10/06/2017
Despite an ongoing economic crisis, Brazil’s fish imports in 2017are up from last year.
From January to April 2017, import volumes rose 6% from the last year to 157,205 metric tons, thanks to the marketing campaigns from the Brazilian Association of Shrimp Breeders (ABCC).

Higher imports have been driven by a rise in fish consumption in the country. Earlier this year, the Brazilian aquaculture association, Peixe BR, started a marketing campaign to boost fish consumption in the country, Francisco Medeiros, the association’s head executive, told Undercurrent News, pointing out that Brazilian inhabitants consumed on average of only about 9kg of fish per year.
Amid positive consumption trends, the association is prioritizing efforts to keep the trend going, such as issuing environmental licensing to allow fish farming across provinces in Brazil’s artificial lakes as well as a marketing campaign to boost annual consumption, Medeiros told Undercurrent.
Brazilian inhabitants annually consume on average about 3.2kg of fish from aquaculture, 2kg from imports and 3.6kg of fishery extraction. Consumption is still low, Medeiros said, although he emphasized it is increasing.
Imports increase
Argentina received higher imports overall during 2017 so far, driven most of all by Peru. Argentina, Ecuador, Taiwan and Morocco also played a role, but boosts from these nations were offset by declining shipments from Chile, China and Spain.
Admittedly, the drop on Chilean import volumes – a major source of product for Brazil – was sizable, at 12%. They reached 27,701 metric tons, as salmon prices reached an all-time record high. Imports from China decreased 26% to 19,686 metric tons, while imports from Spain were down 39% to 1,169 metric tons.
However, all of these decreases were largely offset by a sharp increase in Peruvian imports as well as increases from other nations. Shipments of Peruvian products into Brazil rose 258% to 4,235 metric tons. Uruguayan shipments rose 45% to 3,851 metric tons, Moroccan shipments rose 40% to 18,994 metric tons, Argentine shipments rose 51% to 13,993 metric tons, Ecuadorian shipments rose 51% to 5,770 metric tons and Taiwanese shipments rose 60% to 2,998 metric tons, according to figures provided by ABCC. Total Brazilian fish imports during the period were worth $540.76 millions USD, up 25% from last year.
HNN (Undercurrentnews)