At best forecasts, fish consumption in Chile reached 6.9 kilos per capita per year, according to a report prepared by the consulting SCL Econometrics, at the request of the Undersecretary of Fisheries (Subpesca).
The report found that fish represents eight per cent of the 84.7 kilos of meat per capita annually consumed in Chile, reports EconomiaYNegocios.
According to the records of the Office of Agricultural Studies and Policies (PASO) meat consumption is as follows: chicken 36.7 kilos, pig 25.6 kilos and beef 21.7 kilos.
The study finds that the low consumption of fish in Chile is due to two main reasons: availability and prices.
In the first case, the low supply depends on landings, crops and imports. "Fish is often sent to the foreign market, given how competitive the prices of those markets are," says the report.
Quotas for fish catches are also falling, following the depletion of the resources, meaning less supply.
Another reason for the low consumption of fish within the national population is the high price that is traded in much of the country. According to the report, salmon, eel gold, red ling, clams and mussels are currently the most expensive proteins in the market, with values exceeding $10,000 per kilo in supermarkets as well in the Central Market.
Their prices can be several times that for chicken.
The study also detected that marketing margins averaged 70 per cent in supermarkets and 50 per cent in the Central Market. Therefore, by resolving this, the profits of fishermen and the levels of competition and prices for these products could be increased.
