Promotional activities on aquaculture products in France

Marie Christine MonfortEkaterina Tribilustova

6-7 June 2013Zadar, Croatia

Structure of the presentation

• French market at a glance • Consumer tendencies• Farmed fish on the French market • Promotion of farmed fish: the French

Interprofessional Committee for Aquaculture Products

France Seafood Productionin tonnes (source Fishstat)

Highlights of the market

• Large market (65 million inhabitants with 35 kg per capita consumption),

• Small production of wild fish,

• Limited domestic aquaculture,

• Slow growth,

• Large diversification in terms of sold species

Highlights of the market

• Rather open to freshwater and farmed seafood,

• More sophisticated,

• More information,

Structure of the market

ImportsEUR 3.9 billion

Retail EUR 5 to 7 billion

CateringEUR 1.5 to 2.2 billion

Exports EUR 1.3 billionDomestic landings

EUR 1.5 billion

Seafood processing industry EUR 2.9 billion

Source: Monfort, M.C., 2011

France is an important market for farmed seafood

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

Hunga

ry

Belgium

Franc

e

Mal

ta

Italy

Sweden

Spain

Greec

e EU

Finlan

d

Germ

any

Poland

Slovak

ia

Bulgar

ia

Cypru

s

Czeck

Rep

ublic

Denm

ark

United

Kin

gdom

Roman

ia

Latvi

a

Sloven

ia

Austri

a

Portu

gal

Irelan

d

Lithu

ania

Estonia

Nethe

rland

s

Source Paquotte, P. unpublished estimates (2010)

The reality of farmed fish consumption

• Main species: salmon, shrimps, mussels, oysters, scallops, pangasius, seabass, seabream

389 000 tonnes55%

198 000 tonnes14%

Farmed finfish Farmed shellfish

Consumer tendencies

• Although consumers say to prefer wild fish, in reality they buy what is available and consided as good value for money

• Filleted pre-packed fish as being considered as convenient is an increasing choice of French consumers

Future segmentation of the French market for seafood

City center fish mongers selling to high income clientele

SupermarketsVolume/price oriented

Institutional and lower class restaurants/cafeteria

Middle-upper class restaurants

-Wild fish and high quality farmed seafood such as “Label Rouge” labeled products - Fresh seafood in very large proportion

- Farmed fresh fish, European origin,- Defrosted products including fillets, non-EU origin,-Frozen finfish, either basic range as today, or more sales of top quality frozen fish?

Low priced frozen products

-Wild seafood dominantly but not exclusively -Fresh finfish, mainly from European origin

Source: Egeness, F-A., Monfort, M.C., 2011

Product with potential on the French market All seafood Quality

Full traceabilitySustainabilityConvenience

Proper handling and storing,Risk-free item,Reliable info all along the chain,Quick/easy to cook,Portion size

Wild finfish Social fairness Partnership along the chainCertification: fair trade

Finfish, fresh, frozen Convenience Precise grading cutsFixed count portion, pre-packed

All farmed seafood Environment, health, animal welfare

Certification: organic

Crustaceans, shrimp, crab, lobster

Convenience Cooked and shelled

Shellfish (bivalves, whelk, periwinkle)

Convenience Cooked and shelled

Source: Monfort, M.C., 2011

Communication and promotion for both wild and farmed fish

• National - NORGE (Norway) - Canada - Iceland - France (brad created in 2012)

• Regional - Scotland - Alaska - Bretagne

• The image of fish is positive,

• When it comes to farmed fish, there is no consensus : Quality, some say better taste than wild; others not; Some say fresher than wild, other not,

• Some still don’t know about the existence of farmed fish,

• Little awareness of farmed fish production. Some compare with on-land production system (henns in battery cages),

• The information conveyed to consumers is not comprehensive in terms of origin: legislation in incomplete (in restaurants no obligation to mention wild or farmed) and in retail shops it is not applied/ complied thoroughly (since 2002 it is mandatory for fishmongers to mention if fish is farmed or wild),

• There is some confusion among French consumers about what fish is farmed or not.

