(Colin 1 - Co-founding member of the prestigious Colin Club)

Nearly 70 per cent of Australia’s imports of canned fish,

20 per cent of fresh, chilled or frozen prawns, and 30 per cent of canned

crustaceans and molluscs were sourced from Thailand. New Zealand was

the source of 59 per cent of Australia’s imports of fresh, chilled or frozen

fish products and 36 per cent of fresh, chilled or frozen mollusc imports.

In recent years, the gross value of imports from China and Viet Nam has

grown steadily. China and Viet Nam were the source of 25 per cent and

35 per cent of fresh, chilled or frozen prawn imports respectively. Also

sourced from China was 60 per cent of fresh, chilled or frozen mollusc

imports.

The volume of edible seafood imports continued to rise in 2006-07.

Over the past five years the volume of edible seafood imports rose by 36

per cent from 144 409 tonnes in 2001-02 to 198 600 tonnes in 2006-07. Of

particular note was the increase in prawn imports from China and Viet Nam

and imports of frozen finfish fillets from Viet Nam. The volume of fresh,

chilled or frozen prawn imports from China increased from 384 tonnes in

2001-02 to 8469 tonnes in 2006-07, while the volume of fresh, chilled or

frozen prawn imports from Viet Nam increased from 1842 tonnes to 7229

tonnes over the same period. Frozen finfish fillets from Viet Nam also rose

steadily from 1450 tonnes in 2001-02 to 11 300 tonnes in 2006-07.

The appreciation of the Australian dollar relative to trading partners’

currencies has reduced the price Australians pay for imports of fisheries

products. This increased competition from overseas suppliers has affected

the prices received by Australian producers.