(Yicai Global) June 15 -- Shares of Chinese salmon importers ended the day mixed after a new cluster of the novel coronavirus was detected on salmon cutting boards in Beijing’s biggest wholesale food market over the weekend, increasing the likelihood of short-term bans on seafood imports.

Joyvio Agriculture Development, which bought Chilean salmon farmer Australis Seafoods for CNY6.4 billion (USD902 million) in 2018, saw its stock price [SHE:300268] drop 9 percent when the market opened today, but steadied during the day to close 3.7 percent lower at CNY11.77 (USD1.66).

The salmon incident is not expected to affect Guolian Aquatic Products’ operations, whose main business is shrimp, the Guangdong-based firm said yesterday. Its stock price [SHE:300094] closed up 1.3 percent at CNY3.85 (USD0.54).

Other major salmon dealers Shanghai Kaichuang Marine International [SHA:600097] dipped 1.7 percent to CNY9.31, Dalian Tianbao Green Foods [SHE:002220] dropped 5.5 percent to CNY0.52, while Zoneco Group [SHE:002069] soared by the exchange-imposed limit of 10 percent, closing at CNY3.16.

The novel coronavirus was detected on the cutting boards used for slicing imported salmon, Zhang Yuxi, chairman of the Beijing Xinfadi Market, said on June 13. The capital city immediately shut Xinfadi and several other farmers’ markets. Many restaurants and supermarkets in Beijing and other parts of China have halted sales of salmon products.

Salmon and other seafood cannot host the virus, only mammals can, but they could have the virus on their surfaces due to the surrounding environment, a virologist told Yicai Global. He recommended not eating salmon uncooked for the time being.

Genetic sequencing shows that the virus in Xinfadi came from Europe, but the specific route of transmission has yet to be determined, Yang Peng, an expert from the Beijing Center for Disease Control, told state broadcaster CCTV yesterday. It may be from contaminated seafood or meat products, or infected humans entering the market, he added.

The latest virus outbreak has exposed food safety and traceability issues in the salmon market trade, Yang Zhenggang, board secretary of Beijing-based Joyvio, said yesterday. The domestic salmon industry will need upgrading and reconstruction, giving large market participants with raw food processing qualifications and strict health safety standards opportunities for growth, he added.

China imports about 80,000 tons of chilled and frozen salmon each year, mainly from Norway, Chile and Canada, the Beijing News reported yesterday, adding that the import volume is increasing each year.

Editor: Kim Taylor