Asian consumers are hooked on B.C.’s premium fish and seafood.

Historically the Japanese have been attracted to B.C.’s freshest catches, but newly affluent China and thriving economies such as Singapore now have the cash and the cachet to demand and pay for the best that money can buy.

“We have cold, clean, pristine North Pacific water,” said Christina Burridge, executive director of the B.C. Seafood Alliance. “It used to be the market was mainly Japan. But now the Chinese market is huge. You just have to get through to the right channels.”

B.C. exported $982-million worth of fish and seafood in 2014, up 10 per cent from 2013, according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).

While B.C.’s top export market for both seafood and agriculture products in 2014 was the U.S., valued at $2 billion, exports to China reached $264 million, up 16 per cent from 2013, and exports to Japan reached $199 million, up 17 per cent, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.

“In that part of the world, they’re recognizing Canada as being vast, clean and well-regulated,” said Roberta Stevenson, executive director of theB.C. Shellfish Growers Association, whose group ‘seeds’ shellfish farms growing oysters, mussels, clams, scallops and geoduck. “The Asian market is insatiable. It’s a huge opportunity that is underutilized.”

Pablo Rodriguez, senior vice-president of Flying Fresh Air Freight, said Asian exports make up about half of his company’s business. The firm ships more than 1,500 tons of Dungeness crab from B.C. to China each year, but B.C. oysters and geoduck are also in high demand.

“The Chinese market loves live products,” Rodriguez said, adding that Shanghai is the largest point of entry for crab, followed by Hong Kong and Guangzhou. “It’s a tasty dish, it’s live, so you get it into tanks and you get to select your food.”

Rising prices have slowed the rapid growth of Dungeness sales, Rodriguez said, but demand for lobster from the East Coast has skyrocketed, helping the firm double its business nationally in the past year.

“In China ... anything with the Canadian flag on it is a big deal,” he said.

Crab prices fluctuate based on supply and demand — earlier this year when they were moulting and few of the crab fleet were out, Seafood City was selling Dungeness for $22 per pound. Now, said Ray Ogura, the price is $11 per pound — subject, of course, to future supply and demand.

B.C. exported $100-million worth of crab and $90-million worth of sockeye in 2014, according to the DFO, but the hottest seller was farmed Atlantic salmon at $254 million.

Jeremy Dunn, executive director of the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association, said his industry would like more fish farms to help fill that growing Asian market.

“Before you sign a contract, you’ve got to make sure you’ve got the supply,” he said. “We’re looking for capacity, everything from shellfish to farmed salmon.”

Wallace Chan, general manager at Chef Tony Seafood Restaurant, one of Richmond’s top seafood spots, said that while mainland Chinese visitors are hungry for the West Coast’s Dungeness crab, cod and spot prawns, geoduck is an oft-coveted specialty.

“Our restaurant encourages them to enjoy local seafood,” Chan said. “B.C. seafood is the most fabulous of North America. We provide the pure water for the geoduck, so that’s why the geoduck is the best in the world.”

John Watson, executive director of the Comox Valley Economic Development Society, said in an email that more than 15 international food-buyers, including corporations from China, attended the 9th annual B.C. Shellfish and Seafood Festival last week,

“This provided them the opportunity to meet directly with our producers, understand the diversity of products, determine export opportunities and see first-hand thetremendous quality of the seafood from the area,” he said.

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