Augusta abalone continues to open doors for producer
-
Growing success: Brad Adams (right) with the head of China's largest abalone producer.
The Fujian Province of China produces the largest numbers of abalone globally. Photos: Supplied
Australia is the worlds largest supplier of wild catch abalone, a popular choice for discerning consumers.
Managing Director of Ocean Grown Abalone (OGA) Brad Adams jetted to China last month to speak at an international abalone symposium in the Fujian Province, which produces the largest numbers of abalone globally.
Addressing many of the industrys leaders and game changers, Mr Adams said abalone popularity continued to skyrocket.
“The global demand for abalone remains high and is on the rise, particularly for the wild-harvested product,” he said.
“The wild catch product fetches the highest price, however in recent years, supply has been in decline in many countries due to sustainability factors and other environmental impacts affecting the wild catch abalone supply.”
Discerning Chinese consumers are seeking out the wild catch abalone experience and there are only a few countries left globally that still have legal wild catch fisheries for abalone. Australia is the worlds largest supplier of wild catch abalone and the Australian product is backed by tough sustainability regulations and a high standard of food safety,
“Australian food safety standards and Australian brands were valued highly by the Chinese consumers, having little trust in many of their own food products due to a lack of regulation around food safety, quality assurance and product substitution in their country,” explained Mr Adams.
“The world abalone industry was particularly interested in our abalone ranching technology, producing a wild catch style product – grown sustainably on the abalone reefs constructed in Flinders Bay to provide another choice in the wild catch segment of the global abalone market.”
The company will also trial several other locations around Australia to expand production levels. “Four hundred abitats in Wylie Bay, Esperance have been seeded with juvenile greenlip abalone by a local partner and we are closely monitoring the progress of the project,” Mr Adams said.
“We are pretty excited about OGAs potential as the global demand for fresh, quality and sustainably produced seafood increases.”
Ocean Grown Abalone will also work in partnership with one of Singapores largest seafood importers and attend trade shows throughout Asia to promote their latest product lines – supermarket packs and gift packs with a polished abalone shell.
[contf]
[contfnew]
Margaret River Mail
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
