1,607
4,899
564
155
223
545
179
449
361
232
542
538
1,165
608
877
29
62
73
38
36
74
170
641
715
816
392
206
208
281
290
126
354
653
681
422
5,557
4,770
4,917
4,243
4,043
4,257
4,087
5,084
4,691
4,371
61
123
109
136
113
53
53
75
102
141
11
104
301
259
402
520
328
158
67
21
118
87
182
155
249
117
113
26
58
25 7,653
18 8,162
197 9,401
259 7,133
174 7,702
77 10,804
112 8,671
875 8,196
2,516 9,900
85
7,785
Table 21: Main suppliers of lobster to Belgium (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 13,324 USA 2,929 France 1,367 Spain 351 UK 186 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 17,576 2,101 1,566 772 389
1998 18,403 1,987 1,268 1,131 358
1999 22,904 2,416 1,977 2,371 435
2000 20,715 3,549 1,014 1,018 293
35
2001 18,19 1,696 1,076 1,236 251
2002 18,782 1,477 895 4,576 463
2003 17,603 1,367 973 390 771
2004 19,626 658 832 125 521
2005 21,422 789 1,174 95 432
5.2.2
France
France is the major market for lobster in Europe and represents the main hub for lobster distribution to the other European countries, in particular Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium. Total lobster imports are growing slowly since 2002, reaching 8,900 tonnes in 2005. 60-70% of total lobster imports originate from extra-EU countries. Live lobster is still the most important product (37% of total lobster product imports in 2005), but frozen spiny/rock lobster makes up also a significant share. Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own production of lobster was estimated to be 290 tonnes in 2004 by the French Ministry of Agriculture. Rock lobster production was limited to 37 tonnes. The US Department of Agriculture provides slightly higher lobster production figures for France, indicating 350 tonnes for 2005. France imports most of its lobster supplies from Canada (approximately one third of the French live lobster market and almost the entire frozen segment), even though in 2004 the USA were the main lobster supplier. Other suppliers are the UK and Ireland for European lobster and Bahamas, Cuba and Spain for spiny/rock lobster. Usually, imports are concentrated in the second half of the year. Lobster is consumed mainly for the restaurant and catering sector. Cheaper shrimp products are increasingly competing with lobster in the market. In addition to the traditional Christmas season, consumption peaks in April and May. In the past, Canada made efforts to â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;de-seasonalizeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lobster consumption in France.
36
Table 22: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 12,373
1997 9,389
1998 14,026
1999 10,824
2000 11,241
2001 8,815
2002 10,628
2003 12,203
2004 13,188
2005 14,844
6,040
5,682
4,553
9,643
7,900
6,803
3,296
4,764
5,669
5,057
12,999
12,125
10,951
8,759
7,383
7,896
7,268
8,459
5,590
4,512
4,681
5,905
6,847
7,358
5,629
6,278
3,013
4,166
4,362
2,977
2,380
3,793
4,772
6,214
4,511
4,894
4,584
5,051
4,777
4,152
25,432
22,245
24,496
25,753
24,101
24,460
26,649
25,281
25,422
24,054
39
6
12
1
48
18
57
13
2
2
0
2
2,127
1,514
1,820
2,147
2,148
1,853
1,913
1,641
1,278
1,079 62,364
543 67,704
428 70,799
744 63,668
734 62,029
581 57,920
566 62,423
518 61,167
631 57,507
1,249
65,250
37
Table 23: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 6,077
1997 3,283
1998 5,253
1999 4,358
2000 4,620
2001 5,411
2002 4,189
2003 3,466
2004 2,498
2005 3,268
4,667
9,375
10,749
15,651
11,273
13,227
11,370
8,265
8,400
9,689
818
2,186
1,769
2,600
3,732
1,901
1,634
1,771
2,200
3,818
58
441
820
3,010
979
230
177
262
666
1,226
2,067
1,074
1,151
943
1,115
634
1,190
810
1,068
1,495
8,241
8,322
9,899
9,041
7,694
7,434
7,897
9,399
9,475
9,887
152
68
427
321
218
237
181
66
192
400
483
59
27
63
40
117
86
66
64
133
301
36
100
192
87
19
91
27
229
294 25,403
118 30,249
221 36,308
674 30,537
431 29,709
475 27,218
620 24,816
3,154 27,744
2,184 32,329
371
22,934
38
Figure 5: French lobster exports (tonnes) 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Intra EU25 lobster exports Extra EU25 lobster exports
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Source: EUROSTAT
Table 24: main EU export destinations for French lobster (100kg) 1996 Belgium 1,186 Germany 1,587 Spain 839 Italy 995 Source: EUROSTAT
5.2.3
1997 987 1,090 636 908
1998 1,402 1,696 763 1,184
1999 1,232 1,275 1,242 1,108
2000 796 1,281 1,379 1,300
2001 752 1,158 1,522 4,986
2002 1,196 846 1,192 1,136
2003 1,233 863 1,108 1,080
2004 1,793 848 1,118 1,390
2005 1,105 1,313 1,041 2,850
Germany
The German import market for lobster was fairly stable over the past ten years with volumes around 1,100 tonnes, but grew recently considerably reaching more than 1,700 tonnes in 2005 according to Eurostat data. This increase is imputable mainly to a peak in frozen whole lobster intra-EU imports from 80 tonnes in 2004 to 500 tonnes in 2005. There is currently a preference for 400-450g sized lobster (canners or chix) compared to larger sizes in the past. This is mainly due to considerable increases in prices over the past 15 years. Demand for lobster is continuously growing. Live lobster from North America is still the lead product with a share of 45% of the total lobster imports in 2005, but frozen lobster is steadily gaining ground. Canada is main supplier from North America. Overseas imports arrive usually at the Perishable Centre Frankfurt (PCF) close to the international airport in Frankfurt.
39
Table 25: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 138
1997 72
1998 115
1999 62
2000 34
2001 6
2002 74
2003 139
2004 56
2005 6
18
15
0
14
0
5
11
16
39
61
1,694
1,556
1,668
1,519
1,326
1,337
2,165
2,292
2,621
2,233
52
36
95
613
36
159
42
52
175
168
90
93
79
59
90
38
4
19
53
45
5,818
7,068
7,418
8,065
7,340
6,388
6,588
5,665
6,706
6,374
11
5
2
15
0
10
45
11
5
2
5
0
113
48
84
92
64
220
163
125
9,189
9,593
187 10,62 0
9,048
4
9
1
7
66
34
2
50
115
67
68
98
59
8,122
9,017
8,294
9,755
9,003
232
8,098
40
Table 26: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 178
1997 275
1998 243
1999 244
2000 204
2001 222
2002 176
2003 331
2004 390
2005 445
507
222
122
171
200
216
137
134
40
134
25
107
157
300
249
296
175
144
801
5,077
87
115
56
496
68
198
51
324
220
586
278
334
387
381
215
98
132
142
83
505
249
393
475
532
512
712
712
66 1,14 1
1,734
130
147
86
73
91
92
180
101
147
237
18
3
99
389
179
15
9
1
51
38
167
45
47
66
16
25
49
661 2,16 4
367 1,94 8
91 2,78 7
198 1,98 1
105 1,80 1
53 1,69 1
145 2,05 0
662 3,49 2
523 8,870
2004 6,165 3,410 538 136 31
2005 6,329 2,545 1,047 39 122
2
67
1,79 5
Table 27: Main suppliers of lobster to Germany (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 5,560 USA 2,211 France 1,044 Spain 87 UK 68 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 6,552 2,316 677 104 54
1998 6,572 2,677 625 104 165
1999 6,899 2,980 675 177 82
2000 6,435 2,483 658 178 62
41
2001 6,145 1,946 579 136 78
2002 7,240 1,683 698 106 27
2003 5,825 2,254 557 166 44
5.2.4
Ireland
Ireland is one of the main European lobster producers. According to GTIS estimates based on customs data, total Irish landings were 853 tonnes in the period June 2004-June 2005. Almost the entire production is exported to other European countries (France: 62%, Spain: 29%, Sweden: 4%, UK: 3%, Denmark: 2%).Since 2001, exports were fairly stable around 400 tonnes, but dropped sharply to only 260 tonnes in 2005. Live European lobster represents the most important product (84% of total lobster product export volume in 2005). Imports totalled 1,200 tonnes in 2005. Non-EU countries provided only 13% of total lobster imports. Main product is frozen spiny/rock lobster. Prices are fluctuating constantly, even by over 100%, especially for live products. According to the North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee, live lobster fetched â&#x201A;Ź33/kg during the peak Christmas season in 2005. On the other hand, in periods of abundant supply prices can go down to â&#x201A;Ź12/kg during the summer. In order to benefit from price fluctuations, the Irish lobster industry needs to increase stocking facilities to be able to provide supply in high demand periods. Most of the current facilities allow storage for limited periods (average of 2 weeks). However, keeping live lobster stocked for a long time implicates considerable costs and storage needs. Improved marketing of European lobster could increase demand during the main landing seasons. Table 28: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001 9
2
4
0
0
1
1
0
9
2002
2003
27
2
0
14
4
2005 0
3
0
0 1
2004
0
28
42
103
111
139
274
229
167
1 104
1 122
142
274
229
167
Table 29: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999 152
2000 776
0
26
2001 1,265
2002 1,205
2003 980
2004 761
2005 774
33
101
19
17
13
10
1
281
0
18
5
134
79
50
56
330
54
52
22
21
21
21
5
0
0
7
10
26
33
15 157
3,887
3,973
12
1
3
0
4
3
2
3
1
19
26
86
222
14
8
1
33 555
156 1,318
74 1,501
46 1,558
53 1,084
98 966
86 1,042
9
7
311
3,995
2 4,029
Figure 6: Irish lobster exports (tonnes) 60
Extra EU lobster exports Intra EU lobster exports
50 40 30 20 10 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Source: EUROSTAT
Table 30: Main EU export destinations for Irish lobser (100kg) 1996 Spain 588 France 1,905 UK 118 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 500 2,556 2,238
1998 551 2,223 548
1999 475 1,816 190
2000 446 1,784 418
43
2001 311 2,512 304
2002 771 3,301 142
2003 715 2,425 225
2004 1,006 2,190 53
2005 1,174 1,265 177
5.2.5
Italy
Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main fresh lobster supplier is the US and the demand for frozen US products is growing, even though the frozen market is currently dominated by Canadian and intra-EU imports. The US account for about 75% of the total Italian lobster imports. Main intra-EU suppliers are Spain and France. Other important suppliers are Canada and increasingly South Africa. The value of US lobster imports to Italy in 2003 was estimated to be worth USD 42 million2. The total import volume, dominated by live lobster (approximately 63% of the total import volume), reached 5,500 tonnes in 2005. The average wholesale price for live lobster in the Italian market in May and June 2006 was 20 â&#x201A;Ź/kg. A shift in demand from live lobster to frozen lobster is likely as users from the high end restoration and catering sector are appreciating the versatility and predictability of this product. Live lobster quality is often negatively affected by the inadequate distribution chain and improper handling methods. In order to expand the market in Italy, there is need for training at the hotel, restaurant and private consumer level on how to present and serve lobster dishes.
