There is “major profitability” in African tuna, with some bluefin tuna “worth the price of a car,” according to the boss of a Chinese fishery company with significant West African operations.
Speaking at a meeting of the China World Trade Organization’s Africa Trade Promotion Center, Shenzhen PengFei International Trading and Investment Co. Director Tan Wenbao said Africa represents a major opportunity for Chinese seafood companies.
According to a statement from the South China branch of the CWTO – which appears to be a platform for Chinese businesses to engage with African officials – those in attendance at the meeting also heard from Mozambique fishery official Albino Paulino Magona, who was in China to explain fishing regulations in Africa to the assembled Chinese investors.
While China ranks below many European countries as a purchaser of sub-Saharan Africa’s seafood, the trade gap narrows if the data includes China’s locally-landed catch that is sold on to buyers in Europe and the Middle East.
Photo courtesy of WWF
