The European Commission tabled today its annual proposal on next year’s guide prices for fresh and frozen fisheries products, and the EU producer price for tuna processing.
In 2011 the market for fisheries products continued to recover from the dramatic drops in first-sale prices in 2009. However, the unstable economic climate may influence consumers’ demand and cause fish prices to fluctuate in the short term, hence the proposed prices changes are moderate.
As prices for most whitefish species have recovered from the 2009 drop, the Commission proposes increases between +1% and +3% for most whitefish species, except hake, plaice, dab and monkfish, for which decreases between -1.5 % and -2.5 % are proposed. Pelagic species are in demand in the EU and world-wide and an increase in exports is likely. Therefore the Commission proposes to increase the guide prices between +1.5% and +3%, except for sardines, anchovies and gutted albacore, for which decreases between –0.5 % and –2% are proposed. For frozen fish the Commission proposes increases between +1% and +3%. With regard to tuna, the Commission proposes to increase the Community producer price for yellowfin tuna processing by +2%.
The proposed guide prices are based on Member States’ average market prices over the previous three years. Other factors taken into account include trends in production and market demand, the interests of consumers and the need to avoid withdrawals of fisheries products from the market.
