EMS creating opportunity for coldwater shrimp in US

News 09:36 13/09/2014 496

The high prices and supply shortage in warmwater shrimp is giving coldwater shrimp a chance to ‘claw back’ its market share, said editor of Seafood.com News John Sackton.

Speaking at the International Coldwater Prawn Forum in London on Nov. 21, Sackton suggested continuing high prices – a result of the shortage in Asian supplies caused by early mortality syndrome– will allow a wild-caught, higher quality coldwater shrimp to take some of the market, if it can be differentiated as a product.

If that difference can be captured and communicated as evidence of why coldwater shrimp is worth more, then the US could begin to see some substitution between warm and coldwater, he said.

Lent 2014 was pinpointed as the time that high prices will really start to reach consumers on warmwater shrimp. So far the price spread between coldwater and warmwater shrimp has not seen substitution, but around Lent as that difference is passed on to consumers more, lower-priced seafood could see more demand, said Sackton.

Retail sale continue to be strong for warmwater shrimp in the US, and retailers are concerned over damaging this. Thus, so far, they have only passed on a portion of the price increases to their customers for fear of losing the usually-strong holiday season trade.

The extent to which coldwater prices will be accessible to consumers will depend on how far prices are set by the export market, he added. There has been an increasing trend for Canadian shrimp to be sent to Denmark for processing and distribution to the EU, with 2011 exports to the US standing at 16%, compared to 27% in 2009.

So far, despite some price increase, there has not been much substitution of warmwater for coldwater shrimp outside of the traditional markets (largely the west coast, where the biggest fishery is).

With warmwater shrimp prices high and supply low, there is room for companies such as US west coast fishers Pacific Seafood to win back market share if it invests for the future, said Charles Kirschbaum, an executive with the firm.

“If the sector can match or beat the pricing of competitors’ shrimp, we can gain market share,” he said.

“We can target that aquaculture sector – if we match it on price, consumers’ choice is easy to make based on taste and quality.”

“Coldwater prawns need product differentiation beyond the west coast. They have great marketing potential in their wild, MSC, and taste, but they’re not currently seen as a center of the plate protein”

He, like other speakers, spoke about the ‘story’ behind the product and marketing it based on natural, wild-caught imagery, particularly with the Marine Stewardship Council certification it has.

The other key for expanding the market in the US was investment, said Kirschbaum.

Freezing, peeling technology, marketing and packaging, and generally upping the quality of wild-caught coldwater shrimp would give a fighting chance, he said, adding that Pacific Seafood had invested several million dollars in this.

The situation for the US west coast shrimp industry has been tough in the 2000s, since the influx of farmed warmwater prawns began arriving. This capitalized on the fact that as coldwater shrimp supplies fell in the late 1980s, distributors told customers Asian shrimp was a good substitute and so, when supplies of this began arriving cheaply and plentiful, differentiation was lost along with market share.

However, while landings in most coldwater shrimp fisheries are currently in decline, the US west coast’s is on the rise. Production would have been higher still if not for Pacific Seafood’s plant fire, which put four peeling lines out of action for half the year.

Of particular interest to the west coast shrimp industry is whether other sources can come in and compete in the US market.

India has stepped up its production enormously, but its future depends on how well it manages disease. It has already had some issues with broodstock, Sackton said.

Ecuador too has benefited from Thai supply troubles, though its shrimp is being sucked in by China, which is now a net importer. Even Norway was mentioned, but dismissed due to the costs of exporting to the US.

Bạn đang đọc bài viết EMS creating opportunity for coldwater shrimp in US tại chuyên mục News của Hiệp hội VASEP

TIN MỚI CẬP NHẬT

Vietfish 2026 – A Hub for Innovation, Connectivity, and Sustainable Growth in Vietnam’s Seafood Industry

| 11:50 07/08/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietfish 2026, the Vietnam International Seafood Exhibition, will officially take place from 19–21 August 2026 in Ho Chi Minh City. As Vietnam’s largest annual seafood trade event, organized by the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), Vietfish 2026 will once again bring together leading seafood companies, industry experts, and international partners from across the global seafood value chain.