Image of aquaculture seafood in France

Penetration rate and average annual intake by product in 2009

Source: Kantar for FranceAgriMer, 2010

Presentation of the French Interprofessional (Interbranch) Committee

for Aquaculture Products (CIPA)

> Created in 1997> Is composed of three colleges:

About CIPA

The Fish Farmers producing fresh water

and marine fish represented by

FFA

French Federation of Aquaculture

The Trout Processors represented by

ATT

Association of trout processors (Association des Transformateurs de

Truite)

The Feed manufacturers

represented by

SPPA

Syndicat Professionnel des Producteurs

d’Aliments aquacoles

420 companiesMore than 560 sites

60 trout processing units 3 companies

CIPA’s missions (1)

> Acts as an interface between the profession and the legislators.> Seeks to ensure the profession’s continuing viability and its future

development – Sustainable Aquaculture program (environment, feed,…)– Food security– Fish health and life cycle improvement

> Represents the profession’s position vis a vis the relevant authorities : – National– European– International

CIPA’s missions (2)

Focus on CommunicationPromotion main line: Quality !

19

2012 / 2013 ActionsCommunication on the start-up of common production standards for trout :- towards decision makers: distributors, wholesalers, fishmongers, chefs…- towards consumers- towards journalists and opinion leaders

Tasting, comparison, dialogue…

21

> Organization of fish-tasting lunches

- 6 meetings in 2012- 200 participants (distributors, chefs, wholesalers, press…)- Blind tests during the lunch and presentationsfollowed by a press release and a newsletter

> Partnership with associations of Chefs

- Sponsorship of cookery competitions (Ex: Gargantua)- production site visits for chefs and culinary schools- platform for discussions during the associations’ regional and general meetings

> Study on trout and Sea Bass by the Centre Culinaire Contemporain

Tasting, comparison, dialogue …

Aim : to recognize the qualities and culinary uses of farmed fish. To invite the Chefs to develop culinary tests and to develop a protocol on the strengths and culinary uses of farmed fish.

Presentation of this study during the international food service trade show: SIRHA (Lyon – France – January 2013)

Communication to the consumer…

-Partnership with supermarkets to promote our fish during 2 weeks in February 2013

Creation of promotion tools :-Leaflets with recipes- web site dedicated to fish recipes- quiz-…

And to the journalists…

- Monthly Press release- Permanent press watch, and risks and opportunities detection

Consumer SurveyIn 2013, CIPA asked M.C Monfort Consultant and Co-Spirit to lead a field survey on farmed fish and trout in France. From January to March 2013, a panel of 820 consumers was asked about their feeling on farmed fish, on trout , and on the quality standard «Charte Qualité – Aquaculture de Nos Régions ® ».

Next step : presentation of the results to the distributors and opinion leaders in the « Newsmag » and definition of a new promotion campaign based on these results for 2013/2014.

Some conclusions of the consumers study

87% eat fresh fish in FranceFarmed fish is less attractive than wild fish.• Taste: 54% said that farmed fish is not as good as wild fish• Nutritional values: consumers believe that farmed fish is fatter than wild fish and

has less nutritional valuesThis negative image comes from the perception that :• Feed for farmed fish is less healthy than what wild fish eats (56% respondants)• Farmed fish grow in an environment less « natural » compared to wild fish (45%

respondants)

Despite these negative opinions, people do buy farmed fish because:• 55% says it is less expensive/ 60% mention the price for the number one

advantage of farmed fish• 38% says to consume farmed fish it is available and easier to find• 21% says to buy farmed fish to preserve the marine environment (overfishing)

Reactions to the Farmed Fish Quality Charte

The association of fish farmers has taken the decision to launch a Quality Standard to be followed by fish farmersThis initiative was well perceived by the consumers• 90 % said this was re-assuring• This enthousiasm was even higher with older than 50 years old people

This Quality Standard offers several advantages said consumers:• It offers a garanty for the quality of the product• It offers and certify the garanty of the provenance / origin of the trout

Consumers said to be especially sensitive to the following messages:• Healthy feed for fish (important for 80% respondents)• High freshness (important for 69% respondents) • Solid traçability (important for 59% respondents)

Contact details

CIPA 32 rue de Paradis – 75010 Paris Tél +33 140 586 800Email : contact@cipaquaculture.asso.frWeb site : www.aquaculturedenosregions.fr

Marketing SeafoodMarie-Christine Monfort19 rue Martel75010 ParisTel: +33 (0) 1 5603 5454Email: contact@marketing-seafood.com

Eurofish International OrganisationH.C. Andersens Blvd, 44-461553 Copenhagen, DenmarkTel +45 333 777 55Email : katia@eurofish.dk Web site : www.eurofish.dk, www.eurofishmagazine.com

 

Thank you for your attention!