Approximately 48% of the total Australian abalone legally captured (5465 tonnes) in 2006/2007 was exported to China (+Hong Kong). The Chinese market accounts for ~70 % of all exported abalone (3911 tonnes).

In China the retail price of Haliotis discus hannai (in shell Japanese abalone) in 2005 was RMB 250/kg (~$52 AUD) and the price in 2008 is RMB 150/kg (~$31 AUD). One possible forecast is for rising volumes of abalone from Chinese aquaculture, with further declines in Chinese domestic prices.

The high reliance of the Australian abalone sector on the Chinese market, falling prices in China, and the introduction of strengthened import requirements for live seafood into China (including requirements for testing seafood for a range of pathogenic bacteria and marine biotoxins) suggests that market diversification would be beneficial.

The EU, North America, and China are the biggest markets for seafood (~350 million seafood consumers), however the EU is the biggest importer of seafood. The EU produces limited quantities of abalone at the moment (e.g. Ireland and France produce small amounts).

Until March 2007 several companies in Australia were exporting abalone to the EU, since this time the EU abalone market has been ‘closed’ due to the EC requirement to classify production areas.

The low scale production of abalone in the EU coupled with the declining prices and new food safety requirements for abalone in China presents a market opportunity for Australian abalone in the EU.

The abalone industry (ACA and AAA) has expressed a desire to re-enter the EU market. This project aims to provide information for use in technical market access negotiations to assist in ‘re-opening’ the EU market for Australian abalone.