Be the first to comment!Gozitan fish landings up 156%, almost 35% of total landings
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The volume and wholesale value of fish landings advanced by 40.8 and 11.0 per cent respectively in the first quarter this year over the comaprative period of 2010.
Fish landings in the first quarter of 2011 amounted to 188,071 kilograms, an increase of 40.8 per cent over the comparative period last year. Swordfish landings, the main species caught in the period under review, advanced by 20.6 per cent over the first quarter of 2010. Similarly, the wholesale value of fish landings went up by 11.0 per cent to €970,120.
Fresh fish landings by Gozitan fishermen amounted to 65,461 kilograms (+156.0 per cent) during the first quarter, making up 34.8 per cent of the total landings. Dog-Fish and Swordfish, the main species landed, advanced by 215.5 per cent and 20.8 per cent respectively. Gozitan fishermen generated €95,785 in wholesale value.
During the quarter under review, fish landings by Maltese fishermen amounted to 121,762 kilograms, 16.4 per cent higher than the first quarter of 2010. Fish landings by Maltese fishermen comprised 64.7 per cent of the total landings. Significant increases in the main fish landings were registered, while a decline was registered in Shrimp (-26.8 per cent) and Dog- Fish (-6.3 per cent) landings. The wholesale value of fresh fish landings by Maltese fishermen amounted to €871,398, an increase of 15.0 per cent over the corresponding quarter last year.
Landings by Foreign-flagged vessels were minimal during the quarter under review, as only 848 kilograms were registered, a drop of 75.2 per cent over the first quarter of 2010. This was due to routine maintenance on some vessels, rendering them inoperative, and a re-registration of one vessel under the Maltese flag. The wholesale value amounted to €2,937 (-84.7 per cent) over the corresponding period of 2010. Fresh fish landings by foreign-flagged vessels accounted for 0.5 per cent of the total landings.
The quarterly ‘All Items’ fresh fish price index for the first quarter of 2011 stood at 111.76 points, a decrease of 30.2 points (-21.3 per cent) over the comparative period in 2010. The ‘All Items’ fresh fish volume index, stood at 56.27 points, up by 16.3 points or 40.7 per cent increase over the first quarter of 2010.
