Seafood Export Research Articles

Managing global supply chain disruptions under the COVID-19 pandemic: the case of the Norwegian seafood industry

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a multitude of effects on all spheres of life. It has been shaping an unusually challenging business environment globally that firms have to adapt to in order to continue operating. Building on resilience theory, this article identifies the main sources of COVID-19 disruptions, and investigates how small and medium-sized exporters in the Norwegian seafood industry respond to disruptions and uncertainty caused by the pandemic in their supply chains. Findings derived from five in-depth interviews with seafood exporters and a survey from 16 exporters, identified three main sources of COVID-19 disruptions: market shocks, production side challenges, and logistics problems. The analysis suggests that exporters pursued three different strategic paths in response to these disruptions: integration, disavowal, and reclamation. These strategic paths are reflective of the exporters' capabilities, namely their flexibility, relationship building capability, and entrepreneurial orientation, which allow them to remain resilient under disruptive conditions.

Challenges and Obstacles of International Certification for Seafood Exporters in Indonesia

Certification is a mandatory requirement for seafood product exporters in Indonesia, so that the products sold can be accepted by consumers in their country, but exporting companies face problems if there is a quality rejection when food safety regulations are applied by the importing country. The certification, which was initially voluntary in nature, eventually becomes an export obligation and condition when the buyer from the importing country requests it. Problems arise when the buyer does not continue the request because the company in the exporting country does not have the required certification. Significant certification fees (including audit fees and other costs to meet the requirements requested by the certifier), become one of several certification obstacles for seafood product exporter companies in Indonesia. The research was conducted using a survey method and Forum Group Discussion (FGD) to 58 experienced respondents in the field of implementing Food Safety Management Systems who work in 8 exporting companies of seafood products certified by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Food Standard version 8 in Indonesia. Each company is represented by a minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 7 respondents who serve as supervisors, managers, to company directors. The total number of respondents is limited, but the quality of opinions that are very specific, focused, and broad understanding as business actors make the results can be used as a reference. The development of certification goes hand in hand with demand, consumer expectations and the complexity of the company's internal and external aspects, one of which refers to the supply chain management process (Supply Chain Management). Physical suitability, quality, food safety, and the purchase price of fish raw materials are indicated as internal aspects that support business continuity in the fishery business. Meanwhile, government support is indicated as an external aspect. This research is aimed specifically at fisheries and marine business actors in Indonesia who want to expand their market to the world market. Company management commitment is required in the implementation of Food Safety & Quality Management Systems in various aspects of the company on an ongoing basis (Continuous Improvement). According to the author's knowledge.

Impact of Covid 19 Pandemic on Seafood Exports from India

Impact of Covid 19 Pandemic on Seafood Exports from India

Spatial distribution of the value added from seafood exports: A domestic value chain analysis for Korea

Production sharing (fragmentation) may occur to a much larger extent at the sub-national level than at the global level due to geographic proximity of firms engaging in trade among sub-national regions within a country. Yet, studies decomposing trade flows among sub-national regions within a country are rare, especially those decomposing the exports of natural resource products. This study decomposes the gross domestic exports of seafood by each of eight regions in the Republic of Korea (ROK), and examines (i) how much value added is created from a region’s seafood exports, (ii) how it is distributed among different regions along the domestic value chains (DVCs), and (iii) how its spatial distribution changes over time. Tracing the value added along the DVCs for the inter-regional exports of raw and processed fish, this study finds, among other things, that some regions earn an enormous amount of value added through their active participation in the DVCs although they produce and export a very small quantity of seafood, and therefore do not earn much value added from their seafood exports.

System of trade barriers Japanese market for fishery products - Measures response of Vietnam

Vietnam and Japan are participating in three free trade agreements: the ASEAN - Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEP), the Vietnam - Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA), and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans - Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese seafood exporters to take advantage of boosting exports to the Japanese market when exported seafood products of Vietnam enjoys a 0% tax rate. However, in order to enjoy these incentives, Vietnam’s seafood industry has to face challenges to overcome non-tariff barriers (NTBs) of Japan, such as standards on residues of veterinary drugs, drugs plant protection, antibiotics, infection levels, and packaging label. This article analyses the current situation of some technical barriers in seafood trade in general and Vietnamese seafood in particular when accessing this market. On that basis, some solutions are proposed for Vietnamese seafood to overcome through trade barriers imposed by Japan

