SEOUL, KOREA - The consumption of fish is showing signs of recovery amid eased concerns about the seafood’s possible exposure to radioactivity and the increase in the amount of the catches of major fish species.
Lotte Mart announced on April 20 that its fish sales marked a positive year-to-year growth of 4.4 percent this year. In particular, the sales of live fish which account for more than 40 percent in total fish sales rose 17.4 percent year on year. In contrast, the sales of semi-dried fish products fell 34.9 percent compared to a year ago.
A Lotte Mart official said, “The concern about the possible exposure of fish to radioactivity has been eased. In addition, the amount of the catches of major fish species such as hairtail and mackerel increased, leading to a decline in their sales prices. In particular, consumer demand for live fish increased.”
Over the past several years, semi-dried fish products have gained popularity as an alternative to live fish. Even in a situation where the supply of live fish remained unstable, the supply of semi-dried ones remained stable, with limited price fluctuations.
