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| Trade |
| Fast facts - exports |
| In 2006-07 |
 The total value of Australian exports of fisheries products decreased by 3 per cent to $1.49 billion. Approximately 80 per cent of export value was derived from edible fishery products such as fish and shellfish. The remainder was comprised of non-edible products such as pearls and fish meal. |
| Since 2000-01 |
| The real value of Australian fisheries exports has fallen by $1.1 billion (42 per cent). The driving factor behind this fall has been the decline in the value of key export species. The combined value of rock lobster, pearls, abalone, tuna and prawns has fallen by $0.9 billion over this period. Hong Kong has overtaken Japan as Australia’s main export destination for fisheries products. |
| Fast facts - imports |
| In 2006-07 |
| The value of Australian imports of fisheries products continued to rise, increasing by 16 per cent to $1.47 billion. Approximately 80 per cent of import value was derived from edible fishery products such as fish and shellfish. The remainder was comprised of non-edible products such as pearls and fishmeal. |
| Since 2003-04 |
| The real value of Australian fisheries imports has risen by $264 million (22 per cent), mostly driven by greater imports of fresh, chilled and frozen prawns and frozen fish fillets. The share of edible fishery imports from China and Viet Nam has risen, although Thailand and New Zealand remain Australia’s main source of edible imports. |
| Exports and imports |
| Historically, Australia has been a net importer of fisheries products in volume terms but a net exporter in value terms. This disparity reflects the composition of Australian fisheries exports compared with imports. Australian fisheries exports are dominated by high-value species such as rock lobster, tuna and abalone, while imports largely consist of lower value products such as frozen fish fillets, canned fish and frozen prawns. In recent years the gap between the value of Australian fisheries exports and imports has closed. In 2006-07, the value of Australian fisheries exports ($1.49 billion) was approximately equal to the value of fisheries imports ($1.47 billion) (figure n). Driving this shift has been movements in the value of the Australian dollar against the currencies of major trading partners, which have made exports less competitive in overseas markets and imports more attractive to domestic consumers (box 1). If past trends continue, Australia will be a net importer of fisheries products in both volume and value terms in 2007-08. In real terms, the value of Australian fisheries exports has fallen by 42 per cent ($1.1 billion) since 2000-01 (figure n). The main factors contributing to this decline are a 26 per cent decrease in the volume of edible exports and falling unit prices for major export species, particularly rock lobster, prawns, tuna and abalone. The decline in unit export prices is the result, in part, of a strong appreciation of the Australian dollar against the Japanese yen and US dollar over this period. In real terms, the value of Australian fisheries imports has risen by 22 per cent ($264 million) since 2003-04 (figure n). The main factors contributing to this increase are a 38 per cent increase in the quantity of fresh, chilled or frozen prawn imports, and higher unit prices for whole fish and canned fish products. |
| Exports by commodity |
| The total value of Australian exports of fisheries products fell by $53 million (3 per cent) in 2006-07 to $1.49 billion. Nearly 80 per cent of this value was derived from edible products, such as finfish, crustaceans and molluscs. The remaining 20 per cent was from non-edible products such as pearls, fish meal and marine fats and oils (figure o). Rock lobster ($463 million) remained Australia’s most valuable export product, followed by pearls ($314 million), abalone ($246 million) and tuna ($162 million) (figure p). |
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| Edible fisheries products |
| Key species: rock lobster, abalone, tuna and prawns |
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| The value of edible exports fell by 6 per cent in 2006-07 to $1.16 billion. The most valuable edible fisheries products were rock lobster ($463 million), abalone ($246 million), tuna ($162 million) and prawns ($94 million). |
| Finfish |
