Markets and Public Perceptions of Tilapia in the United States

Dr. Aaron McNevin

Aquaculture Specialist

World Wildlife Fund-US

Status of tilapia Markets in US

• Tilapia is steadily growing in the United States

• There is a growing demand for fresh tilapia fillets

• Competition from other white fish does not appear to be a concern in the fresh market

• Competition in the frozen market will become an issue

• Tilapia is growing as a family in home dining meal

• There are few negative impacts that consumers associate with tilapia so there does not appear to be a large push for tilapia produced by one culture system

US Tilapia Fresh/Chilled Fillet Imports 2005 (Total 22,771 mt)

US Tilapia Frozen Fillet Imports 2005 (Total 55,680 mt)

US Tilapia Frozen Other Imports 2005 (Total 56,665 mt)

Country YearFresh/Chilled

FilletsFrozen Fillets

Frozen Whole/Other

BRAZIL 2005 962.6 1.7 8.3

2004 323.1 0 0

2003 208.3 26.9 0

CHINA 2005   44190.8 30936.4

2004   28076.1 31873.8

2003   15878.6 28782.9

COLOMBIA 2005 172.9 0 0

2004 0 0 0.5

2003 0 0 3

COSTA RICA 2005 3733.8 105.6 9.3

2004 4090.4 2.6 13.6

2003 3996.1 2.5 1.6

ECUADOR 2005 10600.5 266.6 65.1

2004 10163.8 172.1 75.8

2003 9396.9 186.4 143.3

EL SALVADOR 2005 306.7    

2004 257.8

2003 188.6

HONDURAS 2005 6571.8    

2004 4041.7

2003 2851.1

Country YearFresh/Chilled

FilletsFrozen Fillets

Frozen Whole/Other

INDONESIA 2005   6428.2 200.2

2004   4250.4 2.7

2003   3582.7 5.4

JAMAICA 2005 67.3 0  

2004 8.6 4.2

2003 0 18.1

KOREA 2005   39.5 0.5

2004   18.3 37.7

2003   1.2 0

NICARAGUA 2005 68.5 2.8  

2004 67.5 10.8

2003 2.9 8.4

PANAMA 2005 83.7 187.2 450.1

2004 92.8 94.3 101.7

2003 95.6 41.5 103.8

TAIWAN 2005 0 3081.1 24203.9

2004 15.9 2700.3 25010.4

2003 281.5 2469.7 19663.6

VIETNAM 2005 41.8 359.5 523.9

2004 0 18.1 24.9

2003 17 73.2 41.4

Note: Import quantities are in metric tons (mt)

Competition???

Country Year Pang. FR/CH Pang. FILL,FZ Pang. FR/CH Pang. FZ CC FILL, FZ CCFIL,FR/CH CC,FILL,FZ

BRAZIL 2005         0   84.8

  2004   36.7 34.2

  2003   8.6 0

CAMBODIA 2005 430.3 232.7   0 0   262.5

  2004 0 118.6 0 39.8 39.9

  2003 0 0 0 0 0

CHINA 2005 0 422.4   157.6 0 17.7 1094.2

  2004 0 169.2 19.1 347.1 0 245.4

  2003 0 0 0 326.1 0 0

HONG KONG 2005   20          

  2004   0

  2003   0

INDONESIA 2005 0 26.3          

  2004 0 0

  2003 0 0

MALAYSIA 2005   193.2     0    

  2004   0 0

  2003   0 7.4

Pang = basa/tra

CC = channel catfish

Country Year Pang. FR/CH Pang. FILL,FZ Pang. FR/CH Pang. FZ CC FILL, FZ CCFIL,FR/CH CC,FILL,FZ

TAIWAN  

2005   293.4          

2004   0

2003   0

THAILAND  

2005   1475   18.4 0    

2004   0 0 2.5

2003   0 0 21.2

VIETNAM  

2005 0.5 8017.9 0.5 723.7 0    

2004 0 2800.1 0 28.5 181.3

2003 0 0 0 0 1929.4

Competition???

Pang = basa/tra

CC = channel catfish

Seafood Cards

• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch

• Blue Ocean Institute

• Environmental Defense

• National Aquarium

Global Market Trends• Seafood exports generate twice as many $ for LDCs as

coffee, tea, rubber, bananas, rice, meat combined—35% from aquaculture

• Producers pitted against producers; race to the bottom

• Declining prices force focus on efficiency, input uses, reduced costs, market access, and market share

• Supply chain management and traceability pass liability back to producers

• Proliferation of corporate purchasing standards (e.g. Eurepgap) to address health and safety and product quality

• Some shrimp tested 6 times before reaching the consumer

Production Trends

• More efficient, reduction of impacts, but wide variation in performance levels—better and worse producers

• Fish oil most limiting factor followed by fishmeal

• Sustainability of reduction fisheries is key

• Old technologies are spreading to new species

• Net pen technology is being used for cold and warm water species around the world from cod to cobia

• “Ranching” is increasing—creating issues for tuna around take of juveniles from wild and feed

• Offshore aquaculture a reality in NZ and US (HI, NH, PR)

• Aquaculture has impacts, meaningful standards are essential

Why WWF and Aquaculture?

• Fastest growing food production system globally—due to both supply (over fishing) and demand issues

• Can either exacerbate or reduce pressure on wild fisheries

• Increasing number of new species produced by aquaculture (cod, hake, halibut, cobiha, tuna)

• New industry—significant potential for innovation

• FAO/IFPRI forecast global increase in seafood consumption of 1.5 kg/person—all from aquaculture

• In US, a 1.5-2 billion kg increase in seafood consumption by 2020, all from aquaculture

1983 1988 1993 1998 2003

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Why Aquaculture Certification?

• Governments will only do so much, may discourage the worst but won’t encourage better or best

• Markets are driving production—can be part of solution

• Voluntary programs are key to sustainability, innovation and future BMPs

• Health and safety issues with aquaculture products

• Sustainability of some forms of production is a key issue and need to be addressed beyond compliance

• Certification can result in fewer, reduced impacts

• Certification can provide pond to plate traceability

Elements of a Good Certification System

• Address multiple species with market relevance• Transparent and created in a multi-stakeholder process• Targets the key impacts (usually only 6-10)—landscape and

farm level• Measurably reduces key impacts against a baseline• Addresses both social and environmental impacts• Applies to different kinds of producers and what’s possible• Metric-based standards, by contrast to prescriptive

standards, encourage innovation• Certified by independent third-parties• Addresses chain of custody/traceability

Thank You