Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network Magazine Some insights into the live marine food fish markets in the region Sih Yang Sim Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, PO Box 1040, Kasetsart Post • Farming practices, market Office, Bangkok 10903, Thailand. chains and prices of marine finfish in Malaysia Marine finfish species such as as high as 500 Baht/kg, excluding costs • Grouper farming, market groupers, snapper, seabass and other of cooking and preparation. chains and marine finfish coral reef species command premium Epinephelus coioides (green prices in Indonesia prices when sold live in seafood grouper or orange-spotted grouper) is restaurants in the Asia-Pacific region. the most common grouper species • Marine finfish markets in For example, a plate size seabass (Lates farmed in Thailand. At one stage during Hong Kong calcarifer), 400-700 g may cost 100-150 the SARS period, the price dropped to Baht/kg (US$1 = Baht 41) in a 120 Baht/kg at the farm gate but it has • Marine finfish aquaculture in supermarket or wet market in Bangkok, steadily increased to around 220-240 China but in local restaurants the table served Baht/kg. The green grouper is priced at prices can range from 120-250 Baht/fish around 700-900 Baht/kg in most live • Spawning and larval rearing or 300-357 Baht/kg. In the premium seafood restaurants in Bangkok central of coral trout at Gondol RIM seafood places in the Central Business business district. In Singapore, the District of Bangkok, live seabass fetch buying price for imported live green • First successful hatchery production of Napoleon wrasse at Gondol RIM • New ACIAR project - Economic and Market Analysis of the Live Reef Food Fish Trade in Asia- Pacific • Assessment of the use of coded wire tags to trace coral trout in the live reef food fish trade • APEC workshop on environ- mental principles and policies in aquaculture administration • Trade and market trends in Network supported by: the live reef food fish trade July-September 2004 (No. 2) 1 grouper from Malaysia is around S$15/ dying during transit. Could the problem Marine Finfish Aquaculture kg (US$8.90) as at September 2004. have been poor packing and handling, Magazine In Hong Kong, live marine finfish or are farmed mouse groupers An electronic magazine of the Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish traders expect the price for green genuinely less hardy ? Hong Kong Aquaculture Network grouper to increase toward the end of traders also confirm that farmed mouse the year during the festive seasons. It groupers are less tolerant of handling, is also expected that consumption of more susceptible to stress and suffer green grouper will remain high as it is higher mortality. Such losses would the most common grouper species used add to costs and may be one factor for special banquets such as wedding, affecting the premium price for mouse Contact birthdays and company dinners. grouper in Hong Kong and China. Farm Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish gate prices for mouse groupers in Aquaculture Network PO Box 1040 Cultured vs wild grouper Indonesia are US$30-40/kg, while the Kasetsart Post Office wholesale prices in Hong Kong and Bangkok 10903, Thailand Although many claim that the taste of China seafood markets are around US$ Tel +66-2 561 1728 (ext 120) cultured grouper and wild grouper 84/kg. The challenge then for Fax +66-2 561 1727 cannot be differentiated by aquaculture is to produce high quality, Email [email protected] professional tasting panels, consumers tasty, and hardy fish. Website http://www.enaca.org/ from China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hong Kong traders are actively marinefish Malaysia still prefer wild grouper. looking for sources of wild caught Could this be merely the taste that groupers species such as E. consumers preferred or could it be the polyphekadion, E. fuscoguttatus, and perception that wild products taste Plectropomus spp. Recently, a 30 ton better and are healthier than the farmed live fish vessel was put on hold at Editors products? As a comparison, Malaysia’s Hong Kong due to ciguatera, which Sih Yang Sim “kampung chickens” or Thailand’s “kai was suspected to be coming from East Asia-Pacific Marine baan”, native chickens that are grown Timor region. Import of live coral reef Finfish Aquaculture Network, in a free range condition without (or fish species from the Pacific islands are c/o NACA with limited) commercial poultry feed also falling due to ciguatera problems. [email protected] always command a higher price due to With the export quota enforced on live its taste and lower fat levels relative to coral reef fish exports from commercially farmed chickens. Queensland, Australia in July 2004, it is When we discussed this issue with very likely that species such as traders from Singapore, Hong Kong Plectropomus spp., the major species Dr Michael J. Phillips