While all shellfish varieties enjoy high seasonal demand throughout the Spanish Christmas period, lobster is the most common, traditionally boiled and served with homemade mayonnaise or a salpicón (fresh diced salad).
The main lobster varieties consumed in Spain are Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), also known as cigala or Dublin Bay prawn; spiny lobster (Palinurus elephas), also known as langosta; and bogavante (Homarus gammarus) also known as the European or common lobster. The Western Mediterranean lobster season is March to August; harvesting is forbidden the remainder of the year when females lay their eggs. Imported lobster season is May to December, Spain being the No. 2 European lobster importer with 3.2 million pounds after Italy’s 3.5 million pounds.
The United States and Canada produce 63 percent of the world’s lobster. Harvest dates must appear on catch certificates, so market demand for quick-frozen lobster increases, and Christmas marketing campaigns take place.
A price evolution study by Mercabarna, managers of Barcelona’s Central Fish Market, found that from January to October 2011, prices per kilogram for top-range seafood fell. Attributing the trend to the financial crisis and consumers’ changing purchasing habits, live red lobster and frozen langoustine tail from, now priced at EUR 8 (USD 10.60) to EUR 15 (USD 20), are amongst those most affected.
Uncommon in the Mediterranean except in the Adriatic, Norway lobster is commercially important to Spain and is found in the northeastern Atlantic, the North Sea as far as Iceland and northern Norway, and south to Portugal.
About 95 percent of spiny lobster is imported to Spain with, the United Kingdom, France and Portugal supplying 60 percent and Africa 35 percent, while Spain’s Galicia and Cantabrian coast account for 5 percent of national output. Frozen langosta are also imported from South America and the Caribbean.
Currently, some 600 boats and 1,100 fishermen participate in Spain’s annual spiny lobster fishery, producing 200 to 400 metric tons annually, with a wholesale value of EUR 12 million (USD 16 million) to EUR 24 million (USD 32 million). Spain’s spiny lobster marine reserve at Columbretes Islands off the east coast covers 1,400 hectares and has increased production 6 to 20 times over since 1997.
Meanwhile, 95 percent of bogavante is imported to Spain — 70 percent from the United States and Canada, 25 percent from the UK, while Galicia and Cantabria produce 5 percent.
Comparing frozen European lobster prices per kilogram in Spain’s four leading fish markets on 29 November, Mercamadrid was at EUR 17.43 (USD 23.26), Mercabarna at EUR 14 (USD 18.70), Mercabilbao at EUR 20 (USD 26.70) and Mercavalencia at EUR 11.50 (USD 15.35).
On 9 December, Mercabarna reported that fresh lobster prices are down 10 percent, fresh red lobster are down 15 percent, no change for fresh UK lobster and fresh Canadian lobster is down 5 percent. It reported frozen Tunisian lobster falling 10 percent depending on size, no change in frozen red lobster and a 5 percent price rise for fresh green lobster.
Describing seasonal demand for other species, Mercabarna manager Daniel Martínez Menchón said: “We have high demand for rape, sea bream, gilthead bream and hake this Christmas at virtually the same prices as last year, except for the rising price of farmed gilthead bream, which is up 5 percent and wild sea bream up 10 percent, while the national longline hake price has declined 10 percent.”