English

China has been the largest producer of fish in the world since 1989 and became the largest consumer of fish and fishery products recently. With increase in China’s demand and preference for shellfishes and value-added fish products, India sees China as the second largest export destination after the US. This study analyzed the status, export performance and competitiveness of Indian fish export to China based on data (2000-2018) from trademap.org and UNCOMTRADE statistical database. Compound Growth Rate (CGR) revealed that the seafood export grew at an annual rate of 9.68% in terms of value with instability of 0.24 from 2000-2018. The Simpson Index of Diversity (SID) to the China revealed that the index values remained highest all throughout the years as compared to USA and the rest of the world. The Unit Value Realization (UVR) was found highest in live fishes ($34.92/kg) followed by fresh chilled fish ($7.19/kg), crustaceans ($5.97/kg) and others for 2018. Commodity wise RCA revealed that it is highly positive for frozen fillet meat mince (10.22) followed by crustaceans (8.0) and frozen fish (5.05), indicating that India has a strong comparative advantage in exporting these commodities to China.

Certain properties of nanohydroxyapatite obtained from <i>Lates calcarifer</i> fish bone

Fish bone by-products are considered as abundant source of hydroxyapatite (HAp). The preparation of HAp from fish bones not only contributes to improving the value of by-products but also minimizes negative impacts on the environment. In this study, nanohydroxyapatite was successfully obtained from Lates calcarifer fish bone purchased from seafood export company in Khanh Hoa province. Fish bones were under alkali treatment and then heated at 600oC within different time intervals of 1, 2 and 4 hours. Analysis of XRD and SEM showed that the calcium formed was completely single-phase and possessed an average size of 50–64 nm depending on the calcination time. The results of the Ca/P molar ratio from 1.839 to 1.847 prove that the nano-HAp powders are B-type biological hydroxyapatites, which has been confirmed by FTIR spectrum. In addition, the content of heavy metals such as As, Pb, Hg, Cd is detected within safety limits. These properties allow nano-HAp powders to be applied in food and medicine fields.

Impacts of Sea Food Safety Standards and Common Language on Pakistan’s Sea Food Exports to European Union

The study intends to see how food safety regulations introduced by the European Union affect Pakistani seafood exports to the EU. For the analysis time trend data of related variables has been taken into account from 1999-2017. The Gravity Model results indicate that imposition of food safety regulation deteriorates trade and sharing of common language (English) has a positive yet significant impact on seafood exports of Pakistan. The study provides imperative insights for policy makers to devise appropriate policies regarding enhancement of export potential of Pakistan.

ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING DECISIONS TO OUTSOURCE LOGISTICS SERVICES OF SEAFOOD EXPORTERS IN THE MEKONG DELTA

The objective of the study was to analyze the factors affecting the decisions to outsource logistics services of seafood exporting enterprises in the Mekong Delta. Data was collected by questionnaires from 100 seafoodexporting enterprises in the Mekong Delta using outsource logistics services. The study used exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multivariate regression analysis. The research results identified four factors: (1) Strategy; (2) Costs; (3) Characteristics of the Logistics Process; (4) Characteristics of Logistics Providers, which had positive influence on logistics outsourcing decision of seafood exporters in the Mekong Delta.

Understanding the Patterns of Processed Seafood Exports from Sri Lanka: Application of the Gravity Model to Quantify the Determinants

Background: Grabbing the emerging opportunities, from the escalated global demand for processed seafood due to the modern lifestyle induced changes in the food consumption pattern of the households, could be a great advantage for Sri Lanka to increase its international trade activity. This could also help Sri Lanka earn more revenues by adding value through the processing of the raw fish and through that eliminating high postharvest loss during the peak seasons.
 Objective: This research intends to study the patterns of global and Sri Lankan trade in the seafood sector and identifies the determinants in terms of their impacts on the processed seafood export.
 Methods: The Gravity Model was run with the secondary data collected from UNCOMTRADE. The panel data include seafood export data of Sri Lanka from 2001 to 2014 with 107 countries and 144 products.
 Results: However, only one % of the Sri Lankan processed seafood adds value to the ultra-processed level, so it cannot reach the maximum potentials in job creation and profitability. This study has found that the elasticity values of tariff and non-tariff measures (NTMs) are higher for the processed seafood than the unprocessed seafood. This way, the processed seafood becomes more vulnerable to changes in tariff and NTMs than the unprocessed seafood.
 Conclusions: The conversion of unprocessed seafood into processed seafood can improve the export revenue for Sri Lanka but these conversions are increasing the vulnerability of seafood exports due to the stringent market barriers.

