Although Thailand remained the main exporter of shrimp to the US, the amount dropped from 61,640 tons in the 2011 January to May period to 48,128 tons over the same period this year.
Shrimp exports from Ecuador and Indonesia, which are the next biggest exporters of shrimp to the US, increased however, with the January to May 2012 figures standing at 35,547 and 31,991 tons respectively.
Despite increasing shrimp imports, NOAA also reported an expected brown shrimp harvest in the Gulf of Mexico of 59.2 million pounds, well above the historical 50-year average of 56.5 million pounds.
Last week, the Marine Management Organisation published its latest statistical report
'The UK Fishing Industry in 2011: Structure and Activity'.
The report showed that there were 17 per cent fewer vessels in the UK fleet in 2011 than in 2001, with fishermen numbers falling by around 2,600.
The number of days spent at sea by over 10 metre vessels also fell by 42 per cent over the same period.
Elsewhere, the Norwegian fishfeed company Cermaq confirmed that it is holding acquisition talks with the Chilean fish farming company Cultivos Marinos Chilo S.A. (CMCH), in regard to a potential acquisition of the company.
Weekly Roundup: US Shrimp Imports Growing
ANALYSIS - In the US, the latest figures from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have shown that US shrimp imports are continuing to rise, with 197,263 tons recorded in the January to May period this year compared with 187,435 over the same period last year, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.
by Lucy Towers