| The export value of edible finfish fell by 5 per cent in 2006-07 to $280 million. Driving this fall were declines in the value of whole tuna (fresh or chilled) and other fish fillets (frozen), which fell by 32 per cent ($21.7 million) and 60 per cent ($7.1 million) respectively. The fall in the value of whole tuna (fresh or chilled) was the result of a 31 per cent decrease in the unit export price, while the fall in the value of other fish fillets (frozen) was the result of a 47 per cent decrease in export volume. Historically, tuna has dominated the export of Australian finfish products, accounting for 58 per cent of the export value of finfish in 2006-07. However, the value of tuna exports fell by $17.2 million in 2006-07, or 10 per cent, to $162 million. This was largely attributable to a 51 per cent fall in the volume of fresh or chilled southern bluefin tuna exports, mostly because harvesting at tuna farms was delayed in 2006-07. In quantity terms this decline was offset partially by increases in the export volumes of other tuna species, particularly albacore and yellowfin tuna. However, because these species have a relatively lower value than southern bluefin, the export value of fresh or chilled tuna fell by $21.7 million. The value of salmon exports rose by 53 per cent in 2006-07 to $12.5 million. Offsetting a 53 per cent ($1.5 million) fall in the value of canned salmon was a 114 per cent ($5.2 million) rise in the value of whole (fresh or chilled) salmon, which was the result of an 87 per cent increase in export volume and a 15 per cent increase in unit price. |
| Crustaceans and molluscs |
| The export value of crustaceans and molluscs fell by 7 per cent in 2006-07 to $878 million. Driving this fall was a $40.4 million decrease in the value of prawn exports and a $26 million decrease in the value of rock lobster exports. The fall in the value of prawn exports was the result of a 28 per cent (2380 tonne) decrease in the export volume of whole prawns, which typically account for more than 90 per cent of prawn exports. The fall in the value of rock lobster exports was because of a 28 per cent (640 tonne) decrease in the volume of cooked rock lobster exports and a 12 per cent (880 tonne) decrease in the volume of live rock lobster exports. Together, these two products typically account for three-quarters of rock lobster exports in terms of volume and 70 per cent in terms of value. The value of abalone exports remained largely unchanged in 2006-07, rising $400 000 to $246 million. The value of fresh, chilled or frozen abalone rose by $7.5 million, the result of a 5 per cent increase in export volume and a slight rise in unit price. Despite a 9 per cent increase in export volume, the value of canned abalone fell by $7.1 million, driven by a 14 per cent decrease in unit price. |
| Non-edible fisheries products |
| Key products: pearls |
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| The value of non-edible exports rose by 9 per cent to $336 million in 2006-07. This was the result of an 8 per cent ($24.2 million) increase in the value of pearl exports, which accounted for 93 per cent of the value of non-edible exports in 2006-07. The export value of marine fats and oils also rose by $8 million (220 per cent) to $11.6 million. |
| Exports by destination |
| Edible fisheries products (excluding live products) |
| Key destinations: Kong Hong, Japan and the United States |
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| In 2006-07, Hong Kong was Australia’s main export market for edible fisheries products (figure q). In value terms, 40 per cent of edible fisheries products (excluding live) were exported to Hong Kong ($447 million) and 27 per cent were exported to Japan ($306 million) (table 24). Other main markets included the United States ($115 million), China ($59.3 million) and Chinese Taipei ($50.5 million). The main edible products exported to Hong Kong are rock lobster and abalone. In 2006-07, the total value of rock lobster exports to Hong Kong increased by 3 per cent to $235 million, while the total value of abalone exports rose by 32 per cent to $149 million. Together, these two species accounted for nearly three-quarters of seafood export volume to Hong Kong and 86 per cent of value (table 25). Whole tuna, rock lobster, prawns and abalone accounted for 94 per cent of the value of edible exports to Japan in 2006-07. However, the export value of all four species fell in 2006-07, contributing to a $64.9 million (18 per cent) fall in total export value. The value of tuna (whole) fell by $20.5 million (12 per cent), while rock lobster, prawns and abalone fell by $17.7 million (25 per cent), $14.2 million (24 per cent) and $13 million (24 per cent) respectively. These decreases were largely the result of declining export volumes. Since 2000-01, the real value of seafood exports to Japan has fallen by 65 per cent, or $557 million. Driving this decline have been substantial reductions in export volumes of key products (tuna, rock lobster, prawns and other fish) and the strong appreciation of the Australian dollar relative to the Japanese yen, the effects of which have been compounded by declining prices for key export species, particularly prawns (figure r). Rock lobster is the main edible fisheries product exported to the United States, China and Chinese Taipei. In 2006-07, the