China tariffs bite into B.C. spot prawn season, but foodies queue for kiss of the sea
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Toronto resident Krista Jang showed off her "haul" on the False Creek Fishermen's Wharf in Vancouver — a bag of sweet and meaty spot prawns, live and kicking and fresh off the boat.
The actress was raised in Vancouver and spot prawn season is one of the things she misses most.
Jang said she would have them "Chinese style," steamed and dipped in a little soy sauce and sesame oil to make the most of their "pure and simple flavour."
"I've had it my whole life," she said last week of the bright orange crustaceans. "I see that they sell [in Toronto], but it's so expensive, and it's much fresher and affordable here."
British Columbia's spot prawn season is ending this week, with live prawns selling at around $20 to $25 per pound. This spring's season began in mid-May and lasted less than a month.
WATCH | How to best enjoy spot prawns:
Spot prawn season is on. Here's how to enjoy them
7 days ago
Duration 1:44
As spot prawn season returns to B.C., CBC dropped by the False Creek Fishermen's Wharf near Granville Island to get some tips on how to enjoy fresh spot prawns.
Domestic buyers like Jang make up only a small share of the market, but this year it was an important one, with China's 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian seafood putting a pinch on exports.
China has recently bought upwards of 80 per cent of B.C.'s prawn exports, and Christina Burridge, executive director of the B.C. Seafood Alliance, said the March 20 tariffs were a "real problem" for fishermen and exporters.
"Chinese customers don't want to pay that tariff. So, they expect that the fishermen here and the exporters will reduce their prices by at least 25 per cent, but it's impossible," said Burridge.
Mike Atkins, executive director with the Pacific Prawn Fishermen's Association, said the Chinese tariffs were the latest burden on fishermen, as the cost of bait and fishing supplies increased.
"Our exporters this year are trying to shift markets a little bit, because it's tough to get it to China with the price, so they're trying to shift back to Japan, which [once] was our main market for spot prawns," said Atkins.
"It is really tough for the fishermen this year."
About 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes of B.C. spot prawns are landed each year, and about 80 to 90 per cent are typically exported, said Atkins.
The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food said the combined value of the province's prawn and shrimp exports were more than $98 million in 2023, with China buying 78 per cent.
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