2
US International Trade Commission
44
Table 31: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN 1995 Frozen crawfish tails 1,063 Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish 3,315 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole 624 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) 42 Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked 1,246 Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' 18,428 Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked 0 Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total 24,718 Source: EUROSTAT
1996 659
1997 418
1998 45
1999 41
2000 188
2001 111
2002 62
2003 196
2004 79
2005 30
4,246
1,588
2,903
3,516
2,386
3,418
2,325
3,539
2,220
2,898
727
1,077
1,283
1,582
2,437
3,123
1,880
2,810
2,813
2,469
16
18
7
3
13
7
1,244
1,380
1,882
2,429
2,513
1,981
1,658
2,305
2,892
2,694
20,201
22,559
27,363
30,151
31,219
31,085
30,824
32,249
34,644
34,669
8
14
106
13
2
0
6
27,080
14 27,036
25 33,509
15 37,761
45
8 38,863
1
14 39,752
36,751
10 41,125
42,666
8 42,776
Table 32: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN 1996 Frozen crawfish tails 232 Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish 3,521 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole 1,011 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) 120 Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked 369 Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' 310 Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked 24 Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked 26 Lobsters, prepared or preserved 43 Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total 5,656 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 1,581
1998 1,351
1999 916
2000 1,073
2001 707
2002 801
2003 917
2004 508
2005 940
6,236
6,836
5,874
5,807
5,671
6,076
4,893
7,499
7,579
1,125
1,960
1,105
651
399
368
604
562
458
67
49
113
490
195
161
140
209
150
499
422
1,249
760
1,852
1,834
1,323
1,421
1,644
478
381
409
306
400
295
380
660
703
63
216
247
200
262
182
429
848
1,020
76
106
61
69
76
79
16
27
22
115
57
10
16
54
44
35
9
4
148 10,388
9 11,387
10 9,994
48 9,420
107 9,723
66 9,906
49 8,786
54 11,797
190 12,710
Table 33: Main suppliers of lobster to Italy (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 5,776 USA 15,210 South 505 Africa France 2,129 Spain 2,618 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 5,020 18,779
1998 4,873 23,716
1999 7,333 24,480
2000 9,516 24,787
2001 10,052 24,143
2002 7,287 25,471
2003 8,332 26,851
2004 8,844 28,665
2005 8,224 28,899
496
998
1,395
972
794
1,017
1,624
2,300
2,210
1,621 6,849
2,181 7,289
1,991 6,037
1,262 6,387
1,285 6,974
932 6,960
1,139 5,545
2,098 7,254
2,438 6,691
46
5.2.6
Netherlands
Dutch lobster imports had a record low in 2002 (420 tonnes), but are recovering quickly. Total imports in 2005 amounted to almost 1,200 tonnes. Exports from non-EU countries have declined considerably over the past ten years, from almost 1,600 tonnes in 1995 to only 590 tonnes in 2005. The value of intra-EU imports on the other hand grew from 150 tonnes in 1995 to 590 tonnes in 2005. This trend indicates a growing market preference for rock/spiny lobster and lobster preparations as opposed to the traditional Homarus product. American lobster is still an important product, but the volume of frozen products is increasing while live lobster imports are gradually dropping. Main non-EU supplier is Canada. The Bahamas supplied some spiny/rock lobster on an irregular basis. Within the EU, UK and France are main suppliers with France taking the lead in 2004. In order to add value to its product, the Oosterschelde Lobster Promotion Group is currently investigating the possibility to obtain sustainability certification under the Marine Stewardship Council guidelines. Production in the Oosterschelde lake is estimated to be between 60,000 and 80,000 pot-caught lobsters annually which fetch prices up to 35 USD/kg.
47
Table 34: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2,220
463
987
233
889
492
481
849
484
241
1,506
136
650
458
688
77
149
443
262
229
1,616
970
587
505
118
52
0
385
101
3,131
135
74
410
42
9
204
55
10
0
132
12
21
10
1
9,687
5,976
6,390
3,256
2,239
1
2
10
8
4
25
0
0
69
3,220
1,792
1,915
2,209
1,988
89
57
22
16
31
20
0
24
0
160
99
228
3,774
447 3,721
65 5,913
254
15,568
13 7,644
202 9,248
35 4,545
48
3,969
0 4,154
2,534
Table 35: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 8
1997 17
1998 74
1999 20
2000 10
2001 4
2002 54
2003 45
2004 62
2005 40
113
52
85
176
22
7
48
413
303
234
77
142
211
96
70
108
443
280
527
339
12
56
92
119
126
232
78
184
110
92
94
83
29
4
6
13
1
23
2,447
1,939
308
766
540
165
172
101
384
1,480
135
82
29
84
77
27
17
30
0
0
22
17
9
13
10
10
10
14
0
42
81
22
144
237
192
32
119
39
117 1,297
313 1,471
111 806
1,580 2,220
191 930
466 1,693
836 3,333
1,168 4,885
3,203 5,968
7
33 225
877
Table 36: Main suppliers of lobster to the Netherlands (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 10,097 USA 2,226 Bahamas 1,281 France 176 UK 136 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 6,345 595 132 178 44
1998 6,615 983 58 125 59
1999 3,391 523 129 51 107
2000 2,282 706 726 88 57
49
2001 3,092 116 116 26 56
2002 1,732 76 354 350 47
2003 2,108 80 363 569 1,142
2004 2,479 557 198 654 62
2005 4,725 889 866 136
5.2.7
Spain
After France, Spain is the most important European lobster importer. The market is very strong. Import volumes grew from 1,970 tonnes in 1995 to more than 8,800 tonnes in 2005 with more than 70% of the supplies coming from extra-EU countries. One factor responsible for increased imports is the reduced amount of domestic landings. By far the most important lobster products in terms of import volume are live lobsters (45% of total imports) and frozen spiny/rock lobster (35% of total imports). Prices for fresh lobster dropped to an historic low of 9â&#x201A;Ź/kg in late 2001/early 2002. Since then, the prices recovered to a current level of approximately 18â&#x201A;Ź/kg. European lobster is imported mainly from the UK, France, Morocco and Tunisia. In Spain, European lobster is serving basically the high-end restaurants, while American lobster is mainly available at medium restaurants and in supermarkets for direct consumption. European or blue lobster has a higher quality image compared to American lobster. Fish and seafood consumption in Spain is very high. Lobster is used in the preparation of different plates, according to the region. These plates include for instance high quality paellas, lobster stew, baked lobster for a total of more than 200 dishes. Lobster is very common for weddings.
50
Table 37: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN 1996 Frozen crawfish tails 2,051 Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish 5,488 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole 105 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) 23 Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked 1,348 Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' 9,873 Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked 2 Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved 16 Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total 18,906 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 4,028
1998 1,170
1999 1,694
2000 969
2001 519
2002 2,747
2003 460
2004 2,897
2005 2,450
22,818
37,010
36,046
29,430
26,939
31,954
20,899
21,613
24,982
255
1,317
1,434
1,260
2,180
886
1,228
1,763
2,361
1
20
1
120
116
64
3,333
3,112
3,092
2,777
2,722
2,467
2,553
3,799
3,012
11,738
15,059
17,921
20,187
22,930
24,849
27,022
30,567
32,154
6
2
32 60,671
64,959
2
3
42,179
4 57,694
9
11
4 60,195
51
2 54,747
5 55,422
15 62,982
11 52,182
Table 38: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 141
1997 28
1998 195
1999 51
2000 207
2001 76
2002 460
2003 456
2004 234
2005 241
596
776
769
1,312
2,094
2,517
2,703
2,036
1,294
6,549
1,025
298
381
255
319
274
304
203
590
952
0
12
312
1
142
155
6
921
4,046
5,381
638
195
237
262
192
469
897
244
413
863
4,027
4,412
6,109
4,740
4,808
5,629
5,485
7,646
11,070
8,501
104
9
1
39
144
278
398
423
161
55
144
171
193
71
48
52
141
26
51
65
22
7
0
7
29
6
10
8
86
0 5,923
153 8,357
19 6,750
6,764 14,725
530 10,009
276 10,676
10 11,975
5 17,872
1,196 23,889
7
6,682
52
Figure 7: Fresh lobster, wholesale prices, Mercabarna (â&#x201A;Ź/kg) 21 19 17 15 13
May-05
Oct-04
Feb-04
Jun-03
May-02
Oct-01
Feb-01
May-00
Jun-99
Nov-98
Feb-98
Jun-97
Nov-96
Mar-96
Jul-Aug-95
Dec-94
Apr-94
Sep-93
Jan-93
Apr-92
Jan-91
9
Sep-91
11
Source: MERCABARNA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 20051215
Table 39: Main EU export destinations for Spanish lobster (100kg) 1996 France 4,789 Italy 2,843 Portugal 1,242 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 5,502 3,469 2,744
1998 1,350 345 3,493
1999 17,786 4,565 4,257
2000 10,391 6,545 7,717
2001 11,516 5,150 3,483
2002 12,959 6,860 3,810
2003 14,960 7,291 3,172
2004 14,009 6,962 4,755
2005 10,030 6,670 5,279
Figure 8: Spanish lobster exports (tonnes) 350 300 250 200 150
Intra EU lobster exports Extra EU lobster exports
100 50 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Source: EUROSTAT 5.2.8
Sweden
Total Swedish lobster imports peaked in 1999, with a total import volume of more than 1,000 tonnes followed by a steep fall to only 390 tonnes in 2000. Since then, imports are slowly recovering and reached 670 tonnes in 2005. Extra EU suppliers are still dominating the import market, but intra-EU producers are gaining more importance, delivering one third of the total lobster imports. Canada is again main supplier while within Europe France and Ireland are loosing ground to Spain.