Seafood exports stay above US$1.1 billion in July: Growth momentum likely to slow as US tariffs begin to “filter through” to orders

| 17:09 06/08/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam’s seafood exports reached USD 1.1 billion in July 2026, up 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025. Cumulative exports in the first seven months of the year totaled nearly USD 6.86 billion, an increase of 11.5% year-on-year. Exceeding the USD 1 billion mark in July further reinforces the prospect that Vietnam’s seafood exports could surpass USD 12 billion in 2026. However, the July figures also send a clear signal that the most favorable growth period may have passed: overall export growth slowed to just 4.8%, pangasius exports fell 6.1%, tuna exports were virtually flat, while exports to the EU, South Korea, and the Middle East all recorded double-digit declines.

Vietfish 2026 Seminar: Global seafood market trends and the future workforce

| 11:38 05/08/2026

(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the seminar "Global Seafood Market and the Future Workforce: Trends, Opportunities, and Sustainable Development Pathways for Vietnam's Seafood Industry" will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on August 19, 2026, at Convention Room B, Level 2, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City. This is the first of five specialized seminars at Vietfish 2026, focusing on key issues that are shaping the long-term development of Vietnam's seafood industry.

Creating momentum for double-digit growth

| 08:45 30/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnamese seafood exports recorded impressive growth, generating nearly 6 billion USD in revenue during the first six months of the year, up 13% compared with the same period last year.

In the first six months of the year, Ha Tinh province earned over 1.2 trillion VND from seafood exploitation

| 14:55 28/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Fishermen in Ha Tinh are gradually overcoming difficulties to maintain the efficiency of seafood exploitation. In the first six months of 2026, the entire province achieved a production of more than 23,000 tons of seafood, worth more than 1,200 billion VND.

Tuna exports in the first half of 2026: One month of strong growth is not enough to ease mounting pressure

| 08:35 26/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) June 2026 brought encouraging signs for Vietnam's tuna exports, with export value rising 20% year-on-year to nearly USD 72 million. However, this increase has yet to offset the prolonged slowdown seen in key markets such as the European Union (EU), where import demand remains weak. The outlook for the second half of the year is expected to become more challenging as freight rates continue to climb.

Vietfish 2026 Domestic B2B Program: connecting supply and demand to bring high-quality Vietnamese seafood closer to local consumers

| 15:24 24/07/2026

(vasep.com.vn) As part of the Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition (Vietfish 2026), the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in collaboration with the Agency for Domestic Market Management and Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, will organize the Domestic Seafood Supply–Demand Matching Program on the morning of August 20, 2026, at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City. The program aims to foster direct business connections between Vietnamese seafood producers and processors and domestic distributors, retailers, and foodservice channels.

Vietfish 2026 Cooking Show: Telling the story of Vietnamese seafood through culinary experiences

| 15:15 24/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) The Cooking Show will be one of the most engaging experiential highlights of Vietfish 2026. Taking place over three days, from August 19–21, 2026, at Hall B1, SECC, Ho Chi Minh City, the event will offer visitors a vibrant culinary space where Vietnamese seafood is showcased through its flavors, stories, and real-life culinary applications.

Vietnam's pangasius exports reach USD 1.1 billion in the first half of 2026

| 08:16 23/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) Vietnam's pangasius exports reached USD 205 million in June 2026, up 5% compared with the same month in 2025. Cumulative export value for the first six months of the year totaled USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 12% year-on-year. Growth was primarily driven by strong demand from China and CPTPP markets, while exports to the United States and Brazil continued to decline.

Strengthen control over fishing vessels and trace the origin of harvested seafood.

| 09:34 21/07/2026

(seafood.vasep.com.vn) In the first six months of 2026, Ha Tinh province continued to implement comprehensive solutions to combat IUU fishing; strictly manage the fishing fleet, control fishing vessels entering and leaving ports, operate vessel tracking devices, trace the origin of seafood, and severely punish violations.

EMS creating opportunity for coldwater shrimp in US

Tin cùng chuyên mục

Shrimp exports in the first half of the year grow despite mounting market and logistics pressures

Ca Mau launches low-carbon shrimp branding project

Vinh Long accelerates the development of high-tech shrimp farming

China’s rising shrimp imports: Expanding opportunities amid intensifying competition

Lobster is on its way to becoming a billion-dollar commodity.

New VND1.5 trillion seafood processing plant inaugurated in Ca Mau