Luxury dishes are popular in China.
Considered a delicacy and a nutritious food, fish maw is sold in China for prices ranging from $450 to $1,000 per kilogram. In Hong Kong alone, the price can even reach $7,700 per kilogram.
Fish maw is often considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity, used as a gift at important events, and hoarded as a speculative investment. Fish maw is one of the "four treasures" of Cantonese cuisine , along with abalone, sea cucumber, and shark fin.
The main reason fish bladder is so popular is its medicinal value. Due to its high collagen and fiber content, fish bladder is believed to help maintain healthy skin, boost the immune system, and aid digestion. In China, fish bladder is also often recommended for postpartum recovery in women and pain relief after surgery, and even to enhance male libido.
Due to overfishing in East Asia and other regions, China now imports most of its fish swim bladders from Africa. In particular, Uganda has a rapidly growing multi-million dollar fish swim bladder industry to meet the high-end culinary demands of China.
Currently, Uganda produces at least 520 tons of fish bladders annually and exported 51% of its total catch to Hong Kong between 2012 and 2019. In 2018 alone, Uganda recorded fish bladder trades with the Chinese market worth up to US$52.1 million.
Ecological impact and the formation of a multi-million dollar industry.
The Chinese market previously favored swim bladders from Mexico, but due to the risk of extinction of some endemic fish species, the trade is tightly controlled by local authorities. As a result, the Chinese market has shifted its focus to fish from Lake Victoria (Africa).
In recent years, increasing demand from China has fueled the overfishing of many fish species in Lake Victoria, leading to ecological consequences and impacting the livelihoods of local people.
The rapidly increasing demand has led to illegal fishing of both juvenile and immature fish, causing a rapid decline in fish populations in Lake Victoria and depleting people's livelihoods. Due to the scarcity of fish, fishermen are increasingly resorting to illegal fishing methods, targeting fish weighing 1 kg or less. The harvesting of immature fish threatens the sustainability of fish species in Lake Victoria.
The demand for fish swim bladders has led to an overemphasis on harvesting the internal organs. After removing the bladders, tons of fish carcasses are dumped indiscriminately into lakes, causing severe environmental pollution and destroying the habitats of other species.
Notably, while the profits from the fish bladder trade are substantial, the majority of the revenue does not go to the local population. A 2020 study on the fish bladder trade revealed that locals primarily harvest and sell the raw product to foreign intermediaries (mostly from China and India). After being sold to these intermediaries, the fish bladders are supplied to processing plants owned by Chinese traders.
Therefore, in 2020, Uganda signed a formal memorandum of understanding with China in this field, forming a tightly controlled fish bladder processing industry that protects the interests of Ugandans. Ugandan officials warned that this agreement means fish bladder processors will have to meet stricter standards, particularly in the conservation of fish resources and environmental protection.
(According to Fishsite)
Source
Comment (0)