Shrimp trawling businesses flourish this year
Shrimp trawling businesses are thriving this year with strong demand in the domestic market and foreign seafood markets, Vice-Chair U Aung Than Oo of the Myanmar Marine Fisheries Association said.
Locals used to consume less shrimp caught on the sea. They were primarily exported. Domestic consumption has increased by 10 per cent due to changes in consumer behaviour.
“This year, shrimp trawling’s catch rates significantly rose. Furthermore, demand ticked up as well. Earlier, 90 per cent of sea-caught shrimps were supplied to international markets, and only 10 per cent were sent to domestic markets. At present, domestic demand has reached 20 per cent. Locals rarely consumed them due to the high price. They can afford to buy them for now, changing market patterns,” U Aung Than Oo elaborated.
Myanmar’s tiger shrimps are shipped to the US and European countries beyond Asian countries like Japan and China. Hard-shell shrimps are mostly conveyed to Japan, China, and other regional countries.
Moreover, Myanmar can process hard-shell shrimp into value-added food products which are designated for Malaysian and Chinese markets. — ASH/KK
