Seafood is the most traded animal protein in the world.

In 2021, its estimated trade value, according to Rabobank, was $164 billion (€152.8 billion), representing an industry roughly 3.6 times the size of the beef trade, five times the size of global pork trade and eight times the size of the poultry trade.

These far-flung markets were once considered a blessing, presenting infinite opportunities where foreign consumers paid hand over fist to access exotic products such as Scottish salmon, or offered a wide open gullet in which to pour commodity farmed shrimp.