Investment in fish market picks up

The European trend, whereby consumer preferences are shifting to white meat and fish, combined with the fact that these products are often cheaper and considered a healthier alternative, is now beginning to take hold in Romania. A number of food industry players have begun speeding up their investments or are becoming increasingly interested in launching new fish products on the market, which this year was estimated at more than 20-30 million euros or 20,000 tonnes.

Tabco-Campofrio, a major cold meats producer, may soon enter this market. “We are contemplating a development of our product range by capitalising on the fresh water fish and sea fish resources that exist in Tulcea,” says Ovidiu Wencz, general manager of Tabco-Campofrio. Tabco-Campofrio has a production facility in Tulcea at the mouth of the Danube Delta on the site of the former state-run sea fishing company. Sorin Minea, chairman of Romalimenta, an organisation made up of the main companies in the food industry, confirmed that the market for fish products was very large. “The fish market has very high potential and consumption of fresh water fish in Romania is very low and that of sea fish is close to non-existent,” said Minea. ZF