European Commission Directorate-General for Trade

Statistics

The EU is increasingly dependent on imports of fish and fishery products to meet its needs. In 2009, the EU imported €15.5 billion worth of fish and fishery products, accounting for more than 60% of it fish consumption. Europe exported €2.5 billion worth of fisheries goods in 2009, the bulk of it to large markets like Norway, Russia and Japan. Total aquaculture production in the EU is around 1.3 million tonnes.

EU fisheries imports 2009

The most significant imported fish and fishery products in value terms were Pacific salmon, followed by frozen shrimps and canned tuna. Please see the graph below for more details:

EU fisheries imports 2009

Import	Share of total (%)
Fresh or chilled Pacific salmon	10
Frozen shrimps of genus "penaeus"	9
Frozen fillets of Alaska pollack	4
Prepared or preserved tuna and skipjack	4
Frozen fillets of freshwater fish	3
Frozen shrimps and prawns	3
Prepared tuna and skipjack whole or in pieces	3
Flours, meals and pellets	3
Frozen fillets of Pacific salmon	3
Tuna loins	3

Pacific salmon

In 2009, the main EU supplier for Pacific salmon was Norway with a share of 95%, followed by the Faroe Islands:

Suppliers of Pacific salmon to the EU

Country	Share of total (%)
Norway	95
Faroe Isles	5

Frozen shrimps of genus Penaeus

Here below, the graph illustrates the 10 main countries from which the EU imported frozen shrimps in 2009 - Ecuador accounts for 19% and India for 12%, closely followed by Argentina (10%):

Suppliers of Frozen shrimps of genus 'penaeus' to the EU

Country	Share of total (%)
Ecuador	19
India	12
Argentina	10
Bangladesh	9
Thailand	8
Vietnam	8
Madagascar	5
Indonesia	4
Colombia	3
Nigeria	2

Frozen fillets of Alaska pollack

Here are the three main EU suppliers for Alaska pollack, with China accounting for the largest share (61%), followed by the United States and Russia:

Suppliers of Alaska pollack to the EU

Country	Share of total (%)
China	61
United States	25
Russia	14

EU fisheries exports 2009

The main EU fisheries export items were flours, meals and pellets, frozen mackerel and Pacific salmon. Please see the graph below the graph for more details:

EU fisheries exports 2009

Export	Share of total (%)
Flours, meals and pellets	8
Frozen mackerel	6
Fresh or chilled Pacific salmon	5
Fresh or chilled saltwater fish	4
Frozen horse mackerel	4
Frozen skipjack or bonito	4
Frozen Greenland halibut	3
Frozen herring	3
Frozen shrimps and prawns	3
Frozen saltwater fish	2

Fresh or chilled Pacific salmon

The main destination for the EU's Pacific salmon were the United States, accounting for 80% of EU exports in 2009:

EU Pacific salmon exports 2009

Country	Share of total (%)
United States	80
Canada	4
Switzerland	3
Lebanon	3
Japan	2
Hong Kong	1
South Africa	1
Russia	1
Taiwan	1
United Arab Emirates	1

Flours, meals and pellets

The largest share of the EU's exports of flours, meals and pellets of fish went to Norway (70%):

EU flours, meals and pellets exports 2009

Country	Share of total (%)
Norway	70
Russia	3
Nigeria	3
Taiwan	3
South Korea	2
Belarus	2
Canada	2
Saudi Arabia	2
Ukraine	1
Serbia	1

Frozen mackerel

The EU exported frozen mackerel mainly to Russia (almost 50%):

EU frozen mackerel exports 2009

Country	Share of total (%)
Russia	48
Nigeria	18
Egypt	8
Ukraine	5
China	4
Belarus	2
Taiwan	1
Serbia	1
Japan	1
Gabon	1

Source: Comext, December 2010