Chinese seafood consumption and implications for the Asia-Pacific

Michael Fabinyi

Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University

and

Department of Sociology, Peking University

Leading market for seafood

Implications for source countries

•Different economic, ecological and political opportunities and challenges related to the rise of Chinese seafood consumption

Summary of Talk

•Overview of Chinese seafood consumption

•Luxury seafood consumption in Beijing

•Live reef food fish trade in Philippines

Overview of Chinese seafood consumption

•Large data gaps: basic statistics, trade flows, consumption patterns, consumer perspectives

•Strong incentives for falsification of production data

Overview of Chinese seafood consumption

•FAO data refers to ‘food supply’: 26.7kg/person

•Government consumption data refers to ‘in-home’ consumption: 10.1kg/person

•Despite data limitations, clear that seafood consumption is rising steadily

•Key drivers: increased incomes, urbanisation

Overview of Chinese seafood consumption

0-100

100.1-200

200.1-300

300.1-600

600.1+

Zhou et al 2012: Food consumption trends in China

Urban per capita consumption of aquatic products by region

Overview of Chinese seafood consumption

•Three types of seafood imports:

•re-processing and re-exporting (e.g. salmon, whitefish)

•fishmeal (for aquaculture)

•luxury high value (for domestic consumption)

•A focus on luxury seafood imports in this talk

Types of luxury seafood

Types of luxury seafood

Types of luxury seafood

Social drivers of luxury seafood consumption

•The role of the banquet in modern China

•Conspicuous consumption

•Southern Chinese cuisine

•Crack down by Chinese government on corruption

•Significant impact on luxury seafood consumption

Recent policy developments

“Look in the mirror, fix your clothes, take a bath, and seek remedies” - Xi Jinping, President of China

Source countries

• Live reef fish for food trade (LRFFT)

• Highlights issues developing countries face when exporting seafood to China

• Estimates of trade worth about $1-2billion, 30,000 tons per year

• Exported mostly to China – important component of seafood banquets

Sadovy et al. 2003, While Stocks Last

LRFFT Commodity Chain

China

Source

Figure courtesy Geoffrey Muldoon, WWF Coral Triangle

Ecological impacts of LRFFT

•Overfishing

•Targeting of spawning aggregations

•Use of cyanide

•Plate-sized and juvenile fish targeted

Fishers’ perceptions of declines in fish stocks (n = 214)

% respondents who think live fish fishing trip length has increased

57%

% respondents who think catch of leopard coral grouper has decreased

75%

% respondents who think average size of leopard coral grouper has decreased

74%

Social impacts of LRFFT

•Health issues

•Distribution of financial benefits

•Important livelihood

Community level problems and issues in LRFFT fishing communities (n = 431)

1. Health care2. Lack of or limited livelihood opportunities3. Food security4. Drinking/potable water supply5. Lack of roads/ transportation 6. No electrification7. Limited educational opportunities8. Declining fish catch and/or depleted fishery resources9. Lack of access to credit10. Waste Management11. Destruction of fishery or coastal habitats

12. Lack of access to markets for products13. Low price of fish14. Lack of land for agriculture15. Peace and order situation16. Bad weather

Social issues in LRFFT fishing communities

•Lack of viable alternative livelihoods

•LRFFT is a rare pathway to improved standard of living

•Disconnect between household interests and wider-scale interests

Source: NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

Summing up…

•Increased Chinese seafood consumption driver of stock declines

•Fisheries present potential benefits but currently not realised

•Ongoing policy activities by state, ENGO, market actors

Thank you

•ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, JCU, Australia

•Prof. Liu Neng, Peking University, China

•Prof. Michael Pido, Palawan State University, Philippines

michael.fabinyi@jcu.edu.au