53
Live American lobster is so far the most important product form (approximately 30% of total lobster product import volume), followed closely by frozen Homarus and frozen rock/spiny lobster tails, the latter one mainly from intra-European imports. Table 40: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 622
1997 708
1998 370
1999 2,010
2000 459
8
1
1,927
2,771
2,236
5,433
682
1,146
1,144
428
330
209
266
318
177
1
1
0
0
0
2001 548
2002 4
2004 5
2005 148
1,892
2,444
1,167
467
486
561
296
0
2003 0
1,390
1,451
2,414
1,914
1,394
1,435
1,616
1,735
1,874
2,000
122
174
34
34
22
18
31
15
11
15
0
1
68
68
55
48
93
91
91
89 5,592
191 5,523
164 9,878
238 3,161
120 3,537
248 3,601
127 4,346
0
0
340
4,837
54
210
180 5,075
178 4,014
Table 41: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
83
30
14
6
269
9
84
291
527
1,234
6
46
75
119
108
64
230
88
62
26
39
111
58
97
39
124
98
247
746
503
13
15
39
10
7
9
13
1
18
15
1
76
74
0
14
35
12
85
121
115
128
61
141
50
19
7
5
3
5
12
57
90
40
11
0
6
1
1
3
3
0
58
5
296
43 357
35 213
31
199
71
0
91
32
49
88 444
26 806
1 396
98 706
94 973
47 1,625
52 1,953
2003 4,111 175 152 175
2004 4,720 194 5 65 325
2005 3,435 259 2 117 301
Table 42: Main suppliers of lobster to Sweden (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 3,663 USA 503 France Ireland 2 Spain 2 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 4,455 345 33 20 -
1998 4,567 468 2 52 -
1999 6,823 890 37 38 -
2000 2,279 320 3 73 -
55
2001 2,697 214 73 -
2002 3,231 226 87 129 -
5.2.9
United Kingdom
Lobster imports to the UK grew slowly but steadily over the past ten years, from 1,300 tonnes in 1995 to 2,300 tonnes in 2005. The share of intra-EU exports within total lobster imports is growing, reaching 30% in 2005. Live lobster from the US and Canada which in 2000 accounted for almost 70% of total lobster imports represented only 34% of total imports in 2005. On the other hand, the share of frozen rock lobster tails and preserved products in gaining ground. In 2001, the UK retail giant Sainsburyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s introduced MSC-certified Western Rock Lobster to its product range. Table 43: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 247
1997 103
1998 193
1999 50
2000
2001
2002 7
2003 12
2004 8
2005 29
449
74
255
248
250
148
1
151
39
479
961
857
1,195
860
3,276
1,564
846
748
987
1,213
652
556
532
286
321
901
2,808
2,925
3,061
3,047
14
44
30
3
14
14
28
19
29
13
8,015
9,971
10,475
11,907
12,016
11,221
10,936
9,744
9,004
8,115
134
8
15
138
4
91
796
2,450
3,330
60
129
18
3
38
274
2
22
75
354
272
400
52
381
322 14,889
136 15,036
227 15,044
240 15,945
164 16,771
278
290
10,810
257 12,289
200
351 13,064
523 14,218
56
252 16,171
Table 44: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 50
1997 65
1998 3
1999 70
2000 84
2001 33
2002 60
2003 173
2004 873
2005 3,034
325
268
41
67
82
462
63
43
95
160
193
109
158
209
151
87
113
23
495
757
184
39
96
50
128
33
43
200
268
462
3
5
0
5
39
31
280
77
1,333
1,966
10
3
7
255
927
453
8
1
62
360
12
32
21
2
0
26
0
146
213
88
11
88
865
18
5
190
6
39
22
244
27
31
114 655
93 424
166 1,038
92 1,509
355 1,493
53 788
232 1,206
159 3,400
216 7,001
Figure 9: British lobster exports (tonnes) 250 Intra EU lobster exports Extra EU lobster exports
200
4
150 100 50 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Source: EUROSTAT
57
Table 45: Main EU export destinations for UK lobster (100kg) 1996 Spain 3,729 France 6,592 Portugal 278 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 4,538 6,691 370
1998 3,710 5,886 190
1999 4,157 7,489 220
2000 3,877 4,201 148
2001 4,627 3,660 266
2002 4,688 5,643 281
2003 5,932 5,465 650
2004 8,477 5,924 657
2005 7,814 9,130 1,256
5.2.10 Other European countries Austria Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lobster consumption is very limited. Since 2001, total lobster imports are fairly stable around 80-90 tonnes. In 2005, total imports of lobster products where about 87 tonnes. More than 50% were live lobster imports and around 30% were whole frozen lobster. Apparently there is no preference between European lobster and American lobster as supplies alternate between intra and extra EU sources. Canada and France are main suppliers for lobster in Austria. The American embassy in Austria has identified American lobster as one of the best highvalue products with potential for market expansion in Austria.
58
Table 46: Extra EU lobster imports (100 kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
33 24 140
120
111
33
175
170
16
19
5
182
100
103
138
119
20
5
3
121
130
343
7
6
288
285
257
304
288
35 320
109 373
500
301
23
467
22 385
142 388
98 423
59
52 185
710
Table 47: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
8
372
598
813
41
26
22
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
76
16
7
23
17
2
62
105
72
70 1
3
3
3
69
100
102
88
146
2
5
4
8
1
21
4
4
18
48
5
1
2
1
14
239
180
211
170
117
74
79
113
92
111
2
1
135
123
213
3
174
184
185
75
2
1
1
5
6
5
2
259
17
10
23
24
1
4
8
2
41 646
2 992
1 1143
489
53 257
59 625
524
512
2003 110 70 -
2004 90 118 51
95 379
Table 48: Main lobster suppliers to Austria (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 200 France 45 Ireland 29 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 160 24 56
1998 196 47 -
1999 157 60 16
2000 93 68 57
60
2001 75 131 29
2002 77 110 -
2005 103 66 -
Denmark Annual lobster imports are stable around 240 tonnes, almost equally provided by intraand extra EU suppliers. Main product is American live lobster provided since 2001 entirely by Canada. France, UK and Ireland provide the bulk of the intra-European supplies to Denmark. Denmark is producing some Norway lobsters which are also exported to other European countries. Table 49: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1
2
1998
1999
2000
2
2001
2002
0
1
6
3
2
2003
2004
228
1 216
5
458
513
854
729
635
1,235
753
759
558
1
2
33
31
4
9
4
63
3
0
0
527
575
15 500
505
539
846
9
5
13
1
716
613
492
531
2005
575
1
4
10
1
13 1,357
308 1,574
246
1,611
130
80
143
406
426
17 1,390
70 1,371
10 2,289
16 1,902
37 1,846
61
7 1,064
238 1,332
Table 50: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
12
16
12
0
46
67
72
10
24
92
4
5
362
138
156
533
306
547
390
426
417
383
99
89
71
41
86
107
22
11
25
15
102
41
220
27
191
67
71
518
314
397
233
121
280
50
60
55
36
29
55
191
32
36
0
195
163
103
111
92
64
2
130
0
4
2
4
21 1,002
51 935
92 1,078
7 908
22 1,106
72
95
880
136 636
2 745
103 805
10 1,096
Table 51: Main suppliers of lobster to Denmark (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 1,049 USA 287 UK 227 Ireland 32 France 3 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 840 407 72 79 18
1998 981 287 64 394 44
1999 1,670 461 214 55 15
2000 1,522 82 199 17 107
62
2001 1,316 7 113 13 126
2002 871 119 24 23
2003 1,010 316 19 19
2004 955 175 31 19
2005 1,085 174 32 184
Finland Finland is a rather small market with low levels of Homarus and spiny/rock lobster consumption. Total imports of these species have been stable around 75 tonnes over the past few years. Main product is frozen rock lobster from EU countries (France) while supplies from nonEU (Canada) countries are negligible. Table 52: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003 1
20
4
20
2004
2005
1
48
65
53
52
66
84
82
60
65
53
52
10 76
84
83
60
1
4
40
49
63
Table 53: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Totral Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
9
17
49
52
45
3
30
177
163
146
19
160
315
152
174
216
316
317
322
335
110
76
65
157
83
94
98
111
106
118
4
9
2
76
8
24
15
12
27
31
0
0
1
2
2
0
1
3
15
20
14
4
1
27
7
4
5
10
1
0
48
0
4
3
0
10
10
1
1
19
16
5
7
7
9
8
6
9
21 316
31 526
60 517
37 367
13 387
6 482
49 682
36 668
25 689
2003 84 2
2004 83 -
98
265
Table 54: Main suppliers of lobster to Finland (100kg imported) 1996 Canada 4 France 60 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 39 28
1998 48 14
1999 64 23
2000 53 14
64
2001 52 4
2002 66 3
2005 60 -
Greece Lobster imports to Greece peaked in 2001, when they reached 490 tonnes. Since then, import volumes oscillate in a range of 330-450 tonnes annually. Live lobster is imported from the USA and Canada, while frozen products are supplied mainly by other EU countries. Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s contribution to lobster supplies is increasing. Within the EU, Spain is the main supplier. Table 55: Extra EU lobster import (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
17
2001 34
2002
2003 52
56
44
95
71
351
1,071
788
17
35
39
329
113
165
117
21
18
7
1
0
1
137
178
210
243
319
0
0
1
0
607
313
393
106
2000 120
14 364
65
864
316
2 1,502
2004 23
2005
1,570
695
603
17
46
63
0
2
1
386
570
709
420
16
10
2
0
1
1,324
10 2,300
1,475
1,090
Table 56: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobsters, prepared or preserved Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
270
510
578
599
813
913
581
596
633
557
818
1,280
1,229
1,806
1,505
2,042
722
835
1,640
803
54
131
300
273
179
148
664
227
275
488
59
104
69
137
272
210
121
146
458
269
99
26
32
203
33
64
50
55
0
1
93
4
42
0
4
62
0
0
44
45
0
0
7
10
28
99
28
56
31
7 3,435
9 2,203
2 1,908
2 3,118
1 2,266
15
56
1,315
2,051
8 2,217
46 3,213
81 2,931
Table 57: Main suppliers of lobster to Greece (100kg imported) 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Canada 76 86 135 197 208 231 295 USA 62 86 76 41 308 366 302 Australia 1 Spain 7 150 213 298 178 205 456 UK 81 50 2 60 175 136 58 Source: EUROSTAT 66
2003 436 232 65 387 107
2004 592 205 134 638 896
2005 285 118 150 667 10
Norway The Norwegian market for imported Homarus and rock/spiny lobster is relatively limited (total imports in 2004: 27 tonnes) as Norway is producing its own European and Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus. Norway is pioneer for lobster farming. The first company start up is planned for the summer 2006 with an annual production capacity of 8,000 pcs. (6 cm) juvenile, 8,000 pcs. (12 cm) juvenile and 8,000 pcs. plate sized European lobsters (20 cm). Demand for portion sized lobster is expected to be growing, both in the domestic market and in foreign markets (Scandinavia, Europe, Japan). The first delivery is planned for 2008 and the goal is to produce 50 tonnes of lobster within three years. Table 58: Total lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), whole, fresh or chilled American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), whole, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters nei, fresh or chilled Lobsters nei, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
199 4
199 5
199 6
199 7
199 8
199 9
200 0
200 1
200 2
200 3
200 4
60
48
48
60
51
53
52
46
56
54
67
166 5 3 11 245
264 6 79 397
269 25 31 373
128 39 12 239
184 53 2 2 292
198 44 2 297
235 23 1 311
232 35 1 314
106 9 171
151 4 209
166 38 1 272
Portugal Lobster is widely available in Portuguese seafood restaurants. Portugal is producing Norwegian and European lobster, but most of the supplies are imported from other EU countries (mainly Spain) and to a smaller extend from non-EU countries. Australia is one of the non-EU suppliers. Total imports oscillated between 300 tonnes and 420 tonnes over the past ten years. Frozen spiny/rock lobster represents the most important lobster product in terms of import volume (46% of total imports).