Early effects of COVID-19 on US fisheries and seafood consumption.

The US seafood sector is susceptible to shocks, both because of the seasonal nature of many of its domestic fisheries and its global position as a top importer and exporter of seafood. However, many data sets that could inform science and policy during an emerging event do not exist or are only released months or years later. Here, we synthesize multiple data sources from across the seafood supply chain, including unconventional real‐time data sets, to show the relative initial responses and indicators of recovery during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We synthesized news articles from January to September 2020 that reported effects of COVID‐19 on the US seafood sector, including processor closures, shortened fishing seasons and loss of revenue. Concerning production and distribution, we assessed past and present landings and trade data and found substantial declines in fresh seafood catches (−40%), imports (−37%) and exports (−43%) relative to the previous year, while frozen seafood products were generally less affected. Google search trends and seafood market foot traffic data suggest consumer demand for seafood from restaurants dropped by upwards of 70% during lockdowns, with recovery varying by state. However, these declines were partially offset by an increase (270%) in delivery and takeout service searches. Our synthesis of open‐access data sets and media reports shows widespread, but heterogeneous, ramifications of COVID‐19 across the seafood sector, implying that policymakers should focus support on states and sub‐sectors most affected by the pandemic: fishery‐dependent communities, processors, and fisheries and aquaculture that focus on fresh products.

Performance and Perspective Analysis of Indian Shrimp Exports

Tariffs on shrimps and a few other items imported from the USA are set to go up as the government of India has decided to impose retaliatory duties worth over $200 million on 29 products. This work focuses on shrimp which is the flagship item of seafood exports from India which accounts for 10% of the total exports and nearly 20% of the agricultural exports. Changing markets and product profile including exports diagnostics are explored. Backed by a strong market acceptance, international markets for Indian shrimp have been relatively steady but product profile needs to develop vertically. India needs to diversify its focus from frozen shrimp into value added products. It needs to develop resilience to foreign exchange rates volatility and retain, diversify and develop niche markets. Overall, strong and steady performance of Indian seafood exports overtime should not lead to complacence. Industry needs to be supported both physically and financially. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) finance and priority sector lending needs to broad base their outlook to enable industry to update and adopt latest processing technology to develop and market value added shrimp. The MPEDA and Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA) which govern aquaculture production and regulation need to look into restructuring shrimp farming in the country to eliminate negative externalities that limit full-scale exploitation of its potential. The steady contribution of seafood exports to the foreign exchange kitty of India should make it a priority sector for attention, in terms of financial, physical, human and social considerations. The newly announced MatsyaSampada Yojana of the government of India, should envisage strategies for sustainable exploitation of available open common use resources of fisheries and aquaculture in the light of climate change scenario and human resource development for sustaining the sector.

What's the clue; better planning, new technology or just more money? - The area challenge in Norwegian salmon farming

Norwegian salmon farming has grown tremendously over the last 50 years, and it now constitutes around 75% of the country's total seafood export value. The grow-out phase typically takes place in coastal waters. There are ambitions for continued strong growth. Five years ago, a survey revealed that the fish farmers saw the lack of available sea area as the industry's greatest challenge for continued growth. This paper examines the current and future situation for area use, needs and availability, for salmon farming in Norway. The paper considers several possible changes that can influence this, including the coastal zone planning system, new technologies for offshore, land-based and closed salmon farming, and new tax-schemes that affect the distribution of burdens and benefits from salmon farming. The main finding is that central government has several options available, if it would like to prioritise aquaculture in terms of access to coastal waters.However, this would imply a full-scale overhaul of the present allocation system, as well as a dramatic change of the current planning system, which in turn means challenging local democracy – not a very likely development under the current political circumstances. This leaves the industry with two options; to reduce salmon lice, emissions and escapes and to increase legitimacy on all levels, and by granting the local municipalities a larger share of the enormous value creation seen in the salmon sector.While the ambitious plans of doubling production by 2030 and increase it five times by 2050 certainly will require more and better coastal aquaculture localities, the actual extent of area shortage will to a large degree depend on the development of new production models; land-based, offshore, contained net pens and the production of large smolt. Success in these endeavours, could also have an impact on global production of salmon, by opening the market for new actors, thus reducing the Norwegian share and the profitability of the industry.

