INFOPESCA Internacional 21

The world market for tilapia
By Helga Josupeit
Under the Project “Development of Processing and Marketing of Tilapia produced in big Latin American River Basins”, which is funded by the Common Fund for Commodities and under the technical supervision of FAO, INFOPESCA prepared the report “World Market for Tilapia”. The author is Helga Josupeit, a worldwide expert on fisheries, who belongs to the FAO Department of Fisheries. This article presents a summary of this survey, which original is available at the INFOPESCA headquarters.

The cold facts about fish freezing technologies
by Thomas Kunjachan
Seafood is delicate and highly perishable. Freezing has become the main method of processing seafood in order to preserve its quality, while extending shelf life and distribution to distant markets. While there are various freezing technologies used worldwide, processors however have to select the right technology to meet their long-term and short-term needs. Though processors used two main types of freezing for their operations cryogenic and mechanical systems, there are many variables to consider when making a decision. The article provides insights into making the right strategic decision.

Japanese tuna market
by Kiyoshi Katsuyama
The economic recession that hit Japan in the mid-1990's also affected the Japanese tuna industry. Tuna consumption dropped as Japanese consumers became price-conscious due to the uncertain economic conditions. With low market prices, Japanese tuna fishermen as well as related industries are still struggling. Old-style sushi bars and casual sushi shops use low quality and low-priced bigeye instead of yellowfin. Retailers and restaurant owners have embarked on extending business hours to earn a little extra by selling more. The industry as a whole is saddled with challenges due basically to the unstable tuna price trends in Japan.

A protein concentrate made from Peruvian giant squid
By Luis Felipe Olaechea
Matrel S.A.C. is a Peruvian company involved in research and development of technological and nutritional issues, aiming to support food assitance programmes in developing countries. In this article they present their new product, Proteinol, which is a protein powder concentrate that contains Omega 3 and 6 acids. It can be used as a partial substitute for higher priced animal- origin proteins.

Fish thematic networks and committees in the Latin American region
By Enrique Bertullo
Under the Technical Cooperation Programmes for Developing Countries, the FAO Department of Fisheries has been since 1983, widely promoting the creation, support and dissemination of thematic networks on fish technology and quality assurance. This has been done through the integration of both official and private professionals, as well as universities and research centers all over the Latin American and Caribbean region. This article relates the story of these specialized networks and committees, and also describes their most important results along the years.