and China they said that those exported from Australia will be in short Environmental Specialist & consumers who have more cultivated supply leading to an escalation in Manager of R&D, NACA “taste buds”, can tell whether a price. [email protected] grouper or other marine fish is farmed or wild caught. For example, green Domestic vs international groupers from Thailand are considered markets low quality due to a muddy taste from traditional culture in mangrove creeks Most farmers only focus on export Simon Wilkinson and earthen ponds. Similarly seabass markets for live marine finfish. There is Communications Manager, farmed in earthen ponds or freshwater no doubt that prices for markets such NACA also tend to have an off flavor and can as Hong Kong and China are higher, [email protected] be distinguished by their darker but the risk is also high for sellers and colouration, which is a marketing buyers. For example, if an Indonesian problem and leads to a lower price. exporter sends an air shipment of live They also pointed out that farmed marine finfish to Hong Kong the Cromileptes altivelis (mouse grouper, mortality rate on arrival may be 10%. In Dr Mike Rimmer barramundi cod) can be identified this case the exporter will bear the Principal Fisheries Biologist visually, as farmed mouse groupers financial losses for this 10% mortality (Mariculture & Stock generally have a shorter and fatter and eventually the loss may be passed Enhancement) body than their wild cousins. Farmed on to the farmers. Dead grouper can be DPIF, Northern Fisheries Centre mouse groupers are also more difficult sold at the market but the price is PO Box 5396 to handle and transport as they are less generally less than one third of the live Cairns QLD 4870 hardy then the wild ones. A trader from fish. Australia [email protected] Singapore reported that a 150kg air Should marine finfish farmers in the shipment of table size mouse groupers region only target Hong Kong and to Hong Kong recently turned out to China live fish markets or should they be a total disaster with all of the fish also consider domestic markets for 2 Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network larger fish? In Malaysia, with about 30% Chinese population, the eating Focus on markets, trade and habits for the Chinese community are similar to those in Hong Kong or China. economics A visit to the local fresh market has provided an indication that groupers Welcome to the second edition of the Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish are also sold here as fresh fish, in Asia-Pacific Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network (APMFAN). addition to the live fish segment of the Aquaculture Network’s e-Magazine. c/o: NACA, PO Box 1040 hotel and restaurant industries. The quarterly e-Magazine Kasetsart Post Office, Groupers sold in the fresh market are complements the fortnightly e-News Bangkok 10903, Thailand mostly green groupers. Most are more by publishing full-length articles on Tel: 66-2-561 1728 (Ext 120); than 1 kg and sold as fillet or “block”, various aspects of marine finfish Fax: 66-2-561 1727 priced at around RM 37/kg (US$ 9.74). aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region. Email: [email protected] Although groupers in this market only This edition focuses on market, Website: www.enaca.org/marinefish/ make up a very small part of the wide trade and economic issues. The rapid This issue also introduces a new variety of marine finfish species sold development of marine finfish sponsor for APMFAN: Skretting the market demand can be considerable aquaculture in the region is to a large Australia Pty Ltd. Skretting have if every fresh market in Malaysia is extent in response to the strong agreed to sponsor the network for the selling similar quantities. Indonesia, the demand and high prices for many next two years, including sponsoring Philippines and Thailand might also marine finfish species, such as this e-Magazine and the e-Newsletter. wish to consider developing their snappers and groupers. Information We gratefully acknowledge domestic markets for grouper species. on markets and trade is valuable for Skretting’s contribution to the A good example is the successful farmers, aquaculture suppliers and development and growth of APMFAN replacement of the export market for managers. and look forward to continuing to Penaeus vannamei shrimp by domestic The next issue will feature work with Skretting towards the consumption in PR China and Thailand. nutrition, feeds and feeding practices. development of sustainable marine A stable domestic market can absorb a We encourage the submission of finfish aquaculture in the region. portion of farmed production, reducing articles on these topics from network risk when extraordinary events in Hong participants. Send submissions to: Sih Yang Sim, Michael J. Phillips, Kong and China cause prices for Simon Wilkinson and Mike Rimmer.