67
Table 59: Extra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN 1996 Frozen crawfish tails 91 Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish 1,312 Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) 95 Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked 1,323 Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' 37 Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Total 2,858 Source: EUROSTAT
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
49
43
90
74
95
207
140
165
21
416
269
327
109
276
486
494
248
142
46
12
1,015
1,284
858
655
574
694
863
609
489
34
26
194
319
188
141
136
86
128
50
1,560
1,672
0
1,469
68
1,157
1,133
1,528
1 1,646
1,108
15 795
Table 60: Intra EU lobster imports (100kg) CN Frozen crawfish tails Frozen Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp.'' , whole Frozen Lobsters 'Homarus spp'. (excl. whole) Rock Lobster and other sea crawfish live, dried, salted, in brine, incl. in shell, cooked Live Lobsters 'Homarus spp.' Whole lobsters, dried, salted or in brine, cooked Parts of Lobsters 'Homarus spp'., dried, salted or in brine, cooked Lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Lobster, prepared or preserved, excl. lobster meat, cooked, for the manufacture of lobster butter or of lobster pastes, pates, soups or sauces Total Source: EUROSTAT
1996 2
1997 30
1998 26
1999 88
2000 106
2001 205
2002 163
2003 126
2004 138
2005 7
743
1,235
1,743
1,806
1,513
1,081
1,673
1,032
1,018
1,485
2
85
294
231
25
14
4
0
13
17
1
0
0
0
1
2
145
86
266
372
259
164
196
99
196
166
250
319
338
339
318
452
582
631
862
897
1
5
13
23
13
3
1
3
1
4
6
3
1,140
0
4
0
3
0
0
0
4
144
1,698
2,382
7 2,646
1 2,225
5 1,925
2,703
2,186
2 2,458
0 2,729
Table 61: Main suppliers of lobster to Portugal (100kg imported) 1996 Canada USA 26 South 22 Africa Spain 818 France 127 UK 170 Source: EUROSTAT
1997 52 34
1998 52 25
1999 11 183
2000 10 408
2001 71 190
2002 73 123
2003 117 111
2004 72 29
2005 134 2
7
43
61
5
-
-
28
78
266
1,318 122 199
1,909 147 252
2,166 130 209
1,879 97 180
1,572 131 130
1,964 199 369
1,573 208 170
1,876 238 204
2,018 410 268
69
5.3
ASIA PACIFIC
The Asia-Pacific region is an important producer of rock/spiny lobsters which are often stored in net enclosures in seawater prior to sale in main live seafood markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan and Japan. The demand is very good. Frozen tails are exported mainly to the US. Australia and New Zealand are developing lobster aquaculture. Lobster tails from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are traded as ‘coldwater’ lobster products and have a higher market value compared to ‘warmwater’ rock/spiny lobster products from the Caribbean and South America. Coldwater lobster has a preferred flavor, texture and reputation for superior processing. Main coldwater lobster species are Panulirus Cygnus from Australia, Jasus edwardsii from New Zealand and Jasus lalandii from South Africa. 5.3.1
Australia
Worldwide, Australia is the fourth largest lobster (rock/spiny lobster) producer. Total exports amounted to almost 14,000 tonnes in 2004. Main markets of destination are in Asia (Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, China). The catch is exported live or frozen, as whole cooked or whole raw rock lobster to the Asian markets or processed into frozen raw tails for the United States, which used to be the main market before the 1990s. The domestic market is small and limited primarily to whole cooked lobster. Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) is the most valuable fishery in Australia. It represents about 20 %of the total value of Australia’s fisheries. The fishery received MSC certification in 2000. In 2003 the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in Asia caused major economic losses in the Australian lobster fisheries, especially as tourism in the region was strongly affected. In that period, beach prices for live Australian lobster were falling from USD22/kg to USD8/kg. Currently, the industry is still struggling to recover. Since 2003, product prices have declined by 25%. Increased in fuel prices and a penalizing exchange rate put additional pressure on exporters. In addition, there is potential future competition from farmed lobster from Vietnam and China. Due to this crisis, Australia intensified its efforts to target new markets for live and whole cooked lobster in Europe, where the products fetch higher prices. Australian officials lobbied in major European markets to support the successful placement of Australian lobster products in this promising market. The European Union agreed on an autonomous tariff quota (ATQ) for 2003-2006. This allowed Australia to import 1,500 tonnes of frozen rock lobster at only 6% duty (regular duty tariff: 12.5 per cent tariff). The Australian government is supporting the Southern rock lobster industry’s effort to develop the Northern American market with an AUSD 2.5 million grant to be invested within five years. The promotion strategy includes training for chefs. An agreement to negotiate a free trade pact between Australia and China signed in 2005 is expected to strengthen the rock lobster fishery, especially in southern Australia from where about 90% of the production is exported to China.
70
In 2003, Australian frozen and live spiny and rock lobster products accounted for the following percentages of the respective markets in terms of value3: o Hong Kong – Frozen: 46% (USD 1,362,094); live: 53% (USD 66,042,663) o Japan – Frozen: 42% (USD 2,863,362); live: 83% (USD 2,896,692) o Taiwan – Frozen: 59% (USD 1,516,821); live: 27% (USD 1,121,778) o USA – Frozen: 16% (USD 6,428,20); live: 4% (USD 56,586) Some companies have developed high-end value added lobster products, including lobster medallions, picked cooked meat, sashimi lobster, lobster liver, lobster oil, lemon and black pepper glaze and chilli coriander glaze. Table 62: Lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), whole, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), meat or tails, fresh or chilled Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), meat or tails, frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), whole, fresh or chilled Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), whole, frozen Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), meat or tails, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), whole, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), whole, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.3.2
1995 .
1996 .
1997 .
1998 .
1999 .
2000 139
2001 88
2002 -
2003 32
2004 2
133
144
189
235
103
176
413
274
98
44
4
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
116
444
58
35
34
182
435
674
490
104
-
78
-
-
-
103
25
-
19
34
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
8,802
8,622
9,460
9,496
10,576
8,026
7,359
6,083
6,277
7,304
6,204
5,826
5,849
5,689
6,667
7,248
4,802
4,466
5,846
6,282
-
57
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
12
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
107
-
-
-
63
42
-
5
1
15,259
15,290
15,556
15,455
17,380
15,798
13,076
11,497
12,735
13,769
China
With the opening of its markets, China represents a huge potential for all kinds of lobster products – from the demand and the supply side. 3
Source: Western Rock Lobster Development Association
71
Per capita seafood consumption in China is currently relatively low (approximately 4 kg per person annually in rural areas and 10 kg per person annually in urban areas) but is expected to grow. But even with modest consumption levels, the enormous number of inhabitants - more than 1.3 billion people â&#x20AC;&#x201C; represents an incredible potential for demand. The disposable income of part of the population is increasing and demand for high quality seafood expands. The booming economy induces also changes in the eating habits, generating demand for lobster products, in particular for live lobster. Chinese consumers have a traditional preference for live products. The Chinese New Year in early spring is a high season for lobster demand. Main entry points for seafood to the Chinese market are Beijing and Shanghai. In the 1990s, Australia started to redirect most of its lobster exports from the USA to China. China is sourcing live spiny lobster also from the Caribbean, in particular from Cuba. China is also a main market for North American lobster. Currently available data is probably not reflecting the correct figures for lobster imports. According to these figures, in 2004 3,050 tonnes of lobster (mainly spiny/rock lobster) were imported. In 2001, the WTO accepted Chinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accession. This will have a positive long-term impact on trade in seafood products as high customs tariffs will decline. The tariff rate for lobster has declined from 20% in 2002 to 10% in 2005. With regard to domestic distribution, retail chains and hypermarkets are spreading out quickly. Packing is an important criterion for Chinese consumers which leaves potential for the development of value-added lobster products for retail distribution. So far, the fast growing Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional (HRI) sector remains the main outlet for lobster product. From the supply side, China is experimenting to breed lobster for domestic consumption and export. In 2005, China exported 23,000 tonnes of rock/spiny lobster worth USD 124 million. Europe and the US receive about 90% of the total export volume. Hubei Province is providing about 50% of the lobster for export. Table 63: Lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters nei, fresh or chilled Lobsters nei, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
48
8
38
4
-
7
72
16
-
-
324
406
877
350
328
198
335
259
362
363
1,439
2,238
2,803
1,436
689
1,189
48
58
26
59
125 2,747 4,683
14 1,465 4,131
2 1,419 5,139
16 1,981 3,787
21 2,541 3,579
4 385 1,783
2 1,102 1,559
1 679 1,013
1 922 1,311
2 1,155 1,579
72
Table 64: China lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.3.3
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
3,329
1,878
1,922
596
614
4,414
1,245
39
225
51
6
-
1
-
-
.
-
-
.
-
264
1 247
1 420
1,284
638
3 135
222
20 376
18 810
28 1,338
143 3,742
197 2,323
13 2,357
7 1,887
116 1,368
343 4,895
227 1,694
640 1,075
1,179 2,232
1,633 3,050
Hong Kong
Hong Kong represents an important market for lobster products. Total lobster imports in 2004 reached almost 9,000 tonnes. It has to be considered that part of these imports is redirected to other Asian markets, in particular to China. Frozen spiny and rock lobster products are supplied mainly by Australia. Frozen clawed lobster products (Homarus) are provided by Canada and the USA. Live spiny and rock lobster is the most important lobster product (more than 60% of the total lobster import volume) and is imported mainly from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA and Mexico. Main suppliers for live clawed lobster are the USA and Canada. Wholesale prices for Panulirus spp in Hong Kong averaged 216 HKD/kg on 22 August 2008. Table 65: Hong Kong lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), whole, frozen Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Spiny-rock lobster, canned Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
178
177
169
426
200
115
171
255
243
183
1,256 272
2,065 339
3,163 396
3,377 935
4,271 792
3,119 240
3,041 326
2,213 211
1,674 350
2,208 213
6,124
5,659
4,079
4,500
4,536
5,768
6,542
6,253
6,323
6,258
51
83
87
93
118
160
158
106
115
7,881
8,323
7,894
9,331
9,917
9,402
228 10,30 8
9,090
8,696
8,977
73
5.3.4
India
India is producing and exporting lobster, reaching a total lobster product export volume of 2,088 tonnes in 2004. Main markets are other Asian countries, in particular Japan. Table 66: India lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), whole, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2,425
1,285
1,187
1,168
1,695
-
-
-
1,034
585
.
.
.
.
.
3,817
925
1,130
328
694
13
-
-
12
2
1
4
9
39
17
103 134
150 169
138 279
169 310
154 240
105 1,119
103 556
68 1,226
175 341
74 709
66 2,741
17 1,621
58 1,662
38 1,697
28 2,119
46 5,088
5 1,593
16 2,449
41 1,958
9 2,088
Table 67: India lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.3.5
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
53 . . 53
72 . . 72
40 8 . 48
51 . 51
8 2 10
45 8 53
62 43 105
Indonesia
Indonesia produces lobster for the Asian market. Exports peaked in 2003 with a total volume of 4,892 tonnes but dropped to 2,803 tonnes in 2004.
74
Table 68: Indonesia lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters nei, frozen Lobsters nei, whole, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), whole, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.3.6
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
1,280
360
318
566
432
486
746
1,073
433
274
295
226
84
13
494
436
1,431
1,090
1,329
976
169
53
141
624
1,124
1,269
1,578
600
671
883
1,407 3,151
802 1,441
769 1,312
321 1,524
686 2,736
1,124 3,315
482 4,237
1,226 3,989
2,459 4,892
670 2,803
Japan
Japan represents a major market for lobster products. In 2006, the total lobster import volume was 9,184 tonnes. Traditionally a symbol of good fortune and happiness, especially during weddings or other ceremonies, small red lobster in perfect condition has a good market. Frozen spiny/rock lobster products are imported from Cuba, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Live spiny/rock lobster originates from Australia, the USA, New Zealand, South Africa and Cuba. Frozen and live clawed lobster is imported from Canada. Table 69: Japan lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/Europe an lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled American/Europe an lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
1,872
1,988
1,753
1,545
1,422
1,525
1,403
1,405
1,446
1,423
1,797
1,465
1,344
906
1,360
1,446
1,082
1,407
861
1,215
120
81
287
258
335
285
176
121
133
118
11,240
8,963
8,209
7,057
6,157
7,394
5,579
5,577
5,239
4,631
2,903 17,932
2,698 15,195
2,397 13,990
2,370 12,136
2,448 11,722
2,380 13,030
2,275 10,515
1,958 10,468
1,901 9,580
1,797 9,184
75
5.3.7
Malaysia
Table 70: Malaysia lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
59
41
48
43
21
24
13
72
55
874
.
