Aquatic products accounted for one quarter of China's farm produce export last year, making the sector a really big fish in the small pond of the country's agricultural foreign trade, the Ministry of Agriculture said yesterday.

The outcome is derived from the country's sustained efforts to explore the global market and tighten its product quality control, said Yang Jian, director of the ministry's Fisheries Bureau.

Yang said more than 2.08 million tons of Chinese fish and fishery products, valued at US$4.69 billion, swam out to the world market last year, contributing the most to the country's agricultural exports, which hit US$18.14 billion.

The bulk of the sales came from domestic production, although 36 per cent were created by reprocessing imported raw material, indicated the latest bureau statistics.

"By closely monitoring and suiting the needs of the world market, we have continuously developed new varieties and competitive products for export," Yang said.

In addition to prawn, a popular Chinese species, eel and tilapia farming has gained momentum in China, as the two species are favoured by diners around the world, according to the official.

As a result, China remained the world's largest eel exporter last year, and exports of tilapia fish jumped from 473 tons in 1998 to 32,000 tons in 2002, according to the bureau sources.

The smooth flow of Chinese fish to the streams of foreign market was partly facilitated by the country's strict compliance with advanced quality standards, Yang said.

For example, roast eel was exported to Japan in line with importers' specifications, and frozen shelled shrimps were produced in accordance with Codex Alimentarius Commission standards.

Yang said Chinese aquatic processors have applied the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, a popular international method of approaching the management of chemical, physical and biological hazards which harm food production.

China is currently the world's largest producer of farm-grown aquatic products.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, in its latest report on the world's fishery industry, said China has good potential for increasing the share of its aquaculture products in international markets, helped by its membership of the World Trade Organization.

However, some industry insiders said China's seafood export destinations are far too concentrated, which may hinder further expansion of trade.

Last year, for example, 85 per cent of China's aquatic export volume came from markets in Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea the and EU.

Industry insiders said China urgently needs to tap market potential in other countries.

(China Daily April 26, 2003)