This summary outlines the information contained in the “Institutional and Economic Perspectives on Distant-Water Fisheries Access Arrangements” report (2024), which is an expansion of the first report the “Mapping Distant-Water Fisheries Access Arrangements”, published in 2022.This report conducts a more targeted examination of the economic dynamics, policy drivers, and institutional framework of fishing access arrangements (FAA). 

Consumer sentiment remains poor despite improved economic prospects in the European Union. After the high rates experienced in 2021 to 2023, inflation is now growing at a far slower pace, but consumers are very cautious with regard to expenses, including planning for their holidays. This subdued sentiment has particularly impacted the demand for fisheries products, including shrimp, which is considered a main indicator of economic perception. Nevertheless, shrimp prices are going up as supplies are...

The European seafood sector will meet at Seafood Expo in Barcelona at the end of this month. Traders are looking forward to this important event in order to find new suppliers from outside the region, as the situation for capture fisheries in Europe is very bleak at the moment. The consumer price inflation rate in the Euro area was confirmed at 2.4 percent year-on-year in March 2024, matching the 28- month low in November 2023...

Encouraging indications pointing to a stabilization of commodity prices are emerging from a number of major markets for fisheries and aquaculture products. Following what has been an extended period of high inflation and falling consumer confidence, indices for the United States of America, the European Union and Japan fell in the latter months of 2023, with high global rates of rising inflation giving way to dis-inflation (when prices continue to increase, but at a slower rate than before). Prices for food, fuel and feedstuffs are expected...

From Holy week and Easter, the main consumption period for fishery products in Europe, is being celebrated early this year. Traders are stocking up quickly, as cold storage holdings in Europe are low for all major products. This strong demand is leading to higher prices in all leading markets. Notably, shrimp has suddenly regained popularity, after bleak demand which had characterized the whole of 2023; accordingly, its prices increased sharply. With regard to tuna, a...