.
-
1
5
-
-
-
2
3
57 2
81 3
60 65
72 44
75 7
75 42
55 11
82 88
51 65
43 90
7 125
7 132
9 182
5 165
4 112
4 145
31 110
4 246
12 185
1,010
Table 71: Malaysia lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, whole, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.3.8
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
96
94
113
68
66
57
32
55
54
2,721
.
3
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
45
477
82
62
57
72
128
59
75
90
2
31
13
5
42
5
8
5
51
24
11 154
22 627
12 220
9 144
6 171
9 143
15 183
13 132
5 185
6 2,841
New Zealand
Rock lobster exports represent New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s third important seafood export earnings, totalling almost NZD 100 million in 2004. The most popular product form is live lobster. Export volumes oscillate around 2,200 tonnes annually. Key target countries for lobster exports from New Zealand are Taiwan, USA, Japan, Hong Kong and Europe. In 2004, negotiations for a free trade agreement with China started. The Chinese market is currently provided with New Zealand lobster by re-exports from Hong Kong. In 2006, the government agreed on a 25% increase in southern rock lobster catches to a total of 875 tonnes for the fisheries in the South Island. The production increase is expected to translate into an additional income of USD 29.22 million if the industry will
76
be able to overcome constraints like the strong New Zealand dollar, rising compliance costs and the proposed increase of marine reserves. Table 72: New Zealand lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity Lobsters nei, whole, frozen Lobsters, live Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), meat or tails, frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), whole, fresh or chilled Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), whole, frozen Total
1995 45 2,559
1996 -
1997 -
1998 -
1999 -
2000 -
2001 -
2002 -
2003 -
2004 -
-
2,463
2,403
2,260
2,774
2,651
2,092
2,072
2,152
1,981
320
113
84
95
168
86
90
58
70
47
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
95 3,020
77 2,653
43 2,530
47 2,402
45 2,987
53 2,790
30 2,212
20 2,150
22 2,244
95 2,123
Source: FAO Fishstat 5.3.9
Republic of Korea
As in most Asian countries, seafood plays an important role in the Korean diet. Lobster is also a traditional ingredient for teppanyaki, a type of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. Fresh lobster is consumed also raw as sashimi. Canada is an important supplier of live American lobster. Live lobster imports peaked in 2002, reaching a value of 2,032 tonnes. Table 73: Republic of Korea lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters nei, fresh or chilled Lobsters nei, frozen Lobsters, live Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
39
58
11
36
59
133
172
177
101
139
.
.
.
-
-
.
14
-
5
6
23 50 339 451
11 77 677 823
8 146 751 916
3 71 127 237
7 98 243 407
6 171 470 780
16 176 728 1,106
8 210 1,637 2,032
11 121 1,540 1,778
7 118 1,281 1,551
77
5.3 10 Russia Available figures for the region of the Russian Federation are not very reliable. They confirm an increasing trend in lobster products. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the Russian market for seafood is expected to grow considerably in the near future. From 2004 to 2005, the total seafood import value increased by 48% to almost USD 1 billion. The delicatessen segment, including lobster products, is quickly developing in major cities. Table 74: Russian Federation lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
. 1 19 16 . 36
. . 37 22 . 59
8 1 43 5 49
21 61 4 1 66
28 70 1 71
5.3.11 Taiwan Even though Taiwan is considered an important lobster markets, also for redistribution, available data for Taiwan indicates relatively low levels of lobster imports (2004: 236 tonnes). Frozen spiny /rock lobster is imported from Cuba, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Live spiny/rock lobster is supplied by the same countries and the USA. Frozen and live Homarus products originate in Canada and the USA. Table 75: Taiwan lobster imports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters, live Total Imports Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
1
27
1
-
-
-
2
-
5
25
127
203
432
127
129
38
122
50
140
138
4 67 199
2 23 255
11 92 536
14 70 211
19 44 192
25 43 106
24 34 182
25 104 179
38 174 357
27 46 236
78
5.4
AFRICA
5.4.1
Namibia
Since 2000, Namibia is exporting some frozen rock lobster (2004: 191 tonnes). Approximately 98% of the total lobster catch is for the Japanese market. Namibian lobster has to face competition from South African lobster in the Japanese market. Fluctuating exchange rates and bad weather conditions have caused difficulties in the Namibian lobster industry in the past. 5.4.2
South Africa
African lobster producers still have to face a number of challenges for their exports. Many potential clients consider African suppliers as risky and high freight costs, lack of infrastructure, lack of market information and difficult financing operations penalize South African producers. The largest export market for frozen South African lobster in terms of value is the USA, while Japan is the key market in terms of volume. Europe is the most important market for live lobster. South African lobster exports reached a record level of 2,915 tonnes in 2004. Lately, researchers observed an eastwards move of lobster stocks. If this trend will become permanent, processing plants will have to be relocated to the south coast in order to reduce shipping costs and keep the industry efficient. Table 76: South Africa lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters (Homarus spp.), not frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
-
-
1
-
-
-
3
6
1
-
3 22
125 69
246 75
109 71
277 147
383 155
519 149
524 109
270 10
227 36
551
479
497
533
926
689
505
687
810
1,248
1,576 2,152
1,198 1,871
1,086 1,904
1,248 1,961
791 2,141
711 1,938
666 1,839
823 2,143
1,019 2,109
1,404 2,915
79
5.5
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA
The Caribbean and some South American countries are important suppliers of rock/spiny lobster. Decreasing stocks due to unsustainable fishing practices are threatening the future production and stock and habitat enhancement projects have been implemented. The Caribbean fishing association Apesca is raising awareness on the need for improved lobster management to guarantee the future of the industry. Currently, about 40% of lobster catches are undersized. Panulirus argus represents 50% of all warmwater spiny lobster landings. Lobster from this region is marketed as ‘warmwater’ lobster, as opposed to spiny/rock lobster from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa which is known as ‘coldwater’ lobster. Common product forms are live lobster (1-5 lbs) or raw frozen tails. Live lobster is exported mainly to Asia while the US market prefers frozen tails. Main season for warmwater lobster is from August to March. 5.5.1
Bahamas
Lobster is the most important seafood export product for The Bahamas. Main destinations are the USA and France. Lobster is exported only in frozen form. Table 77: Bahamas lobster exports Commodity Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, frozen Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), meat or tails, frozen Lobsters nei, frozen American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled Lobster tails or meat, canned Lobsters nei, meat or tails, frozen Lobsters, live Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), meat or tails, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), nei, frozen Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), whole, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1,677
1,988
1,737
2,265 .
2,480 .
2,201 .
2,294 .
1,852
2,461 .
2,256 .
871 194
1,010 172
1,041 220
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
6
16
16
. .
. .
. .
. .
26 .
.
.
7
31
-
. .
. .
. .
. .
. .
. 43
. 8
1 -
-
-
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
20
-
-
.
.
.
.
739
41
-
-
-
-
.
.
.
.
.
813
-
-
-
-
.
.
.
.
.
33
-
-
-
-
. 2,265
. 2,480
. 2,201
. 2,294
. 2,617
246 3,637
12 2,276
21 2,776
20 3,237
3,014
80
5.5.2
Brazil
It is estimated that Brazil exported some 2,300 tonnes of lobster in 2005. Lobster used to be the most valuable seafood export product, now overtaken by shrimps. About 95% of the total Brazilian lobster production is exported, totalling revenues of USD 78 million in 2005. The price of lobster is prohibitive for the majority of domestic consumers. Main market for Brazilian lobster is the USA. Europe and Europe are other export destinations. The development of the Real along with tax incentives for exporters and a lower level of world market prices for lobster may generate an increase in lobster production for export in the near future. The Export Promotion Agency (APEX) Brazil is supporting the Brazilian fishery industry in promoting its overseas product promotion. The lobster fishery of Prainha do Canto Verde tried to obtain MSC certification in 2001 but the status of the stocks was too poor to receive approval. Table 78: Brazil lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.5.3
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
3,020
2,790
2,027
1,816
1,718
2,039
2,335
2,767
64 2,415
2,556
18 3,038
4 2,794
1 2,028
1,816
1,718
2,039
2,335
2,767
2,479
1 2,557
Cuba
Cuban lobster is considered a highly profitable commodity and is exported mainly to the EU, Asia (Japan, Taiwan) and Canada. Lobster is exported exclusively in frozen form. The total export volume in 2004 was 4,476 tonnes. Approximately ten companies are producing lobster. Table 79: Cuba lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.5.4
other
sea
1999 5,386
2000 4,729
2001 4,134
2002 5,146
2003 2,790
2004 4,476
219 5,605
307 5,036
245 4,379
188 5,334
213 3,003
4,476
Honduras
Almost the entire lobster production of Honduras is exported in the form of frozen tails to the USA. Export volumes have grown considerably over the past ten years, from only 531 tonnes in 1994 to 1,608 tonnes in 2004.
81
Table 80: Honduras lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), meat or tails, frozen American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Rock lobsters (Jasus spp.), whole, frozen Lobsters nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.5.5
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
.
.
395
712
-
-
-
1,392
1,071
1,431
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
173
. 769
. 782
7 -
9 2
584
529
900
61 -
3 -
4 -
. 769
34 816
2 404
1 724
584
529
5 905
32 1,485
1,074
1,608
Mexico
Mexican lobster is exported mainly live to the key markets USA, Taiwan, Hong Kong and to a lesser extend to Europe. The Red Rock Lobster (Panulirus Interruptus) fishery in Baja California received MSC certification in 2004. 90 % of the production is exported to Asia, France and the United States while the balance is sold domestically, mainly to restaurants. Live lobster is also supplied to the domestic HRI sector. Table 81: Mexico lobster exports (tonnes) Commodity Lobsters nei, fresh or chilled Lobsters nei, frozen Lobsters, live Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), nei, fresh or chilled Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), nei, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.5.6
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
719
1,194 842 -
1,000 695 -
845 330 -
811 354 -
1,283 573 -
1,377 584 -
429 155 -
285 -
-
19
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,024
1,366
1,163
790 1,528
2,036
1,695
1,175
1,165
1,856
1,961
387 1,995
404 2,055
180 1,343
Nicaragua
Lobster represents the most important seafood export product for Nicaragua. The only export product is frozen lobster tail. According to FAO Fishstat data, exports reached 1,700 tonnes in 2004. A study of the Central Bank of Nicaragua indicated an export volume of 996,500 pound of lobster worth USD 14.3 million for the first four month of 2006. However, in 2006, the Nicaraguan lobster industry in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region had to face problems due to high operational costs and was closed in July. Lobster prices of USD 3.50/lbs were not enough to cover costs and risks of production. 82
Table 82: Nicaragua lobster export (tonnes) Commodity Lobsters nei, meat or tails, frozen American/European lobsters (Homarus spp.), nei, frozen Rock lobster and other sea crawfish, not frozen Spiny lobsters (Panulirus spp.), nei, frozen Lobsters nei, whole, frozen Total Source: FAO Fishstat
5.5.7
1995
1996 .
