Fishery Trade

Fishery trade plays an important role in the India, with special reference to Kerala. It is estimate that around US$ 70 billion worth fish and fishery products were traded internationally during 2006-07 of which India accounted for 2.64% only. India’s share in this trade was US$ 1.85 billion (Rs. 8,363 crores).

Major marine products traded

The major marine products traded by India can be grouped into 9 categories,

• Frozen shrimp: Accelerated Freeze Dried (AFD) shrimp, block frozen shrimp, cooked salad shrimp, Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) and cultured shrimp.
• Frozen fish: Chinese pomfret, white and black pomfrets, fish lions/fish steaks, eels, fish fillets, fish roe, freshwater fish, mackerel, reef cod, ribbonfish, sardine, seabreams, seerfish, shark meat, snapper, big eye tuna, skipjack tuna, yellow fin tuna, gutted finless shark and shark tail.
• Frozen cuttlefish/ squid: Cuttlefish beak, cuttlefish blanched, cuttlefish bones, cuttlefish deskined, cuttlefish fillets, cuttlefish IQF, cuttlefish ink, cuttlefish meat trimmed, cuttlefish rings, cuttlefish roe, cuttlefish tentacles, cuttlefish tray packed, cuttlefish whole cleaned and cuttlefish wings.
• Frozen lobster: Rock lobster whole, sand lobster whole, IQF, deep sea lobster, rock lobster tail, sand/slipper tail, whole cooked lobster and lobster meat.
• Live items: Aquarium fish, crab, fish, lobster, shrimp, snail and whelk.
• Chilled items: Clam meat, fish, freshwater fish, lobster, pomfret and shrimp.
• Dried items: AFD shrimp powder, agar agar (seaweed), Beche-de-mer (sea cucumber), Bombay duck, chitin, chitosan, clam meat, cuttlefish, cuttlefish bones, fish maws, fish meal, fish nails, fish paste, isinglass, mussel meat, oyster shell powder, prawn feed, seahorse, shark fin rays, shark fins, shrimp powder, squid, fish skin, jellyfish salted, shark bones and shark tail.
• Shells: Crab shell, seashell and turtle shells.
• Others: Canned clams, chemeen chutney with and without coconut, fish pickles, fish vegetable barbeque, fish chutney, fish oil, fish powder, frozen mud crab, frozen crab meat, IQF whole crab, pasteurized crab, stuffed crab, freeze dried clam, fried fish and prawn, seafood vegetable mix, shark cooked and crushed, shrimp pickle, frozen snail meat, frozen surimi and frozen crab stick.

Seafood export

The share of Indian seafood in the world market has shown an increasing trend over the years. During 2001-07 this increase has been 40% in terms of value. In the last decade the seafood trade doubled both in value and quantity. In 2006-07, India exported 6.12 lakh tonnes worth marine products valued at Rs. 8,363 crores.

Seafood export from India

Major items exported

Frozen Shrimp continued to be the largest item exported in terms of value with 54% of the total value of export and frozen Fish continued to be the major item exported in terms of quantity with 44% of the total volume of marine products exported from the country. Cephalopods, squids and cuttlefish are other important commodities earning good market price.

Item-wise exports of marine products during 2006-07

It is worth noting that although frozen shrimp contributed to only 22% in quantity of marine products exported, in terms of value realization it contributed nearly 54%. In contrast frozen finfish, which contributed to 44% in quantity, could only earn 17% in terms of value.

Markets

In terms of value, European Union continued to be the largest market for Indian marine products, as its share increased to 33% from 29% during 2006-07. Meanwhile, China became the largest market for Indian seafood in terms of quantity contributing for over 33% of India's seafood exports, relegating European Union to second place (24%). Japan emerged as the second largest market for Indian marine products in terms of value (16%) and third in terms of quantity (11%).

Country-wise export of marine products during 2006-07

Major features

• USA continued to be the major market for Indian frozen shrimp accommodating nearly one-third of net exports followed by European union (28%), Japan (20%) and South East Asia (5%). 
• Frozen Fish was exported to 63 countries during the year 2005-06.China is the main market for frozen fish accounting to over half of the frozen fish exports followed by South East Asia (14%) and Middle East (7%).  
• Main market for frozen cuttlefish was European Union accounting for nearly three-forth of the net frozen cuttlefish exported followed by China (14%).  Exports were made to a total 40 countries during the year 2005-06.
• European Union continued to be the main market for Indian frozen Squid export with over two-third of exports followed by USA (16%) and Japan (5%). 
• Dried items were exported to 36 countries and the major players are Hong Kong contributing one-third of exports followed by China (18%), Sri Lanka (14%) and Singapore (9%).  
• Live items exported to 27 countries. Singapore was the main market for Indian live fish importing over half of the live items exported followed by Hong Kong (27%) and Thailand (14%) etc.
• Chilled fish were exported to 30 countries during the year 2005-06.  Major markets for chilled fish were Singapore (23%), U A E  (23%), Thailand (15%) etc.

Last updated: 26-9-2007