Canadian officials are in discussions with a fishing firm about the possibility of exporting more jellyfish to China.
Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Keith Colwell led a delegation on a visit to the corporate headquarters of Weihai Xi Gang, which markets jellyfish, as well as sea cucumbers and shellfish. The company also owns a large shipbuilding subsidiary.
Weihai Xi Gang and the Canadians discussed the possibility of cooperation in supplying light-weight, fiberglass vessels for harvesting jellyfish in Canada, according to a report from the Nova Scotian ministry.
However, there are concerns in Nova Scotia about the potential environmental impact of allowing the large-scale export of jellyfish – an important food source for major species like sea turtles – to China, where demand for the species for human consumption is high.
Also traveling as part of the Canadian delegation was Clearwater Seafoods CEO Ian Smith. In 2017, the company opened a flagship store on Tmall.com, Alibaba's e-commerce platform, and also sells its products on rival e-commerce site JD.com.
"Both e-commerce platforms provide us the opportunity to further diversify into the China marketplace by reaching consumers directly with our products," Smith told the China Daily.
In the first eight months of 2018, Nova Scotia’s seafood exports to China totaled CAN 344 million (USD 262.3 million, EUR 230 million), up 22 percent the same period from last year, according to Nova Scotia’s regional government. The region exported CAN 389 million (USD 296.6 million, EUR 260.1 million) worth of seafood to China in 2017.
A dozen Nova Scotia firms will show at next week’s China Fisheries and Seafood Expo in Qingdao – part of Nova Scotia’s “Atlantic Growth Strategy” trade mission to China. Victoria Co-operative Fisheries Ltd. and Louisbourg Seafoods Ltd. will be among eight Nova Scotia companies also making appearances at the Food and Hotel China event in Shanghai on 13 November.
Photo courtesy of China Daily
