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Seafood Processing in New Zealand - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Matt Reeves Matt Reeves Melbourne, Australia Last Updated: July 2024 ANZSIC C1120NZ

Revenue

$2.3bn

2024-25

$2.3bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

6,485

Businesses

105

Wages

$XXX.Xm

Seafood Processing in New Zealand industry analysis

Seafood processors have faced mixed trading conditions over the past five years. Rising disposable incomes and growing health consciousness have benefited domestic demand. Meanwhile, over 60.0% of industry revenue is derived from exports. The COVID-19 pandemic caused overseas demand to fluctuate, harming revenue from exports. However, the New Zealand dollar’s depreciation has made processed seafood more price-competitive in overseas markets, augmenting export earnings in recent years and supporting export’s continued recovery.

Trends and Insights

  • Rising seafood prices and robust consumption have supported seafood processors’ revenue growth. However, import competition from low-cost processors in countries like Thailand and China has constrained growth.
  • Wholesale bypass has increasingly cut middlemen out of the picture. That’s why seafood is arriving to consumers fresher and at lower prices.
  • Establishments are anchored to fishing operations and aquaculture facilities. That’s why regions like Southland, Marlborough and Waikato command some of the highest concentrations of seafood processing establishments.
  • Import penetration is high and set to continue rising. Less expensive imports constitute a huge competitive threat in the domestic market, despite New Zealand seafood’s robust reputation.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 1.8 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $2.3bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

High seafood prices and consumption have supported domestic revenue

  • Domestically, higher prices for fish and other seafood have supported revenue in recent years, as has climbing seafood consumption over the three years through 2024-25.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Seafood Processing in New Zealand
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Rising health consciousness and household disposable incomes will support revenue growth

  • Health consciousness is forecast to continue rising, supporting domestic demand for seafood.

Biggest companies in the Seafood Processing in New Zealand

Company
Market Share (%)
2025
Revenue ($m)
2025
Talley's
471.5
Sanford
410.1
Sealord
375.3

To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Seafood Processing in New Zealand
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Finfish products, Mollusc products and Crustacean and other seafood products. Finfish products is the largest segment of the Seafood Processing in New Zealand.

Trends and Insights

Value-added finfish products are almost staving off the threat of import penetration

  • Most processed finfish are caught in the wild and aquaculture-harvested fish constitute a smaller share of inputs. Even so, greater investment in aquaculture production has increased the share of aquaculture-harvested fish in recent years.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

The industry processes fish and other seafood, and includes businesses that operate vessels that process, but do not catch, fish or other seafood.

What's included in this industry?

Finfish productsMollusc productsCrustacean products

Companies

Talley'sSanfordSealord

Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

FINFISHCRUSTACEANSMOLLUSCSASEAN

Industry Code

ANZSIC 2006

ANZSIC 1120 - Seafood Processing in New Zealand

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Rising seafood prices and robust consumption have supported seafood processors’ revenue growth. However, import competition from low-cost processors in countries like Thailan...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Wholesale bypass has increasingly cut middlemen out of the picture. That’s why seafood is arriving to consumers fresher and at lower prices.

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Establishments are anchored to fishing operations and aquaculture facilities. That’s why regions like Southland, Marlborough and Waikato command some of the highest concentra...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across Asia Pacific, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Import penetration is high and set to continue rising. Less expensive imports constitute a huge competitive threat in the domestic market, despite New Zealand seafood’s robus...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

Salmon’s strong global price and limited supply has supported export revenue growth for domestic salmon purveyors. Processors like Sanford and Sealord that have successfully ...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Talley's's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Sanford's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Sealord's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Talley's, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Sanford, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Sealord, and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Changes in the price of fish and other seafood, as well as other proteins like poultry, influence demand for processed seafood products. Although seafood and poultry prices h...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Moderate import competition and rising input costs have weakened profitability in recent years. Profitability is set to improve in the coming years, supported by rising dispo...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand in 2024?

The market size of the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand is $2.3bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Seafood Processing in New Zealand industry in 2024?

There are 105 businesses in the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand, which has grown at a CAGR of 1.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand has been growing at a CAGR of 1.8 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Seafood Processing market in New Zealand?

The biggest companies operating in the Seafood Processing market in New Zealand are Talley's, Sanford and Sealord

What does the Seafood Processing in New Zealand include?

Finfish products and Mollusc products are part of the Seafood Processing industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Seafood Processing in New Zealand?

The company holding the most market share in New Zealand is Talley's.

How competitive is the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Seafood Processing industry in New Zealand.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Meat Processing in New Zealand
  • Poultry Processing in New Zealand
  • Cured Meat and Smallgoods Manufacturing in New Zealand

Complementors

  • Fishing and Aquaculture in New Zealand

International industries

  • Seafood Preparation in the US
  • Seafood Preparation in Canada
  • Seafood Processing in Australia
  • Seafood Processing in the UK
  • Frozen Seafood Processing in China

View all industries in New Zealand

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in New Zealand include:

  • Statistics New Zealand
  • New Zealand Company Register
  • Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.