Inbound shipments of squid jumped 33.5 percent in 2017 as the domestic catch shrank due to overfishing by Chinese trawlers in the East Sea. (Image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s seafood imports rose 10.5 percent in 2017 from a year earlier on growing appetite for foreign shrimp and salmon, the maritime ministry said Wednesday.
South Korea imported US$5.14 billion worth of seafood last year, with the total volume hitting 1.48 million tons, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.
Sales of shrimp jumped 17.3 percent last year as various kinds of fresh and frozen products emerged as increasingly popular ingredients at local restaurants and in various processed food products.
Salmon sales grew by 15.2 percent on strong demand for products from the Atlantic Ocean.
Inbound shipments of squid jumped 33.5 percent in 2017 as the domestic catch shrank due to overfishing by Chinese trawlers in the East Sea.
By nation, South Korea imported the largest amount of seafood worth $1.2 billion from China, followed by Russia with $864 million and Vietnam with $746 million, the ministry’s findings showed.
(Yonhap)
