As the SEAFEX 2012 November 19-21 draws to a close in Dubai, Caterer Middle East reveals the top Middle East seafood trends predicted for 2013. 

But before we get down to the the top 10, here are some fishy facts: 

Biggest trends: According to Clearwater, sustainably sourced fish are the most in demand.

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Sourcing: Horeca Trade sources from New Zealand since coastal waters and the abundance of natural food resources create ideal conditions for shell fish and aquaculture. Around 650,000 tonnes of seafood are harvested from coastal waters and the Exclusive Economic Zone each year.

Seafood popularity in the GCC: “In this region the per capita seafood consumption is anywhere from five to six times more than the average North American seafood consumption and I think a lot of that is probably historical,” says BCG's Davidson.

“You have an arid part of the world here established hundreds of thousands of years ago into almost a desert region. It’s very difficult to have any source of protein coming off the land – so they sourced a lot of it from the sea.”

Facts:
US $12K
Blue Fin Tuna was the most pricey fish Horeca was asked to supply

114%
increase in supply of Scottish Salmon in the UAE during 2010

US $66M
rise in seafood product exported from Vietnam in the last two years

TOP 10 TRENDS

1 Shrimp
The one that flips

In 2011 sales of shrimp hit US$35 million, accounting for 13.7% of the total seafood imports from Vietnam. Egypt was the biggest importer with purchase value of US$18 million, followed by Israel at US$4.6 million, Saudi Arabia at US$3.7 million, UAE at US$3.3 million, Lebanon at US$2.6 million and Kuwait at US$2.2 million.

Widespread and abundant, the shrimp can be found feeding near the seafloor on most coasts and estuaries, as well as in rivers and lakes. With a lifespan between one and seven years, some shrimp species are known to flip off the seafloor and dive into the sediment to escape predators.

According to Vietnamese supplier VASEP, the shrimp is considered a luxury in this region with mainly high-end restaurants placing orders for it. Most of its supply comes from Iran and the Levant region.

“There are thousands of species, and usually there is a species adapted to any particular habitat,” says John Eapen of Atoz Foods. “Any small crustacean which resembles a shrimp tends to be called one.”

Commercial shrimp species support an industry worth $50 billion dollars a year. In 2010 the total commercial production was nearly 7 million tonnes.

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