(fis.com) In the not too distant future, tuna catches will be reduced significantly and its products will become more expensive, for a minority, forecasts the general secretary of the National Association of Canned Fish and Shellfish Manufacturers (Anfaco-Cecopesca) Juan Manuel Vieites.
According to the official, from 2007 to date, tuna catches have stabilized at about 4.2 million tonnes per year. At the same time, there is "stagnation" in the value of canned food as a result of the drop in sales in the domestic market. Vieites anticipates that tuna "will belong to the aristocracy" soon, as the catches are "very scarce."
It will be considered a luxury due to the shortage and to the increase in demand of the canned presentation, since it is a versatile product in different recipes and offers a high nutritional value, reported EFE agency.
Anfaco Secretary criticizes the fact that the European Commission (EC) uses a "double measuring tool:" the local sector is required to meet of quality and safety standards, corporate social responsibility and environmental commitment, of which foreign firms are exempted.
In this regard, he stressed that the Pacific partnership agreement relaxes the rules so that companies from 10 nations in that area can enter, free from tariffs, the EU market.
He points out that the products of these countries enter the European Union (EU) without checking whether they are sustainable, if they affect the environment or if they are the result of illegal fishing. The EC "should not be a cooperation agency for the development of third countries," said Vieites.
Anfaco also disagrees about the labelling of European fisherires resources to be extended to producers from third countries.
Another of his claims is that large companies that "energize the sector" will receive the aid from the European Maritime Fund and for 2014-2020 Fisheries when there is "surplus."
After warning about the "negative impact" on domestic consumption the VAT will cause, Vieites noted that the processing sector is "softening" the impact of the crisis through diversification of its markets and of raw material sources.