Charting the growth of China’s seafood industry

With growing industrialization and economic development, not only are Chinese consumers better able to afford to eat more fish and seafood, but the industry that provides it has also extended its capacity to supply the market, according to a Research and Markets report.

Entitled Fresh & Processed Fish & Seafood in China 2010: A Market Analysis, it says as China’s fishing fleet has grown and spread its influence; the country has become a major trading nation in fish and seafood.

China's ability to undercut the cost of production in most industries has spread to the fish and seafood processing industry, and much of what is caught by global fleets is now destined to be processed in China, either for local consumption, but a large amount goes to re-export.

This makes China to become one of the most important markets in the world for fresh and processed fish and seafood, despite per capita consumption of such products still being below the levels in many developed countries.