export value of rock lobster to these countries was $97.8 million (accounting for 85 per cent of Australian edible exports to the United States by value), $24.3 million (41 per cent) and $30.1 million (60 per cent) respectively (table 25). The primary export markets for Australian finfish products are Japan (tuna and salmon), the United States (tuna) and Thailand (whiting). In 2006-07, Japan accounted for 93 per cent of the value of whole tuna exports, and Thailand almost 60 per cent of the value of whole whiting. The majority of canned finfish exports went to New Zealand, which accounted for 91 per cent of the value of all canned tuna exports in 2006-07 and 85 per cent of all canned salmon exports (table 21). Hong Kong, Japan and the United States remain the primary export markets for crustaceans and molluscs, valued at $429 million, $141 million and $104 million respectively in 2006-07 (tables 22–23). Together these three countries accounted for 77 per cent of all Australian crustacean and mollusc exports. Other important export destinations for shellfish products were China, Chinese Taipei and Singapore. |
| Non-edible fisheries products |
| Key destinations: Kong Hong, Japan and the United States |
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| In 2006-07, the principle export markets for non-edible products such as pearls and fish meal were Hong Kong ($156 million), Japan ($68.5 million) and the United States ($34.3 million). Other major markets for non-edible products included New Zealand and Indonesia (table 24). |
| Exports by state |
| Of the total value of edible fisheries products exported in 2006-07, 29 per cent originated in Western Australia ($333 million), 26 per cent from South Australia ($303 million) and 17 per cent from Queensland ($191 million) (table 28). South Australian and Queensland were the main exporters of finfish products. South Australia’s finfish exports were mostly comprised of southern bluefin tuna, while Queensland’s finfish exports were mostly live coral trout. Western Australia and South Australia were the main exporters of shellfish. Western Australia’s shellfish exports were mostly comprised of rock lobster, while South Australia’s were mostly rock lobster, abalone and prawns. |
| Imports by commodity |
| The total value of Australian imports of fisheries products increased by $203 million (16 per cent) in 2006-07 to $1.47 billion. Approximately 80 per cent of this value was derived from edible products, such as finfish, crustaceans and molluscs. The remaining 20 per cent was comprised of non-edible products such as pearls, fish meal and marine fats and oils (figure s). The major imported products were fresh, chilled or frozen prawns ($246 million), canned fish ($244 million), frozen fish fillets ($228 million) and pearls ($182 million) (figure t). |
| Edible fisheries products |
| Key species: prawns (fresh, chilled or frozen) and fish (canned and frozen fillets) |
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| The value of edible imports rose by 15 per cent in 2006-07 to $1.18 billion. The most valuable edible import products were fresh, chilled or frozen prawns ($246 million), canned fish ($244 million) and frozen fish fillets ($228 million). |
| Finfish |
| The total value of finfish imports rose by $99 million (16 per cent) in 2006-07 to $701 million. Contributing to this rise was a $31.5 million increase in the value of frozen fish fillets, which was the result of increases in both volume and unit price. The value of canned and smoked salmon imports also rose during this period, by $14 million and $11.3 million respectively. These increases were the result of higher import volumes and, to a lesser extent, higher unit prices. The real value of finfish imports has grown by 37 per cent ($188 million) over the past decade. This rise is mostly attributable to a 47 per cent (43 000 tonne) increase in the volume of imports. While the share of hake imports during this period has fallen from 12 per cent of total finfish import value to 5 per cent, the shares of other key products — salmon, tuna and other frozen fillets — have remained relatively unchanged, indicating growth has been consistent across these products. |
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| Crustaceans and molluscs |