1997 1,33 7
. .
.
7 1,32 1 . 1,32 8
6 1,45 1 . 1,45 7
1998
2000 2,55 4
2001
2002
2003
572
1999 1,13 2
166
326
697
2004 1,70 0
9
-
.
-
-
-
-
-
34
-
.
-
-
-
.
-
5 1,38 5
435 1,00 7
1,13 2
2,55 4
-
6
-
166
332
697
. 1,70 0
Peru
According to Worldfishreport, lobster exports from Peru are supposed to grow by 19% in 2006 due to the restored price level in the European market and increased production levels. Average export prices are expected to reach 5.6USD/kg, generating a total value of lobster exports of USD 45 million. Main market is the USA (75% of the total lobster export volume) and better market access translated into export growth rates of 50% in 2005.
83
Annex I – List of contacts
Australia Bluwave Lobster Ltd. PO Box 688, Fremantle WA, 6959 Telephone:+61 8 9433 4222 Fax: +61 8 9331 6522 Email:alexf@iinet.net.au Conagra Seafood Company 13217 Cambridge Street, Santa Fe Springs CA 90670 Telephone: 562 921 6800 Fax: 562 921 8530 Batavia Coast Fisheries Address: PO Box 216 Geraldton, Western Australia Telephone: +61 8 9904 5131 Email: Glenn@bcf.com.au Lobster Australia Pty Ltd Contact: Chris Perrott Address: PO Box 141 North Fremantle, Western Australia Email: c.perrott@lobsteraustralia.com.au MG Kailis Greg Hart Locked Bag 6700 Fremantle, Western Australia Email: greghart@kailis.com.au Vinci Seafood Exporters Nick Corbo PO Box 206 Sth Fremantle, Western Australia Email:nick@vinciseafoods.com.au WA Seafood Exporters Bob Hopkins 11 Hutton St Osborne Park, Western Australia Email:wase@iinet.net.au Poseidon Seafoods (S.A.) Pty. Ltd P.O. Box 389 Hindmarsh, Adelaide, South Australia 5007 Australia Name: Theodoros Gounas Title: Managing Director Phone: 618 83401157 Fax: 618 83401146 Email: poseidon@dove.mtx.net.au Category: live Southern Rock Lobster Exporter Subcategory: Exporter live Sourthern Rock Lobster, live King Crab, live Black Lip Abalone Comments: Frozen Seafoods, dried sea cucumber, live oysters
Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-op Ltd Exporters 11 OCEAN STREET GERALDTON WA 6531 brolos@brolos.com.au www.brolos.com.au Ph: 08 9965 9000 Fx: 08 9965 9001 BCR International Factory 1, 1208 Lytton Road Hemmant QLD 4174 Ph: +61 7 3890 2344 Fx: +61 7 3890 5666 http://www.bcr-international.com FERGUSON AUSTRALIA 95 Cambridge Terrace, MALVERN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5061 Ph: +61 8 8346 8764 Fx: +61 8 8346 8729 Email: admin@fergusonaustralia.com Contact: Andrew Ferguson Website: http://www.fergusonaustralia.com Five Star Seafoods (S.A.) Pty Ltd P.O. Box 233 Port Mac Donnell South Australia 5291 Ph:: +61 (0) 8 8738 2203 or +61 (0) 8 8738 2007 Fx: +61 8 8738 2173 fivestarseafoods@ozemail.com.au
Canada 3246272 Canada inc. P.O. Box 305, Bassin, Québec G0B 1A0
3T's Ltd. P.O. Box 71, Woody Point, Newfoundland and Labrador A0K 1P0 Acadian Fishermen's Co-op Assoc. Ltd. P.O. Box 115, RR3, Abram's Village Wellington, Prince Edward Island C0B 2E0 Accord International Canada P.O. Box 925, Succ. B Station Montreal, Québec H3B 3K5 ADS Enterprises Inc. 822 East Cordova Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6A 1M4 Alberton Fisheries Ltd. North Port Alberton, Prince Edward Island C0B 1B0
Good View Trading Company Mr Jay Clark Manager 34 Barry Street Cairns, QLD, 4870 Ph: +61 7 4041 1210 Mobile: 0437 521 860 Fax: +61 7 4041 2677 http://www.gvtliveseafood.com
Allen's Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 37, Bay of Islands Benoits Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador A0L 1A0
Ocean Wave Seafoods Trading Pty Ltd Jan-Niklas Simon Marketing/Sales Manager 252 Graham Street Port Melbourne VIC, 3207 Ph: +61 3 9646 9850 Fax: +61 3 9646 9908 info@oceanwaveseafoods.com http://www.oceanwaveseafoods.com
Arisaig Fisheries Ltd. Div. of OceanChoice Intl, B1236, RR3 Arisaig, Nova Scotia B2G 2L6
84
Aquashell Holdings Inc. P.O. Box 300, Wallace, Nova Scotia B0K 1Y0
Atlantic Lobster (1999) Limited P.O. Box 9-B, Site 1, Osborne Hbr. Rd. Shelburne, Nova Scotia B0T 1L0
Atlantic Maritime Dev & Mkt Assoc P.O. Box 242, Tilton, Newfoundland and Labrador A0A 3X0 B. A. Richard Ltd. 374 Côte Ste-Anne Road Ste-Anne-de-Kent, New Brunswick E4S 1M6 B. Terfloth + Cie (Canada) Inc. 1 Westmount Square, Suite 500 Montreal, Québec H3Z 2P9 Baie Ste-Anne Fishermen's Co-op Ltd. P.O. Box 480, Baie Ste-Anne, New Brunswick E9A 1W1 Barry Group 69 Cap Bimet Blvd. Gran-Barachois, New Brunswick E4P 6X5 Barry Group Inc. 415 Griffin Drive Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador A2H 3E9 Beach Point Fisherman's Co-op Assoc. P.O. Box 94, Beach Point Murray Harbour, Prince Edward Island C0A 1V0 Billard Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 6, Site 4 Margaree, Newfoundland and Labrador A0M 1C0 C. L. Deveau & Son Ltd. P.O. Box 1, Salmon River, Nova Scotia B0W 2Y0 Cameron Seafoods Limited P.O. Box 763, Kings Co. Kentville, Nova Scotia B4N 3X9 Canadian Gold Seafood Company 209 Aerotech Drive, Unit #10 Enfield, Nova Scotia B2T 1K3 Canadian Ocean Products ltd. 710 Acadie Street Grande-Anse, New Brunswick E8N 1G4 CanJam Trading Limited 60 Payzant Avenue Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3B 1Z6
Canus Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 149, Shelburne Co. Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 1P0 Cape Bald Packers Ltd. 2618 ch Acadie Cap-Pele, New Brunswick E4N 1E3
Clearwater Seafoods Ltd. Partnership 757 Bedford Highway Bedford, Nova Scotia B4A 3Z7 Cocagne Seafoods (1995) Ltd. 4638 Route 134 Cocagne, New Brunswick E4R 3R3
Cape Nova Fisheries Ltd. Comp. 9, Site 2, Blanche Road Cape Negro, Nova Scotia B0W 1K0
Coley's Point Fisheries Ltd. 5 Blueberry Crescent Carbonear, Newfoundland and Labrador A1Y 1A6
Cape Sable Lobster (2001) Company P.O. Box 588, Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia B0W 1G0
Comeau's Sea Foods Ltd. P.O. Box 39, Saulnierville, Nova Scotia B0W 2Z0
Captain Dan's 341 Cap-Lumiere Road Richibucto Village, New Brunswick E4W 1C4
Comeauville Fisheries Limited P.O. Box 149, Saulnierville, Nova Scotia B0W 2Z0
Carapro Ltee 60 St-Pierre East Blvd. Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B6
Cormier's Five Island Clams Five Islands Wharf Road Colchester Co., Nova Scotia B0M 1K0
Casey Fisheries Limited P.O. Box 86, Digby, Nova Scotia B0V 1A0
Cotter's Ocean Products Inc. P.O. Box 527, Lockeport, Nova Scotia B0T 1L0
Cavendish Seafoods Inc. P.O. Box 59, N. Rustico, Prince Edward Island C0A 1X0
Crown Seafood Ltd. 3046 Route 117 Pointe-Sapin, New Brunswick E9A 1V1
C-Gem Seafoods Inc. P.O. Box 5060, Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B7
Crustacés de Malbaie inc. P.O. Box 6380, 139 Rue de la Renie Gaspé, Québec G4X 2R8
Chalut, Coquilles Sainte-Jacques inc. 7680 Rue Édouard LaSalle, Québec H8P 1T4 Charlesville Fisheries Limited RR1, General Delivery Lower E. Pubnico, Nova Scotia B0W 2A0 Chase's Lobster Ltd. P.O. Box 1, Port Howe, Nova Scotia B0K 1K0 Cheticamp Packers (1991) Limited P.O. Box 580, Inverness Co. Cheticamp, Nova Scotia B0E 1H0 Choice Atlantic Seafood Inc. P.O. Box 251, Canso, Nova Scotia B0H 1H0
85
D. E. & Sons Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 129, Shelburne Co. Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 2E0 D. Waybret & Sons Fisheries P.O. Box 2, Site 3, Comp 8 Clam Point, Nova Scotia B0W 1N0 D.B. Kenney Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 1210, Westport, Nova Scotia B0V 1H0 Deep Cove Aqua Farms Ltd. 5182 Highway 329 Blandford, Nova Scotia B0J 1T0
Diamonds Industries Ltd. P.O. Box 119, Sandy Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador A0K 5C0 Dockside Fisheries (1988) Ltd. P.O. Box 205, Shelburne Co. Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 2E0
Fisherman's Market International Inc. 607 Bedford Highway Halifax, Nova Scotia B3M 2L6 Fishery Products Int. Ltd. NF 70 O'Leary Avenue St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 5L1
High Sea Foods Ltd. P.O. Box 188A, Main Street North Glovertown, Newfoundland and Labrador A0G 2L0 Hopkins & Devine Fisheries Shelburne Co. Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 2E0
Doiron Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 31, N. Rustico, Prince Edward Island C0A 1X0
Fruits de Mer Assels inc. (Les) P.O. Box 68, 11 Route 132 Shigawake, Québec G0C 3E0
Houmard Acadie CP 407 Meteghan, Nova Scotia B0W 2J0
Dorman Roberts Ltd. P.O. Box 40, Triton, Newfoundland and Labrador A0J 1V0
Fruits de mer Landry Ltée (Les) P.O. Box 1035, Grande-Anse, New Brunswick E8N 2V1
Howard Turner & Son Ltd. 1659 Marie Joseph Guys Co. Marie Joseph, Nova Scotia B0J 2G0
Dorset Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 71, 302 - 215 Water Street St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 6C9
Furlong Brothers Limited Plate Cove West Bonavista Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador A0C 2E0
Huskins Fisheries Limited RR 1, Shelburne Co. Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 2E0
East Point Fisheries Ltd. RR 3, Shelburne Co. North East Harbour, Nova Scotia B0T 1W0 East Side Fisheries Ltd. Yarmouth Co. Lower E. Pubnico, Nova Scotia B0W 2A0
G. M. Newell Limited P.O. Box 29, Shelburne Co. Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 1P0 Golden Shell Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 39, Hickman's Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador A0C 1P0