A country's response to tackling plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems: The Chilean way

Abstract Marine plastic pollution is worse than expected, and we are starting to realize its full extent and severity. Solving the plastic pollution problem is not easy, as it requires the action and commitment of all sectors of our society. With a coastline extending over 4,000 km (from 18°S to 56°S), Chile is a maritime country, and since plastics are potentially harmful for marine and coastal ecosystems, food security, and public health, plastic pollution is a real threat. Chile is the sixth‐largest exporter of seafood (fish, invertebrates, and algae) in the world, but the extent of plastic contamination of marine organisms, its potential effects on commercial species and aquaculture, and its subsequent effects on human health are mostly unknown. Chile has recently introduced some legislation to prevent plastics from reaching the environment and the coastal ocean. Governmental and non‐governmental organizations have joined an informal alliance to take action against plastic pollution, both at a national and regional level, but stronger involvement of producers and commerce is required for effective measures. Chilean scientists working on plastic pollution have created the Scientific Plastic Pollution Alliance of Chile network, aiming to promote collaborative and coordinated research focused on this pollutant. The wide geographical extent of Chile, with researchers working in diverse ecosystems, provides a unique opportunity to better understand the consequences of one of the most recent and severe threats to biodiversity. Rather than solely presenting the plastic pollution problem from the scientific perspective, this paper includes views from different sectors of society. Mitigating plastic pollution is exceptionally complex, with this study highlighting the importance of local engagement, media, solving social inequities, new legislation, and law enforcement in order to advance on decreasing plastic pollution from a country‐wide perspective.

Generic promotion of Norwegian seafood exports

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) works cooperatively with its seafood industry to develop foreign demand for Norwegian seafood through generic promotion and advertising. The generic promotion activities are financed through fees levied on all Norwegian seafood exports. Using an econometric simulation approach, the study addresses two key questions regarding the NSC generic seafood export promotion programs over time: (1) What have been the effects of those programs on the Norwegian seafood export volume, price, and revenue in the aggregate? (2) Have Norwegian seafood producers, exporters, and other stakeholders benefitted from the export-levy-funded generic export promotion programs? Examining potential scenarios for a likely range of the price responsiveness of the Norwegian seafood export supply, the study finds that NSC promotion added about 12% to the aggregate export value of Norwegian seafood between 2003 and 2017 resulting from an addition to the export price and volume of 10% and 4%, respectively. About 17% of stakeholder profits over that period was due to the promotion programs resulting in an industry profit benefit to cost ratio of about 12 to 13 to one.

Effects of Non-Tariff Measures on Seafood Exports from Sri Lanka: A Gravity Approach

Seafood exports are an attractive market, which has globally grown over time. However, access to the international seafood market is difficult as seafood is highly regulated by Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs). A better understanding of NTMs is needed to conquer the global seafood market. The objective of this study is to investigate the changes in the structure of NTMs imposed by importing countries on Sri Lankan seafood products and to determine the effects of NTMs on seafood exports from Sri Lanka. A gravity model was estimated using a panel dataset consisting of NTMs at 3-digit level, tariffs, gross domestic product, distance, and population for 107 countries covering 144 seafood products between 2001 and 2017. Results revealed that the most critical NTM types of Sri Lankan seafood exports are Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS), Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), and Pre-Shipment Inspections (PSI). Growing trends of NTMs and decreasing trends of tariffs indicate a substitution of NTMs in place of tariffs. Country-wise analysis of NTMs showed that developed countries imposed a higher frequency of NTMs than developing countries. Results of the gravity model suggested that NTMs, tariffs, and distance to the importer have a negative effect, and the GDPs of the importers and Sri Lanka have a positive effect on seafood exports. Tariff equivalent values were calculated based on the elasticities obtained from the gravity model. Results depict that the total NTMs, SPS, TBT, and PSI increase the price of seafood by 62%, 48%, 15%, and 13% respectively. This implies that different NTMs have <em>different </em>impacts on seafood exports from Sri Lanka. Hence, the impact of each NTM type warrants separate attention during policy formulation.

