Despite the belief in some quarters that China will buy anything, that does not seem the case at this year's Hong Kong based Asian Seafood Expo.
According to the South China morning post, a number of mainland seafood wholesalers talked of how the crackdown on luxury items has hurt their business.
Hotels and restaurants have become increasingly reluctant to put luxury items on the menu after a government clampdown on extravagance among officials, they say.
Wholesaler Helen Xia, who sells seafood products to buyers in Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai, was looking for products at lower prices. "It's really hard to sell luxury items at the moment," she said.
Sun Yan, manager of a Shenzhen-based food company that supplies mostly to mainland hotels, has also been hit by a fall in seafood demand. "Profits of big hotels in Beijing have dropped 50 per cent this year since the new leadership's clampdown," he said.
President Xi Jinping called on officials to curb extravagant meals and other luxury purchases in January, saying the public strongly opposed public money being lavished on swanky dinners for officials.
The result has been buyers looking for lower priced products.