GLOBEFISH - Chinese Fish Price Report - 02/2020

Chinese Fish Price Report Issue 2/2020

Issue 2/2020

Chinese Fish Price Report

The Chinese Fish Price Report Editorial Board Audun Lem John Ryder Marcio Castro de Souza

Editor in Chief Marcio Castro de Souza

Contributing Editors Maria Catalano Helga Josupeit William Griffin

Coordinator Weiwei Wang

Contributing Partner China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA)

Graphic Designer Alessia Capasso

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Issue 2/2020

Chinese Fish Price Report

Contents Policy updates -

Moratorium on squid in Southwest Atlantic and East Pacific Some frog species are now managed by fishery authorities MARA: Strengthening the supervision of offshore fishery transshipment activities in the high sea Ministry of Transport: Vehicles transporting fresh agricultural products will not be tolled MARA: Complete implementation of aquatic seedling origin quarantine system

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Industry news -

China Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029 released Stock reconstruction of wild Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) through seed releasing The Songhau River and Nenjiang River begin their fishing ban Guangzhou Huangsha New Aquatic Market begins construction Production value and volume of farmed Qinghai salmon increased in 2019 BioMar Group-Wuxi joint venture feed factory put into operation

Latest trends - Tilapia - Red Swamp Crayfish - Grass carp - Largemouth bass - Chinese snakehead

07 - Hybrid grouper - Whiteleg shrimp - Prussian carp - Turbot - Mandarin fish

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Prices - Largehead hairtail - Japanese seabass - Largemouth bass - Squid - Common carp - Silver carp - Grass carp - Bighead carp - Prussian carp - Swimming crab - Pacific oyster - Scallop - Hard clam

06 06 06 06 06 07

18 - Chinese razor clams - Nori - Large yellow croaker - Turbot - Mandarin fish - Snakehead - Asians swamp eel - Abalone - Chinese softshell turtle - Japanese eel - Channel catfish - Tilapia - White leg shrimp

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GLOBEFISH Market Reports are available from the GLOBEFISH website: www.globefish.org. All rights reserved. No part of FAO/GLOBEFISH Chinese Fish Price Report may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise), without prior permission. Requests for use for this material (including purpose and extent) should be addressed to: GLOBEFISH-Fisheries and Aquaculture Department - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy.

The Chinese Fish Price report is in collaboration with CAPPMA. CAPPMA is an independent association. registered by law, consisting of seafood producers, processors, distributors, suppliers, and institutions for fisheries research and education. It was founded in 1994 and it is a national non-profit organization directed under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China.

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Policy updates Moratorium on squid in Southwest Atlantic and East Pacific On 1 June, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) released a notice to strengthen squid conservation on the high sea to promote sustainable development of offshore fisheries. The announcement requires the implementation of an autonomous fishing moratorium of Chinese distance fi shing fle ets in major fishing grounds in the southwest Atlantic Ocean and east Pacific Oc ean st arting fr om 2020. The moratorium will last from 1 July to 30 September in the Southwest Atlantic between 32°S-44°S and 48°W-60°W, and from 1 September to 30 November in the East Pacific O cean b etween 5 °N-5°S and 110°W-95°W. All Chinese vessels operating in the designated areas have agreed to autonomously implement the fishing moratorium to protect squid resources and their spawning season.

Some frog species are now managed by fishery authorities On 29 May, MARA and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration (NFGA) jointly announced that black-spotted frogs, spiny-breasted frogs, spiny-bellied frog, Chinese wood frog (Northeast wood frog), Heilongjiang wood frog and other related frog species are now to be managed by fishery authorities. Th e species that are affected by this policy all have long histories of being farm-raised and artificial breeding. This policy will further regulate the protection and management of frogs. MARA and NFGA will jointly determine the classification of other frog species and adjust relevant directories accordingly. Local fisheries and forestry authorities will promote the adjustment of critically protected wildlife directories in their areas in accordance with the laws and regulations.

MARA: Strengthening the supervision of offshore fishery transshipment activities in the high sea On 22 May, MARA issued a notice requiring all transshipment activities on the high sea must be reported and carried out under the supervision of designated observers from1 January 2021. The regulation aims to improve capabilities and strengthen services for high sea transshipment and transportation activities. In addition, this regulation will also enhance transparency, standardisation and international competitiveness in the industry.

Ministry of Transport: Vehicles transporting fresh agricultural products will not be tolled On 28 April, the Ministry of Transport announced the restoration of all public road tolls across the country starting from 6 May. However, vehicles transporting fresh agricultural products, including live and fresh fish, are exempt from tolls.

MARA: Complete implementation of aquatic seedling origin quarantine system On 22 April, MARA announced the full implementation of the aquatic seedling origin quarantine system. This aims to achieve 100% quarantine declaration and 100% electronic certification by the end of 2022.

