An Australian company has become the first to transport a shipment of abalone to Los Angeles, Calif. with 100 percent of the shipment surviving.
FishPac, of Melbourne, used its system of sustaining live cargo with oxygen to transport 400 kg of live Greenlip abalone, ranging in weight from 400 to 900 grams, from Melbourne to Los Angeles. The company said the shipment arrived with zero mortality.
"Greenlip Abalone is a delicacy in many Asian cultures, however it has never been successfully shipped live due to their fragility," said Peter Rankin, FishPac's business development manager. "The results of the first shipments are astounding and we now have a viable solution to a common seafood transport problem."
The market for Australian abalone is already estimated at AUD 81 million, and FishPac estimates that will grow, based on interest from Hong Kong and China.
"This is a new market, bringing with it new pricing opportunities" Rankin said. "We are seeing our clients enjoying very healthy margins which will drive volume up. We also believe we can ship an additional 20 percent in future shipments, so these revenues and margins are only going to increase."
