Panama, the main European Union (EU) supplier of frozen whole round skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis), exported 12.666 M/T of the product in 2006, which was 16%, compared to the previous year.
The Central American nation provided the product to three EU countries during last year, but the majority of its deliveries went to Spain (12.640 M/T).
In 2006, Spain’s total imports of this frozen tuna were 39.772 M/T, an increase of 4%, with Panama being the strongest supplier to the Spanish market of Katsuwonus pelamis.
Besides Spain, the Netherlands got from Panama a tiny 23 M/T and UK only 3 M/T of skipjack during last year.
The total import of whole round frozen skipjack into the EU showed in 2006 a minuscule decline by about 1% to 39.909 M/T. Most Spanish canneries now import skipjack in the form of pre-cooked frozen tuna loins.
In 2006, Panama was also the nation which vessels caught the highest amount of skipjack tuna in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Also there was a substantial increase of vessels flying the Panamanian flag, this was due to reflagging of several Spanish owned vessels to Panama. As this moment some of these vessels are being reflagged again to the Ecuadorian banner, for economical reasons.
It will be interesting to see what the impact will be on EU whole round skipjack imports in 2007.