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Šunsplash/patwhelen

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Chinese Fish Price Report

Industry news China Agricultural Outlook 2020-2029 released On 20 April, the seventh China Agriculture Outlook Conference was held in Beijing. “China Agriculture Outlook” was released during the conference, introducing market analysis for 2019 and providing an outlook for production, consumption, trade and price trends over the next 10 years, covering 18 major agricultural products, including aquatic products. According to the report, aquatic products are showing slow growth trends and are expected to reach a total volume of 69.71 million tons in 2029, with an average annual growth of 0.7%. Aquaculture products are expected to have an average annual growth rate of 1.3% and are expected to represent 81.7% of total production in 2029. Aquatic product consumption is showing slightly higher growth than that of production and is expected to reach 72.32 million tons in 2029, with an average annual growth at 0.9%. Within this, consumption as food is expected to increase by 1.1% annually, and demand for processing is expected to grow by 1.3% annually. The share of processed aquatic products in consumption is expected to increase, growing to 42.5% in 2029. Imports and exports of aquatic products are expected to decline in 2020, largely as a result of COVID-19. However, import volume is expected to rebound in the second half of 2020, and predicted to reach 7.51 million tons by the end 2029. Export is expected to increase slightly to 4.9 million tons in 2029. This implies that the current trade surplus will narrow progressively, gradually turning into a deficit.

Stock reconstruction of wild Yangtze sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus) through seed releasing On 25 May, the Yangtze River Basin Fisheries Administration Office of the MARA, Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Yibin Municipal Government jointly implemented the stock reconstruction of wild Yangtze sturgeon, starting with releasing seed in Yibin, Sichuan. A total of 60,000 Yangtze sturgeon juveniles, 5cm-10cm long, were released. These is hoped to effectively restore stocks and increase the species’ biomass. Restoring stocks and improving the ecosystem of the Yangtze River through preserving endangered fish and protecting aquatic resources may have great and far-reaching benefits.

The Songhau River and Nenjiang River begin their fishing ban Starting from 16 May, the Songhua River and Nenjiang River area began a 77-day fishing ban. Fishing activities are prohibited, with the exception of recreational fishing.

Guangzhou Huangsha New Aquatic Market begins construction Contruction of the Guangzhou Huangsha New Aquatic Market Construction Project began on 29 May. Stretching across 190 000 square meters and with a total investment of about RMB 2.7 billion, this complex will house a wide range of commercial activities. The project is planned to be completed and inaugurated in 2022.

The current market has an annual trading volume of more than 270 000 tons, with a trading value of about RMB 8.6 billion, accounting for about 75% of the Pearl River Delta aquatic product supply. It is an important domestic aquatic product wholesale market, while also holding an important position in the national aquatic product distribution network.

Production value and volume of farmed Qinghai salmon increased in 2019 Salmon farming in Qinghai saw substantial growth in 2019. Output rose to 15 200 tons, with a value of RMB 836 million, an increase of 3.37% and 12.97% respectively over the previous year. Moving forward, Qinghai Province aims to continue to promote the transformation, shifting its emphasis from increasing production volume to improving quality and efficiency, enhancing innovation and competitiveness.

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BioMar Group-Wuxi joint venture feed factory put into operation Danish aquafeed company BioMar Group announced in early May that its factory in Wuxi had started operations.

Output is about 50 000 tons per year, with production going to both the domestic and the international market and the possibility of further expanding capacity in the future. It is reported that the construction was originally planned to be completed by the end of 2019, however construction was delayed due to the pandemic. The Wuxi Factory can produce feed for sturgeon, rainbow trout, largemouth bass, and large yellow croaker.

Šunsplash/mayear2019

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Tilapia

Oreochromis spp.

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

Consumption has been stimulated by the “street economy� proposed by the government in some places. The tilapia market has benefited from this economic initiative, especially in Yunnan Province where grilled tilapia is very popular, and where the overall price of fish has seen a significant increase.

Prices for raw fish for processing are stable. Processing plants currently still prefer small and medium-sized fish due to relatively low prices. Many farmers in western Guangdong have started polyculture of channel catfish, yellow catfish and other species due to market depression.

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Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii

Supply of crayfish seed was saturated as COVID-19 reduced demand, while a warm winter favored propagation. Prices were as low as RMB 4-6 per kg in main production areas. Moreover, prevalent high densities of stocking limited the growth of crayfish in many areas, causing prices to remain low at between RMB12-18 per kg. Prices for medium and large size crayfish were stable, with crayfish sized at 20 pieces/kg size crayfish seeing similar price to last year.

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Grass carp

Ctenopharyngodon idellus

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

The market demand for grass carp has increased since April. Grass carp supply continued to decrease, with prices on the whole seeing a recovery. Stimulation from holiday consumption and the start of the closed season has led to a rush to purchase, leading to rising prices nationally. Prices for fish between 1-1.5kg were around RMB 10.6 per kg in Zhongshan, Guangdong province.

Heavy and continuous rain in June significantly affected production in Guangdong, Guangxi, Jiangxi and Hunan, with other areas also experiencing fluctuations. Farmers harvested en masse, leading to a glut in the market and subsequently dropping national prices. Prices for grass carp between 1-1.5kg were quoted as being RMB10.40 per kg, RMB 0.2 per kg less than last month. Prices are expected to rebound in the near future as the supply of grass carp diminishes.