Eric King Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 10, Burnt Islands BLP, Newfoundland and Labrador A0M 1B0
Gould's Fisheries Ltd. River of Ponds, Newfoundland and Labrador A0K 4M0
ESD Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 111, Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 3B0
H. Hopkins Ltd. P.O. Box 91, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia B1A 5V1
F. Thibault Seafoods P.O. Box 122, 903 Maza Road Church Point, Nova Scotia B0W 1M0
Harbour Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 219, Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador A0K 4N0
Ferguson's Lobster Pound Ltd. P.O. Box 29, Halifax Co. Tangier, Nova Scotia B0J 3H0
Hervic Enterprises Ltd. P.O. Box 119, Yarmouth Co. Arcadia, Nova Scotia B0W 1B0
Ferme Ostreicole Dugas Ltée 675 St-Pierre West Blvd. Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1A2
Hickey & Sons Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 8094, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3M9
Fisher King Seafoods Ltd. 71 MacQuade Lake Crescent Halifax, Nova Scotia B3S 1C4
86
I. Deveau Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 118, Meteghan, Nova Scotia B0W 2J0 Ichiboshi L.P. Canada Ltd. 24 du Quai Street Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B6 Inlet Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 135, Clark's Harbour, Nova Scotia Canada B0W 1P0 Island Fishermen Coop Assoc. Ltd. 90 Main Street Lameque, New Brunswick E8T 1M8 Island Marine Products Ltd. 2772 Main Street Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 1P0 Island Sunset Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 299, Inverness, Nova Scotia B0E 1N0 J. & J. Fisheries Ltd. 9349 Main Street Richibucto, New Brunswick E4W 4B6 J. T. Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 4, Queens Co. Port Medway, Nova Scotia B0J 2T0
J.W. Delaney ltée P.O. Box 2209, Route 199 HavreAuxMaisons, Québec G4T 5P4 J.W. Hiscock Sons Ltd. P.O. Box 122, Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador A0A 1K0 Joel Smith Fisheries Ltd. RR5, Yarmouth Co. Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 4A9 Jost Kaufmann Seafood Corp. 47 Capital Drive Nepean, Ontario K2G 0E7 K & N Fisheries Limited P.O. Box 3A2, Upper Port LaTour, Nova Scotia B0W 3N0 Kasier Industrial & Marine Limited P.O. Box 69, Bickerton West, Nova Scotia B0J 1A0 L. J. Robicheau & Son Fisheries P.O. Box 88, Middleton, Nova Scotia B0S 1P0 Lee Lobster Limited Bx 193, 1319 Main Rd, E.Psg, Hlfx Co Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3G 1M5 Limb & Ledge Lobster Products Ltd. RR 1, Shelburne Co. Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 3B0 Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 5609, Louisbourg, Nova Scotia B1C 1B5 MacGregors Meat & Seafood Ltd. 265 Garyray Drive Toronto, Ontario M9L 1P2 Madelimer inc. P.O. Box 39, 18 Route 199 Grande-Entrée, Québec G0B 1H0 Mariner Seafoods Inc. P.O. Box 610, Montague, Prince Edward Island C0A 1R0
Melrose International Trading Ltd. 5160 Dearrie, Suite 830 Montreal, Québec H3X 2H9 Merex Inc. 6436 Quinpool Road Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 1A8 Midland Food Products 195 Rexdale Blvd. Toronto, Ontario M9W 1P7 Mike N. Boudreau Seafood Ltd. P.O. Box 2009, Grand Barachois, New Brunswick E4P 8V1 MMF Fisheries Limited P.O. Box 99, Middle West Pubnico, Nova Scotia B0W 2M0 Moon Enterprises Inc. 2 - 11720 Voyageur Way Richmond, British Columbia V6X 3G9 Morning Star Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 36, Sub. of Oceanchoice PEI Crapaud, Prince Edward Island C0A 1J0 Newman Entreprises Ltd. 6 Pollock Cove Road Wilsons Beach, New Brunswick E5E 1W3 North Lake Fish Co-op Ltd. RR 1 Elmira, Prince Edward Island C0A 1K0 North Nova Seafoods Limited P.O. Box 365, Pictou Caribou, Nova Scotia B0K 1H0 Northern Clam Limited P.O. Box 809, Welshpool Campobello, New Brunswick E5E 1B4 Northern Pride Seafood Imp/Exp 6 Kenda View Drive Fletcher Lake, Nova Scotia B2T 1A5 Northumberland Fish Co-op Ltd. P.O. Box 166, Pictou Co. River John, Nova Scotia B0K 1N0
87
Nova's Finest Fisheries Inc. P.O. Box 99, Yarmouth Co. Middle W. Pubnico, Nova Scotia B0W 2M0 Ocean Choice International Inc. 1315 Topsail Rd, P.O.Box 8274, Stn.A St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3N4 Ocean Mist Seafoods Inc. P.O. Box 177, Yarmouth Co. Arcadia, Nova Scotia B0W 1B0 Paturel International Company 349 Northern Harbour Road Deer Island, New Brunswick E5V 1G6 Pêcheries Atlantiques du Québec 9200 Rue Du Buisson Montreal, Québec H1L 2X1 Pêcheries Belle Île Fisheries Ltd. 4 rue du Port St-Marie-St-Raphael, New Brunswick E8T 1T4 Pêcheries de Chez-Nous Ltée P.O. Box 4129, Station B Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick E1X 1G4 Pêcheries G.E.M. Ltée (Les) 1324 Route 335 St-Simon, New Brunswick E8P 2B2 Pécheries Gros Cap Inc. (Les) P.O. Box 8184, 521 Chemin Gros-Cap Cap-aux-Meules, Québec G4T 1R3 Pecheries Hubert inc. 100 Chemin des Buttes Havre Aux-Maisons, Québec G4T 5L3 Pecheries Norpro 2000 Ltee. P.O. Box 250, 100 Chemin des Fumoirs Havre Aubert, Québec G0B 1J0 Pêcheries W.J. Fisheries Ltd. (Les) 217 Bellefeuille Street Shippagan, New Brunswick E8S 1G6 Poiss. Arseneau Fish Market Ltd. 221 Main Street Nigadoo, New Brunswick E8K 3S8
Poisson Salé Gaspésien ltée P.O. Box 790, 39 Rue du Parc Grande-Rivière, Québec Canada G0C 1V0
R & D Nickerson Fish Products Ltd. RR 1 Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 3B0
Seaxx Inc. P.O. Box 808 Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador A0A 1G0
R & K Murphy Enterprises Ltd. P.O. Box 323, Yarmouth Co. Lower Wedgeport, Nova Scotia B0W 2B0
Seldon Miller Fisheries Ltd. RR1, Lunenburg Co. Hubbards, Nova Scotia B0J 1T0
Poissonnerie Jean-Guy Laprise inc. 142 Rue Vallilée Chute-aux-Outardes, Québec G0H 1C0
R. I. Smith Co., Ltd. P.O. Box 9, Shelburne Co. Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 3B0
Shag Harbour Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 69, Shelburne Co. Shag Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 3B0
Port Daniel Fisheries Inc. 459 Route 132 Port-Daniel, Québec G0C 2N0
Raymond O'Neill & Son Ltd. 221 Escuminac Point Road Escuminac, New Brunswick E9A 1V6
Shediac Lobster Shop Ltd. 261 Main Street Shediac, New Brunswick E4P 2A6
Port Enterprises Ltd. P.O. Box 70, Southern Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador A0B 3H0
Richibouctou-Village Fishermen's Co-op, 3756 Route 505 Richibouctou-Village, New Brunswick E4W 1R2
ShoreLine Fisheries Limited P.O. Box 59, Shelburne Co. Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 2E0
Poissonnerie du Havre (1997) inc. 968 Rue de la Berge Harve-Saint-Pierre, Québec G0G 1P0
Poseidon Ocean Products Corp. 802 - 6020, Jean Talon East Montreal, Québec H1S 3B1 Poséidon, Les Poissons et Crustacés inc. P.O. Box 10, 259 Rue de la Mer Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan, Québec G0G 1V0 Premium Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 39, Richmond Co. Arichat, Nova Scotia B0E 1A0 Princeton Seawater Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 50, Princeton, Newfoundland and Labrador A0C 2K0 Produits Belle Baie Ltée 10 Quai Road Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B6 Produits Marins St. Godefroi Inc. P.O. Box 21, 156 Route 132 St-Godefroi, Québec G0C 3C0 Queen Street Meat Market 368 University Avenue Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island C1A 4N1
Royal Star Foods Ltd. P.O. Box 69 Tignish, Prince Edward Island C0B 2B0 Sable Fish Packers (1988) Limited P.O. Box 69, South Side, Shelburne Co. Clarks Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 1P0 Sambro Fisheries Ltd. 40 Lenny Lane Sambro, Nova Scotia B3B 1L5 Sea Deli 1996 Ltd. 87 ch Quai Cap Cocagne Road Grande-Digue, New Brunswick E4R 4H7 Seabright Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 1684 Pictou, Nova Scotia B0K 1H0 Seacore Seafood Inc. 81 Aviva Park Drive Woodbridge, Ontario L4L 9C1 Seafood 2000 Ltd. P.O. Box 40, Water Street Georgetown, Prince Edward Island C0A 1L0 Sealane Gourmet Foods Ltd. 2001 220 Route 134 Petit-Rocher Nord, New Brunswick E8G 3B2
88
Skipper Fisheries Ltd. P.O. Box 149, Yarmouth Co. West Pubnico, Nova Scotia B0W 3S0 Smith Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 58 Normans Cove, Newfoundland and Labrador A0B 2T0 Sogelco International Inc. 400 - 715 Square Victoria Montreal, Québec H2Y 2H7 Special K. Fisheries Ltd. 16 Ferry Road Grand Manan, New Brunswick E5G 3A2 St. Laurent Gulf Products Ltd. P.O. Box 5607 Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B7 St. Thomas Fish Market Inc. 18 ch du Quai St-Thomas St-Thomas-de-Kent, New Brunswick E4S 4Y7 Stanley Lobster Company Ltd. P.O. Box 818, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia B5A 4K4 St-Paul Fisheries (1989) Ltd. P.O. Box 5572 Caraquet, New Brunswick E1W 1B7
