British Columbia Spot Prawns Growing in Prominence in the International Market

Spot prawns of British Columbia are well-known for their premium quality - their large size, delicate texture, and sweet taste are especially popular in the Asian market, commonly used in Japanese sushi bars. Normally harvested in mid-May, this year’s harvest has been delayed by approximately two weeks to a month from COVID-19 complications.

Walcan Seafood, one of the largest distributors of BC prawns with an extensive export base including China, Japan, and the United States, and Taris International, an enterprise that specializes in supporting local fisheries export to the international market, has given their assessments about the outlook and trends for the BC spot prawn sector in 2020.

BC Spot Prawns: A Global Delicacy

The sweetness that differentiates BC spot prawns from other shrimps comes from the abundance in amino glycine, which gives it a similar taste to king crabs and lobsters, explains Walcan Seafood. According to Taris International, while it is possible to sell the products frozen in parts, the best way is to consume the products in their whole form without compromising the quality. An interesting fact about spot prawns is that they start out as males, and then transform into female form as they reach maturity.

What sets the fishing industry in Canada apart from other countries is its sustainable fishing environment that systematically prevents overfishing. The British Columbian seafood industry sets a limit in harvesting volume and closes down fishing zones where fishing quantities have reached the maximum point or areas where the majority of the shrimp are carrying eggs in order to regulate fishing activities.

In addition, only a limited number of licenses are issued for a harvest year and fisheries are required to report their harvest amount to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. These measures also ensure that the size of the products stays uniform and the quality regulated.

Harvest Delayed Due to COVID-19

According to Walcan Seafood, the harvest for this season has been postponed due to a decreased number of fishing boats and flights for fishing transporting fresh animals, and a lack of fishery representatives to assess the state of the shrimp and fishing areas. In terms of demand, COVID-19 has kept the projected spike in imports from Chinese New Year and the Olympics from occurring, explains Taris International.

There is a divergence in opinion on this year’s harvest with Walcan Seafood expecting a rough estimate of 1500 tons compared to last year’s 2000 to 2500 tons. Adding to leftover inventory last year, Taris International expects a 1,900-ton harvest estimate, similar to last year’s, due to excellent water quality and fishing activities in Northern Vancouver. The company even projects the push back in harvest might work to the fisheries’ advantage as it allows smaller prawns to reach commercial maturity. Both companies, however, agree that it is unlikely the export prices for this season will increase, with Taris International predicting prices will drop from ample supply.

Walcan Seafood estimates that this year’s fishing period will last approximately 30 days, compared to last year’s 39. In light of recent events, the company has also been taking orders directly from customers and making local deliveries. While the hospitality sector is usually their biggest customer base, Walcan is also expecting to see sales for the retail sector for the first time.

BC Spot Prawns to Diversify Export Markets

While the British Columbia spot prawns face some competition in the international market, the Argentine Red shrimp and Russian shrimp possess different tastes than the BC delicacies, explains Walcan Seafood. Furthermore, Alaskan and Argentine shrimp hold a different harvest season than BC spot prawns, harvested later in the year.

Taris International works with local fisheries and processors, mostly small to medium-sized enterprises in increasing their international clientele. There is a consensus among seafood companies to promote BC spot prawns in the international market, explains the company and the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 has made it more important than ever for a diversified customer base.

While the traditional export destination for BC spot prawns has been Asian markets such as Japan and China, suppliers are looking to increase exports to the United States and Europe especially as there is an opportunity to replace Langostino shrimp, popularly used in restaurants.