Red and green loops help uncover missing feedbacks in a coral reef social–ecological system

Abstract Social–ecological systems (SES) exhibit complex cause‐and‐effect relationships. Capturing, interpreting, and responding to signals that indicate changes in ecosystems is key for sustainable management in SES. Breaks in this signal–response chain, when feedbacks are missing, will allow change to continue until a point when abrupt ecological surprises may occur. In these situations, societies and local ecosystems can often become uncoupled. In this paper, we demonstrate how the red loop–green loop (RL–GL) concept can be used to uncover missing feedbacks and to better understand past social–ecological dynamics. Reinstating these feedbacks in order to recouple the SES may ultimately create more sustainable systems on local scales. The RL–GL concept can uncover missing feedbacks through the characterization of SES dynamics along a spectrum of human resource dependence. Drawing on diverse qualitative and quantitative data sources, we classify SES dynamics throughout the history of Jamaican coral reefs along the RL–GL spectrum. We uncover missing feedbacks in red‐loop and red‐trap scenarios from around the year 600 until now. The Jamaican coral reef SES dynamics have moved between all four dynamic states described in the RL–GL concept: green loop, green trap, red loop and red trap. We then propose mechanisms to guide the current unsustainable red traps back to more sustainable green loops, involving mechanisms of seafood trade and ecological monitoring. By gradually moving away from seafood exports, Jamaica may be able to return to green‐loop dynamics between the local society and their locally sourced seafood. We discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of this proposed intervention and give indications of why an export ban may insure against future missing feedbacks and could prolong the sustainability of the Jamaican coral reef ecosystem. Our approach demonstrates how the RL–GL approach can uncover missing feedbacks in a coral reef SES, a way the concept has not been used before. We advocate for how the RL–GL concept in a feedback setting can be used to synthesize various types of data and to gain an understanding of past, present and future sustainability that can be applied in diverse social–ecological settings. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Generic Promotion of Norwegian Whitefish Exports

The Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) works to develop demand for Norwegian seafood exports. This study addresses two questions: (1) What have been the effects of NSC generic export promotion programs on the Norwegian whitefish export volume, price, and value? (2) Has the Norwegian whitefish industry benefited from its investment in generic export promotion? The study concludes that NSC generic export promotion added 11% to the export value of Norwegian whitefish between 2003 and 2017 from an addition to the export price and volume of 6% and 2%, respectively. About 10% of industry profits was due to the generic export promotion yielding an industry profit benefit-to-cost ratio of 5.9.

Stock enhancement of abalone, Haliotis asinina, in multi-use buffer zone of Sagay Marine Reserve in the Philippines

Donkey's ear abalone (Haliotis asinina) is a gourmet seafood export of the Philippines but its wild stock is at risk due to high fishing pressure. This paper aims to show evidences that abalone seeds produced in hatcheries can be used to rehabilitate its fisheries in multi-use buffer zones of marine reserves. This study released hatchery-reared abalone juveniles in a community-based resource enhancement site located in multi-use reef surrounding Molocaboc. This island is populated by fisherfolks who participated in protecting the 4000 m2 coralline release site. Molocaboc Reef comprise the buffer zone of Sagay Marine Reserve in Negros Occidental province in central Philippines. Data obtained during monthly monitoring of the release site from 2011 to 2016 showed that hatchery-reared abalone established together with its wild counterparts. Baseline wild abalone catch per unit effort (CPUE = 3 divers 1 h fishing) is 0.005/100 m2 in 2011. Mean monthly CPUE after release increased to 53 hatchery-reared and wild individuals combined. The mean shell length, body weight and body mass index of the hatchery-reared individuals (6.4 cm, 70.9 g, 10.5 g/cm) is not significantly different from those of the recovered wild stocks (6.9 cm, 85.0 g, 12.0 g/cm). The stocks recovered in the midst of undisrupted fishing activities in areas immediately outside and beyond the release site. Thus, mass production of seeds of overfished species is advised to repopulate degraded fisheries, improve catch of fisherfolks living within buffer areas of marine reserves and contribute to production and trade of high-value species.

Spiny lobster fisheries status across time and a mosaic of spatial management regimes

Abstract In Belize, the commercial harvest of spiny lobsters has occurred for ∼100 years, provides critical livelihoods, and is the primary seafood export. We determined the first empirical estimate of size at maturity in Belize as well as eight fishery status indicators on several fishing grounds. The carapace lengths (CLs) at 50% maturity varied between males (98 mm) and females (86 mm) and are higher than the existing legal minimum of 76 mm. Time series analysis indicated decreasing proportions of mature individuals, decreasing size, and low spawning potential ratios (SPR) as well as high fishing mortality within fishing grounds. The pattern of decline in population status indicators across fishing grounds is consistent with a historical expansion of effort from north to south and offshore. Many indicators of population status within fishing grounds were improved with increasing area of replenishment zone and opposite to the historical expansion. However, overfishing is a problem across all areas examined. An increase in the legal minimum CL to 86 mm and examination of a maximum size limit will likely have significant positive effects on productivity and SPR, respectively, as well as protecting the pivotal role of spiny lobsters within the ecosystem.