| The total value of crustacean and mollusc imports rose by $57 million (13 per cent) in 2006-07 to $483 million. This increase was mostly attributable to a $45.4 million (23 per cent) rise in the value of fresh, chilled or frozen prawns and a $6.7 million (12 per cent) rise in the value of canned and preserved prawns. Combined, these products accounted for 52 per cent of the volume and 64 per cent of the value of crustacean and mollusc imports in 2006-07. Other important categories of shellfish imports are calamari, squid and octopus (together valued at $55.9 million in 2006-07) and scallops ($29.8 million). The volume of crustacean and mollusc imports has almost doubled over the past decade, rising from 33 200 tonne in 1997-98 to 65 000 tonne in 2006-07. The value, however, has risen by only 26 per cent ($101 million) in real terms, which is largely the result of falling unit prices for the higher value species. In particular, the real unit prices of scallops and prawns (canned and preserved) have fallen by 39 per cent and 33 per cent respectively during this period. Driving this fall in unit prices has been the strong appreciation of the Australian dollar, which has made imports more attractive to Australian consumers. |
| Non-edible fisheries products |
| Key products: pearls and fish meal |
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| The value of non-edible imports rose by 20 per cent to $283 million in 2006-07. Almost two-thirds of this value was attributable to pearl imports ($182 million). The next most valuable product was fish meal ($40 million) followed by marine fats and oils ($24 million). The increase in value in 2006-07 was the result of a 14 per cent ($22.2 million) increase in the value of pearl imports and an 82 per cent ($18 million) increase in the value of fish meal imports. Together, these two products accounted for 78 per cent of the value of non-edible imports in 2006-07 (table 29). |
| Imports by source |
| Edible fisheries products |
| Key sources: Thailand, New Zealand, Viet Nam and China |
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| Thailand and New Zealand remain Australia’s main sources of edible fishery products, accounting for 40 per cent of the total value of edible imports in 2006-07 (24 per cent and 16 per cent respectively) (table 37). Imports from Thailand were valued at $279 million and were mostly comprised of canned fish ($151 million) and fresh, chilled or frozen prawns ($48.2 million). New Zealand imports were valued at $192 million and were mostly comprised of frozen finfish fillets ($58.8 million) and fresh or chilled whole fish ($42.8 million). However, the share of imports from China ($156 million in 2006-07) and Viet Nam ($155 million) continues to rise, with each country accounting for 13 per cent of the value of edible imports in 2006-07 (figure u). Over the past decade, the real values of edible imports from China and Viet Nam have increased by $139 million and $127 million respectively. In 2006-07, the value of edible imports from China rose by $54.7 million (54 per cent). The value of fresh, chilled or frozen prawn imports more than doubled, rising to $62.1 million. This was the result of a 90 per cent increase in volume and an 11 per cent increase in average unit price. The value of canned crustacean and mollusc imports from China also rose by $15.2 million (91 per cent) to $32 million in 2006-07, driven mostly by an 81 per cent increase in volume and a 6 per cent increase in unit price. Other important products sourced from China include calamari, squid and octopus ($17.3 million) and scallops ($16.4 million) (figure v). The value of edible imports from Viet Nam rose by $22 million (17 per cent) in 2006-07. This was the result of a $13.5 million (19 per cent) rise in the value of fresh, chilled or frozen prawns and an $8 million (19 per cent) rise in the value of frozen fish fillets (excluding hake) (figure w). These increases were mostly the result of higher unit prices. In 2006-07, 62 per cent ($151 million) of Australia’s imports of canned fish and 32 per cent ($32.6 million) of canned crustacean and mollusc imports were sourced from Thailand. New Zealand was the source of 38 per cent of Australian imports of fresh, chilled or frozen finfish products ($112 million, table 33), 21 per cent of fresh, chilled or frozen molluscs ($20.1 million, table 36) and 12 per cent of canned crustacean and mollusc imports ($11.8 million, table 36). Almost one-quarter of dried and salted fish were imported from Norway ($2.3 million, table 34), while Denmark was the source of 55 per cent of Australia’s smoked fish imports ($24 million, table 34). |
| Non-edible fisheries products |
| Key sources: Peru and the United States |
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| Australia’s imports of non-edible fisheries products are sourced from a wide range of countries. In 2006-07, approximately 20 per cent of non-edible imports were sourced from Peru ($33.7 million) and the United States ($23.6 million). Non-edible imports from Peru were mostly comprised of fish meal, the majority of which was destined for Tasmania. Non-edible imports from the United States were mostly comprised of other marine products, the majority of which was destined for South Australia. Other sources of non-edible imports included New Zealand ($10.7 million) and Indonesia ($7.8 million). |
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