Industry news

Ben Hou believes Chinese oysters can compete with French imports

Datetime：2021-01-18

With seafood imports headed into China delayed by an increased inspection regime, a young Chinese company is hoping to gain more share of the lucrative raw oyster market in the world’s most-populous country.

Weihai Lighthouse Jellyfish Marine Technology Co. Ltd. produces oysters in Rushan, Shandong Province, which has begun marketing itself as “the home of Chinese oysters – a campaign that earned the city a gold medal award at the 2020 China Trademark Branding Conference, organized by the China Trademark Association. In 2009, Rushan secured China’s geographic indicator (GI) for the city’s oysters and have since branded production under that GI.

For the most part, Rushan oyster output is focused on quantity, with more than 300,000 metric tons (MT) of annual production worth CNY 2.4 billion (USD 348 million, EUR 287 million), according to the city’s Ocean and Fisheries Bureau. The bulk of China’s oysters are used for sauces and roast oyster dishes, but demand is also growing for raw oysters, even though the market is currently dominated by imports from Western suppliers.

Weihai Lighthouse Jellyfish CEO Hou Bin (who uses the English name Ben Hou) said his company is building a brand to compete against premium imported oysters in the growing domestic market. The company recently received an “Encourage Promotion Award” from the Aquaculture Stewardship Council, which recognized the firm as one of three Chinese aquaculture companies “showing progress towards ASC standards” and holding “special roles and contributions in responsible aquaculture.”

News Source: SeafoodSource