Summerside Seafood Supreme Inc. P.O. Box 1597, Queen's Wharf Summerside, Prince Edward Island C1N 2V5 Surf Seafoods Limited P.O. Box 309, Shelburne Co. Barrington Passage, Nova Scotia B0W 1G0 T. C. Trading Inc. 163 - 5980 Miller Road Richmond, British Columbia V7B 1K2 T. Ito Trading (N.S.) Ltd. 1326 Lower Water Street, Unit 220 Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 3R3 Terra Vista Ltd. P.O. Box 280 Glovertown, Newfoundland and Labrador A0G 2L0 The Barry Group N.B. Inc. P.O. Box 200 Morell, Prince Edward Island C0A 1S0 The Barry Group NB 69 Cap Bimet Blvd. Grand Barachois, New Brunswick E4P 6X5 Tusket Seafoods Limited P.O. Box 125, Yarmouth Co. Tusket, Nova Scotia B0W 3M0 Twin Seafood Limited RR3, Shelburne Co. Shelburne, Nova Scotia B0T 1W0 Unipêche M.D.M. ltée P.O. Box 416, Route du Quai Paspebiac, Québec G0C 2K0 Victoria Co-op. Fisheries Limited P.O. Box 38, Victoria Co. Neils Harbour, Nova Scotia B0C 1N0 Village Bay Sea Products Co. Ltd. P.O. Box 501 Richibucto Village, New Brunswick E4W 5N5
Wayne Brousseau Limited 144 Old Kingston Road, Suite 9 Toronto, Ontario L1T 2Z9 Westmorland Fisheries Ltd. 64 Gautreau Street Cap-Pele, New Brunswick E4N 1V3 Wood Pick Enterprises Ltd. P.O. Box 115 Wareham, Newfoundland and Labrador A0G 4A0 Woods Harbour Lobster Co. Ltd. P.O. Box 70, Shelburne Co. Woods Harbour, Nova Scotia B0W 2E0 Young's Lobster Co. Ltd. 40 Lord's Cove Road Deer Island, New Brunswick E5V 1G1 Zeus Seafood Inc. 33 Bakers Point Rd, RR2,Oyster Pond Jeddore, Nova Scotia B0 J 1W0
CHINA Changyang Seafoods Co. Ltd Qingdao Ph: 86 532 8577 2272 zhireng51@hotmail.com
FRANCE Les Mareyeurs du Sud-Est Rungis Ph: 1 56 70 0410 Fax; 1 49 78 7026 paris@mareyeursdusudest.com http://www.mareyeursudest.com
GERMANY Crustimex Seafood Gmbh Grosse Elbstrasse 133 D-22767 Hamburg Ph. +49 4038 0202 29 Fax. +49 4038 0202 38
ITALY Ocean Eagle Seafood Rome Ph: +39 06 558 3980 Fx: +39 06 556 0342 oceaneagle@libero.it http://www.oceaneagle-seafood.com
Waycobah Seafoods Ltd. P.O. Box 149 Whycocomagh, Nova Scotia B0E 3M0
IRELAND Atlantic Fish Ltd Main Road Carndonagh Co Donegal Ph. +353 7493 74285 Fax. +353 7493 74685
NETHERLANDS Dayseaday Schulpengat 9 8321 WC URK Ph. +31 527 684684 Fax. +31 527 681477 www.dayseaday.com Friends, Fish & Trading Provincienbaan 4b 5121 DL Rijen Ph. +31 161 295900 Fax. +31 161 295909 www.friendsfish-trading.nl Heiploeg Shellfish Industrieweg 35 4401 LA Yerseke Ph. +31 113 57927 Fax. +31 113 579280 www.heiploeg.nl Klaas Puul & Zoon Lupinestraat 1-17 1131 JT Volendam Ph. +31 299 364247 Fax. +31 299 350060 www.klaaspuul.nl Gebr. Kooy Energieweg 12 1271 ED Huizen Ph. +31 35 5253255 Fax. +31 35 5269044 www.gebrkooy.com Lenger Seafoods Industrieweg 2 8861 VH Harlingen Ph. +31 517 414455 Fax. +31 517 415422 www.lenger.nl Ocean Fish Agro Businesspark 52 6708 PW Wageningen Ph. +31 317 428539 Fax. +31 317 428666 www.oceanfish.nl Verwijs Import Export De Poort 81 4411 PB Rilland Ph. +31 113 556575 Fax. +31 113 556585 www.verwijsfish.com VSV van Slooten Vis Vissershavenstraat 35 1976 DB Ijmuiden Ph/ +31 255 537576 Fax. +31 255 513729 Winefish Halkade 6 1976 DV Ijmuiden Ph. +31 255 535044 Fax. +31 255 514032
89
SPAIN Inlet Seafish Carrera dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;En Corts 231 Frig Euromerk Office 3 Mercovalencia Valencia Spain 46013 Ph. +34 963 240580 Fax. +34 963 564577
TAIWAN Ven Heu Yu Trading Co. Ltd Kaohsiung Ph: +886 7 313 1339 Fax: +886 7 322 4205 jlin866@ms65.hinet.net sherry-chen@umail.hinet.net
UK Anchor Seafoods Devonshire House High Street Handcross Haywards Heath RH17 6BJ Ph. +44 1444 400 363 Fax. +44 1444 400 949 Angelbond Unit 9, Block 22 Motherwell Food Park Bellshill ML4 3BA Ph. +44 1698 740 620 Fax. +44 1698 740 915 Aquarius Sea Trade Plc Lower Ground Floor 22 Southern Hay West Exeter Ph. +44 1392 423 769 Fax. +44 1392 211 077 Atlanta (UK) Ltd 209-211 City Road London EC1V 1JN Ph. +44 207 490 0974
J Bennett (Billingsgate) Ltd Office 10, Billingsgate Market Trafalgar Way Poplar London Ph. +44 207 515 6007 Fax. +44 207 986 8957 Burgons of Eyemouth Ltd Harbour Road Eyemouth TD14 5HZ Ph. +44 1890 750 272 Fax. +44 1890 751 259 Clearwater Lobster Merchants A133-134 New Covent Garden Market Nine Elms Lane London SW8 5LL Ph. +44 207 627 4422 Fax. +44 207 627 4550 Dawnfresh Seafoods Ltd Bothwell Park Industrial Estate Uddingston Glasgow G71 6LS Ph. +44 1698 810008 Fax. +44 1698 810660 Mackenzie Bros Ltd Macrae Gairloch Pier Road Gairloch Wester Ross IV21 2BQ Ph. +44 1445 712 550 Fax. 01445 712 551 Peninsula Seafoods Ltd Suite 124 Goulton Street Hull HU3 4DL Ph. +44 1482 321135 Fax. +44 1482 321145 Ramus Seafoods Ocean House 136 Kings Road Harrogate HG1 5HY Ph. +44 1423 563271
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Fax. +44 1423 875073 Sco Fro Foods Ltd 229 St Vincent Street Glasgow G2 5QY Ph. +44 141 223 7711 Fax. +44 141 223 7524
USA Resource Trading Company 72 Commercial Street P.O. Box 1698 Portland, Maine 04104 USA Spencer Fuller Title: President Phone: (207) 772-2299 Fax: (207) 772-4709 E-mail: rtc1@worldnet.att.net Subcategory: Exporter and Processor Comments: International Trading Company (Maine Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops, Crawfish, Herring, Mackerel, Squid)
Didi Lobster & Stone Crab Corp Miami, Florida Ph: +1 305 785 4360 Fax: +1 305 573 1518 stonecrabbery@aol.com Montecristi Fla. Pierdinales Ph: +1 305 251 3351 Fax: +1 305 234 4841 lillyfresh2@hotmail.com Redline Seafood LLC Ponca City, OK Ph: +1 580 765 3200 Fax: +1v580 765 3232 nrader@redlineseafood.net http://www.redlineseafood.net
Annex II – Useful websites o FAO Globefish: www.globefish.org Canada o Fish & Seafood Online, Agriculture and Agri-Food: http://www.seafoodcanada.gc.ca/homee.htm o Fisheries and Oceans Canada (federal government department): http://www.dfompo.gc.ca/home-accueil_e.htm o Atlantic Canada Lobster and Seafood Promotion Group: http://www.tastelobster.ca/english/opening.html USA o United States Department of Agriculture - Foreign Agricultural Service: http://www.fas.usda.gov/ffpd/fpd.html o Maine Lobster Promotion Council:www.mainelobsterpromo.com o Maine International Trade Center: www.mitc.com o Mass Lobstermen’s Association: www.lobstermen.com/default.asp o Food Export USA: www.foodexportusa.org Australia o Western Rock Lobster Council - http://www.rock lobsterwa.com/ o Government of Western Australia. Department for Fisheries http://www.fish.wa.gov.au/sec/com/species/Rock lobster.php?0207
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References • • •
• • • •
•
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Dr. Manfred Klinkhardt. 2006. Hummer – Der König der Krustentiere. FishMagazin Publikation. Germany The Western Rock lobster Development Association. March 2006. Global Lobster Market Database. Quarterly Report. Australia Gardner Pinfold Consulting Economists Ltd. March 2006. Benchmarking study on Canadian Lobster. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee. September 2005.Executive Meeting 20th September 2005. Hénard M.-C.. 2005. France Fishery Products Annual 2005. GAIN Report Number FR5065. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Oliveira e Silva B.M.. 2006. Brazil Fishery Products Annual Report 2006. GAIN Report Number BR6603. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Menghini A.; Biasetti D.; 2004. Italy Fishery Products. US lobsters dominate Italian import market. GAIN Report Number IT4032. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service Elliott M.; 2003. Australia Fishery Products. SARS Causes problems for seafood industry. GAIN Report Number AS3014 USDA Foreign Agricultural Service 2005.Seafood Import and Consumption Soar. GAIN Report Number RS6036. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service www.globefish.org
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GLOBEFISH MARKET RESEARCH PROGRAMME Vol.65
Effect of World Trade Organization’s Regulation on World Fish Trade (87p.)
Mar 2000
30
Vol.66
European Union Standards for Fishery Products (including EU duties) (248p.)
June 2000
30
Vol.67
The Ornamental Fish Market (91p.)
Oct 2000
30
Vol.68
The World Market for Frog Legs (44p.)
June 2001
30
Vol.69
Fishery Industry Profile – Thailand (76p.)
Nov 2001
30
Vol.70
The Fishery Industry in Greece (59p.)
Nov 2001
30
Vol.71
The German Market for Fish and Seafood (116p.)
Jan 2002
30
Vol.72
Fish Roe in Europe: Supply and Demand Conditions (47p.)
Nov 2002
30
Vol.73
Salmon – A Study of Global Supply and Demand (151p.)
July 2003
30
Vol.74
World Tuna markets (135p.)
May 2004
30
Vol.75
Fishery Industry Profile – Viet Nam (57p.)
July 2004
30
Vol.76
Fishery Industry in China (74p.)
Sept 2004
30
Vol.77
Overview of Organic Markets: an Opportunity for Aquaculture Products? (98p.)
Jan 2005
30
Vol.78
Seafood Price Indices (44p.)
Apr 2005
30
Vol.79
World Market of Tilapia (28p.)
Apr 2005
20
Vol.80
Fishery Industry Profile – Russia (70p.)
June 2005
30
Vol.81
Trends in European Groundfish Markets (153p.)
Nov 2005
50
Vol.82
Freshwater Species on the European Market (119p.)
Dec 2005
30
Vol.83
Fish Supply and Demand in the Near East Region (67p.)
Jan 2006
30
Vol.84
The Market for Nile Perch (94p.)
Apr 2006
30
Vol.85
Supermarkets and the Artisanal Fisheries Sector in Latin America (79p.)
Apr 2006
30
Vol.86
Markets and Marketing of Aquaculture Finfish in Europe (50p.)
Aug 2006
30
Vol.87
Lobster Markets (92p.)
Aug 2006
30
Focus on the Mediterranean Basin 1) Prices include air mail delivery Focus on the Mediterranean Basin
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GLOBEFISH RESEARCH PROGRAMME Trends in European Groundfish Markets Volume 81
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Trends in European Groundfish Markets
Volume 81