Fish landings in the first quarter of 2009 amounted to 82,013 kilograms, down by 39.8 per cent over the comparative period last year. The drop in the volume of the major species landed was mainly the result of the adverse weather conditions that hit Malta during the first quarter of 2009 in comparison to the first three months of 2008.

Swordfish, the dominant species landed during the period, decreased by 49.8 per cent over the first quarter of 2008. Similarly, the wholesale value of fresh fish landings decreased by 45.7 per cent to €476,425 in the first quarter of 2009, mainly on account of lower catches. As a result, the period under review saw wholesale prices per kilogram rising for Shrimp, Dorado, and Dog-Fish by 35.9, 22.2 and 3.6 per cent respectively.

Regional overview

Maltese fishermen landed 56,457 kilograms of fresh fish during the first quarter of 2009 – a drop of 46.4 per cent over 2008. This decline was registered in all major species, from 9.3 per cent in Shrimp landings to a 69.9 per cent drop in the volume of Dorado. Swordfish, the main species landed in the first quarter of 2009, declined by 47.3 per cent over the comparative period last year. Fish landings by Maltese fishermen represented 68.8 per cent of the total landings, down by 8.5 percentage points over the comparable period in 2008. The wholesale value of fish landings by Maltese fishermen fell by €326,519 (-44.2 per cent) when compared to the first quarter of 2008. This decline was reflected in the overall drop in the volume of fish landings for the period under review, as only the wholesale value of Shrimp landings registered an increase of 27.9 per cent over 2008.

Fresh fish landings by Gozitan fishermen decreased by 19.0 per cent to 23,125 kilograms in the first quarter of 2009. Dorado landings, being the main species, decreased by 67.7 per cent over the comparable period in 2008. As a result of the heavy decline in Maltese fishermen’s landings, the percentage share of Gozitan fish landings rose to 28.2 per cent of total landings. The decline in the volume of fresh fish landings was also reflected in the drop in wholesale value generated by these fishermen. Consequently, the wholesale value of Gozitan fishermen amounted to €52,456 or 58.8 per cent lower than the wholesale value recorded in the first quarter of 2008.

Foreign vessel landings

Fresh fish landings by foreign-flagged vessels registered a slight increase in the volume, by 1.5 per cent to 2,431 kilograms, in the first quarter of 2009. Fish landings by foreign-flagged vessels represented 3.0 per cent of the total catch. Their wholesale value increased by 8.0 per cent, from €10,624 in the first quarter of 2008 to €11,479 in the corresponding period this year.

Indices

The quarterly ‘All Items’ fresh fish price index for the first quarter of 2009 stood at 123.9 points, up by 10.6 points (+9.3 per cent) over the same quarter in 2008. In contrast, the quarterly ‘All Items’ fresh fish volume index decreased by 16.3 points from 40.8 points in the first quarter of 2008 to 24.5 points in the corresponding period of 2009 (-39.8 per cent).

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