Lobster rolls, clam chowder, jumbo shrimps… Seafood recipes have become consumers’ favorites. The variety of products available is now undeniably possible thanks to the transport of seafood products in the best possible conditions. We met Mauricio BONILLA, Senior Commercial Manager CMA CGM Reefer (refrigerated container transport), to learn more about this very sensitive product category.
How do we explain this growing popularity of seafood products?
Everyone has their own ideas. For obvious reasons, fishing quotas are a constraint for fishing companies. This is one of the reasons why the fishing industry is also developing aquaculture, allowing more markets to get access to seafood. But the reasons for this market growth are not only technical or operational. International agreements such as the CETA trade agreement between Canada and the European Union also facilitate things. For example, the agreement allows live lobsters to be imported from Canada duty-free. Thus, European palates can enjoy high quality lobsters. Global trade in seafood products make this source of protein more accessible to consumers every day. You just have to take a look at the shelves of our supermarkets and check the origins of seafood products.
What does seafood represent for CMA CGM?
Every week more than 2,000 containers of seafood products are transported on CMA CGM ships! If you think globally, nearly 150,000,000 tons of fish (80%), crustaceans (10%) and molluscs (10%) are produced worldwide for consumption. 17% of this production is exported to other countries for human consumption or processing. As a result, some 25,000,000 tons of seafood products are exported each year, out of which 13,000,000 tons using refrigerated containers.
CMA CGM supports major producing countries worldwide, such as China - the world's leading producer - but also Norway and Russia. Our scope is not only global but also regional and we are on all fronts to enable our customers to reach new markets, sometimes even those located right next door. Take Ivory Coast, for example: the country imported more than 250,000 tons of fish on our vessels in 2018, most of it coming straight from other West African countries such as Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco!
What is also interesting to note is that fish exporting countries can also be major importers. For example, the People's Republic of China: Chinese people are fond of seafood products that are not necessarily available locally and are increasingly importing. In 2018, we allowed the Chinese to benefit from Danish and Canadian seafood products by importing just under 300,000 tons of seafood goods!
