W14 Salmon Update: Peru Exports Salmon Fillets to the US while Turkey’s Black Sea Salmon Gains Global Preference

Published 2024년 4월 12일

In W14 in the salmon landscape, Peru increased its salmon fillet exports to the US, aiming to expand their market share amid a decline in US imports from Peru. Meanwhile, Scottish salmon secured protected status post-Brexit, ensuring its quality and preventing fraudulent labeling. Turkey’s Black Sea salmon exports surged by 289% YoY in the first two months of 2024, driven by growing demand from various countries. However, concerns arose about mislabeling practices affecting exports.

Peru Exports Salmon Fillets to the US

The United States (US) received imports of salmon fillets from Peru in 2024, facilitated by Seafrost and Altamar Foods, both based in Paita, after processing headless and veinless salmon primarily sourced from Alaska. Although their current import volume remains modest, they aim to bolster their presence in the US market by attracting a larger pool of buyers. This shift occurs as the US observes a significant decline in salmon imports from Peru, dropping from 178 metric tons (mt) in 2022 to merely 14 mt in 2023, prompting a quest for alternatives to the dominant Chinese processors in the sector. The entry of Peruvian companies into the market has the potential to reshape the competitive landscape, providing US importers with fresh supply options amid evolving dynamics in the seafood industry.

Scottish Salmon Acquires Protected Status

Scottish salmon has been granted protected legal status to enhance consumer confidence and safeguard its world-renowned quality. Following Brexit, farm-raised salmon from Scotland will receive increased protection to mitigate the risk of food fraud, preventing the influx of subpar salmon products with lower environmental and food safety standards that could falsely be marketed as ‘Scottish salmon’. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has decided to label the term ‘Scottish salmon’ with a new ‘protected geographical indication’ (PGI) by the end of Apr-24, delineating its strict geographical designation as ‘the coastal region of mainland Scotland, Western Isles, Orkney, and Shetland Isles’. This update supersedes the previous PGI of ‘Scottish farmed salmon’, reflecting the unavailability of wild Scottish salmon in supermarkets due to decades of exploitation, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.

Despite the name change, all seafood products sold in the United Kingdom (UK) will still be required to list the production method on packaging, ensuring transparency for consumers. Scottish salmon stands as the UK’s largest food export, generating international sales of EUR 581 million in 2023 predominantly driven by demand in France, despite the persistent financial hurdles posed by Brexit. Additionally, it remains the most popular fish among UK consumers, with retail sales reaching approximately EUR 1.2 billion annually.

Turkish Salmon Grown in the Black Sea Gains Popularity

Turkish salmon grown in the Black Sea region has witnessed value growth in the first two months of 2024, generating USD 70.61 thousand, a substantial 289% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and setting a record growth rate above the average. Ahmet Hamdi Gürdoğan, Deputy Chairman of the Eastern Black Sea Exporters Association (DKİB), highlighted the positive momentum in Black Sea salmon exports in recent years, attributing it to the preference for Black Sea salmon among various countries, including Far Eastern countries such as Japan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Russia as well as the European Union, and the US, the latter being a new market entrant. Black Sea salmon's appeal lies in its extended period of sea residence, typically lasting seven months. However, there have been reports of mislabeling, where salmon from dams and lakes in inland regions are exported as Black Sea salmon, adversely impacting exports.