A the time of writing, India was reporting collapsing orders for high value seafood exports to Japan due to consumers cutting back on eating out, writes Peter O’Neill.
Analysts recalled multi-million losses from disappearing custom across the region during the 2003 SARS virus outbreak.
Ironically, India’s exports breached the $2 billion barrier for April-December 2010, and this record had been boosted by Japan, and an increase of some 80 per cent for the US (mainly shrimp). Indian officials fear the Japan effect could last six months.
Australian exports may suffer too as in 2003. Quantas has just slashed back many routes, so reduced belly space may increase air cargo rates. Farmed tuna, from Malta and the Med, may be touched, and also quality salmon and shellfish flown to Japan from Norway, Eire, Scotland and Canada.
Consumer worries over radioactive contamination of regional seas are also reported affecting Thailand and South Korea. Japanese seaweed harvesters, north and south of the Fukushima reactors, say they fear for sales. While Fukushima radioactive elements have now been identified on US and Russian coastlines, US officials say they are tiny and no higher than the natural levels one gets every day from granite or the sun. Consumers may not see it that way.
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