Fresh fish landings down 5.9%, excludes tuna ranching volumes

Fish landings in the third quarter this year amounted to 495,618 kilograms, down by 5.9 per cent over the third quarter of 2009. This was due to a decrease in landings of fish classified under the other species category, mainly Mackarel. Landings of the other major species registered increases that range from 13.7 per cent for Swordfish to 82.9 per cent for Stone Bass. The wholesale value of fresh fish landings went up by 13.3 per cent to €2.5 million.

Maltese fishermen landed 353,749 kilograms (+23.5 per cent) of fresh fish during the period under review, making up 71.4 per cent of total landings. This resulted from more landings in respect of Stone Bass (+128.7 per cent), Bogue (+122.8 per cent) and Dorado (+33.8 per cent). The wholesale value of fish landings by Maltese fishermen rose by 17.5 per cent when compared to the third quarter of 2009, and amounted to €2.1 million.

In the third quarter a 41.0 per cent drop was recorded in the volume of fish landed at the local fish market by Gozitan fishermen. Fish landings by Gozitan fishermen represented 28.0 per cent of total landings. Shrimp and Bogue landings dropped by 62.9 and 44.1 per cent respectively, while there was an increase of 49.0 per cent in Stone Bass. The wholesale value for fish landings by Gozitan fishermen during the third quarter amounted to €388,376 (-3.0 per cent over the comparative last year).

Foreign-flagged vessels landed 3,060 kilograms during the third quarter, a drop of 37.2 per cent over the comparative period last year. Fresh fish landings by foreign-flagged vessels made up just 0.6 per cent of the total catch. Their wholesale value amounted to €22,904, a decline of 21.8 per cent over the corresponding period of 2009.