Chinese foodies show growing appetite for African seafood

CHANGSHA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- At the just-concluded second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, many visitors were drawn by a striking slogan that read: "A lobster from Angola in Africa can appear on a table in Changsha within 24 hours."

Tang Peng, who has been engaged in the African seafood supply chain business since 2016, was extremely busy at the expo.

"Many are interested in importing African seafood to the domestic market," said the 42-year-old. "With less industrial pollution and sound seafood quality, the seafood in Africa can even be eaten raw."

According to Tang, fresh African lobsters, for example, are at least 10 percent cheaper than Australian ones even after shipping costs. Frozen lobsters are about 20 percent cheaper when shipped by sea.

Countries in West Africa near the Atlantic Ocean are rich in marine fishery resources, and many locals rely on fishing and selling seafood to feed their families, said Giare B. Fernades, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce Angola China. Fernades noted they have seen more Chinese business people keen on importing seafood products from Africa over the past few years.

Tang's company subsidizes local fishermen's oil costs to fund their deep-sea fishing and purchases their catch for rough processing before shipping it to China, which gives African fishermen a more stable source of income.

"Imported products from many African countries, including seafood, are exempt from tariffs in China," said Tang, adding that as a direct flight route from Angola to Changsha now operates, fresh African seafood will soon reach more Chinese foodies.

An event to promote the seafood trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in Africa took place at the expo to explore more sustainable cooperation in the fishery sector.

"African seafood importation has promising prospects despite the current low-profit margins. Currently, most of the seafood imported from Africa is raw materials. But we're trying to encourage processing, for instance, to make ready-to-eat seafood products for a broader market," said Tang.