Developments in the International Seafood Market - a Review and Analysis of the Impact on the Developing Countries
By Fatima Ferdouse and Mahfuzuddin AhmedABSTRACT
While developed countries like Japan, USA and European Union countries are regarded as the major markets, both fish consumption and market growth had in fact been higher in the developing Asia. This paper will discuss the trends such as the demand for diversified fish products, and more value-added and 'convenient products' in the world seafood market, and their implications for both producers and consumers in the developing countries. The changes in demand has in many instances provided increasing opportunities for seafood processors in developing countries to add higher value to their raw materials and earn much needed hard currencies. The increasing trends in raw materials imports for bulk processing and re-export have also shown the potential for increased employment in the developing countries.
An analysis of trends in the prices would reveal that prices of almost all species of food fish are on the rise both in domestic and international markets, although improved post harvest handling and processing of fishery products these days are making more lower value fish available for human consumption. Despite the recent slow-down of economic growth, in the coming decade the augmented economies in the developing world will also generate higher demand for fish and seafood in many Asian and Latin American countries. Further changes in the structure of fish markets as well as the form of production and supply are expected to occur. The links between market structure and prices, and their impacts on poverty and food security in the developing countries will also be discussed in the paper.
View Fish as a Contributor to Food and Income in Developed Countries: Issues and Practical Approaches Session
