Argentine red shrimp (P. muelleri)
Argentine red shrimp is not in competition with most other species discussed previously. However, considering the icy mountaintops of Patagonia and the cold Arctic waters around the country, the species can’t be ignored when considering coldwater shrimp.
Contrary to other species, Argentine red shrimp is caught at larger sizes. Argentine red shrimp competes with warmwater shrimp such as black tiger shrimp (P. monodon) and Pacific white shrimp (L. vannamei). Due to its dark red color and strong taste, Argentine red shrimp is commonly regarded as a premium product.
In terms of export, Argentina has grown from only 50,000 MT in 2001 to roughly 185,000 MT in 2018. Exports grew systematically and only stabilized in 2018. The seasonality of Argentina’s fisheries is reflected by the export peak lasting from May until September- October and then dropping towards the beginning of the year.
Spain (31.4 percent), China (18.1 percent), Japan (9.8 percent), and Italy (9.4 percent) are Argentina’s biggest markets. China (including its exports through Vietnam) was responsible for the biggest growth for Argentina, increasing its imports from less than 500 MT in 2010 to roughly 55,000 MT in 2018. Thailand, a reprocessing hub for Argentina rather than a consumer market, also showed significant growth from 250 MT in 2010 to nearly 7,500 MT in 2018.
The increased export can partly be attributed to better stocks and partly to their more intense exploitation by Argentina’s fisheries. It is unclear whether the current level of exploitation is sustainable.
That being said, Argentina is underway to get its onshore and offshore fisheries MSC certified, which may even be achieved by the end of 2019. Some state that the golden years of Argentine red shrimp are over, as its trade has been hurt by competition from farmed shrimp from Ecuador and India.