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Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoniodes

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

With the gradual easing of the COVID-19 pandemic in China since April, the recovery of catering and holiday consumption stimulated the market. Supplies of largemouth bass have been decreasing nationwide, with demand exceeding supply, and the price of largemouth bass rising nationwide. The price in Foshan was RMB 39 per kg for 0.4kg fish in early June, up from RMB 17.4 per kg in March.

Some distributors in Guangdong and Jiangsu province have decreased or stopped sales to Beijing as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak in Xinfadi wholesale Market in mid-June, which also delayed previous orders. The price of largemouth bass (0.4kg) was RMB 38 per kg, RMB1 lower than early June.

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Chinese snakehead Channa spp.

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

The market for Chinese snakehead was turbulent in the second quarter of 2020, but overall showed signs of recovery on the previous quarter. During the Ching Ming festival prices rebounded to RMB 14 per kg. However, as holiday consumption dwindles growth is expected to follow suit. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented farmers from harvesting at the intended time, thus constraining them to keep fish in ponds for longer period and incurring significant losses.

The industry expects food and beverage consumption to gradually recover throughout the rest of the year, with prices for fish peaking just before the next harvest between July and August.

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Chinese Fish Price Report

Hybrid grouper

Epinephelusfuscoguttatus & Epinepheluslanceolatus hybrid

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

In March, grouper showed a decline in both volume and price as a result of the pandemic. Demand from catering was low and so farmers were unwilling to harvest. April is usually the off-season for grouper sales, which when coupled with the impact of the pandemic kept prices low. That being said, market demand and prices increased slightly following the May Day holiday. Oversupply as farmers rushed to fill this demand led to oversupply and falling prices. It is expected that grouper price will remain low in the long-term, especially as prices failed to rise significantly during the holiday season. Grouper prices continued to fall in mid-May, with prices often below cost of production. There is a shortage of grouper in Fujian, and so dealers have been buying from other provinces at slightly higher prices. Local operators in Fujian predicted the new harvest will come onto the market in September. The grouper industry has suffered in the first half of the year, which has been hard for everyone from farmers to companies although particularly acute for small and medium-sized enterprises.

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Whiteleg shrimp Penaeus vannamei

Prices plummeted following the Spring festival as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, bucking the trend of previous years where the period between the Spring Festival and the end of April saw consumption and prices peak. Limited domestic supply of white leg shrimp caused prices to rise sharply in April, but there was still a price difference of RMB 16-20 per kg when compared to the previous year. Prices remained largely stable and rising through April, although they fell again after the May Day holiday. Consumer spending on aquatic products has not recovered as strongly as meat such as pork, beef and chicken. Large supplies of live shrimp from Jiangsu and Zhejiang have kept prices low. With the coming of the harvest season (July-August), the price of white leg shrimp is expected to continue to decline.

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Prussian carp Carassius gibelio

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

With the effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumption has recovered as restaurants have reopened.

After the restrictions were lifted prices for Prussian carp initially rose but fell again as farmers rushed to sell. Ponds were overstocked, but the market boom has largely emptied them.

At present, Prussian carp is in short supply domestically, especially larger-sized individuals. The overall market remains stable with an upward trend and prices expected to rise further in the future.

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Turbot

Scophthalmus maximus

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

Largely consumed in restaurants, prices for turbot were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Demand somewhat returned in March, but with catering still closed there was only limited household consumption. Turbot prices continued to fall in March and April, and were often below cost of production for farmers. By May, government support for reopening catering service led prices for many aquatic products to increase, although there was little impact on turbot. In mid-May, spurred on by continuing losses in the sector, farmers and the Aquaculture Association came together to fix minimum prices, which were set at RMB 26 for 0.5-0.7 kg. The initiative was supported by most farmers, and saw prices for turbot rise to the level of previous years within the space of a week. Prices have remained stable thus so far, although they are expected to drop slightly as the market recovers.

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Mandarin fish Siniperca chuatsi

Š Fish Biology Laboratory Xiamen University

The volume and price of Mandarin fish declined in the first half of the year, largely as a result of the pandemic and the subsequent large biomass held in ponds. From April to early May farm-gate price fluctuated at around RMB 41 per kg, often lower than the cost of production. Farmers and distributors alike suffered heavy losses. From mid-May, fish stored in ponds in Hubei and Jiangsu were gradually consumed. Guangdong market recovered gradually, as the weather stabilized and farmers were reluctant to harvest or sell. The price of mandarin fish has finally rebounded after slumping for six months. In late May, prices rose by RMB 16 per kg, leaving farmers with scarce margin for profit in the face of rising production costs. Ponds in Guangdong are expected to empty from late June to July, which may offer some room for prices to rise.

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THE CHINESE FISH PRICE REPORT

GLOBEFISH Products, Trade and Marketing Branch (NFIM) Fisheries Division Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00153 Rome, Italy globefish@fao.org www.globefish.org #FAOfish