Acquaculture output down by €20.3m in 2010 to €57.1 million

This was mainly due to a negative change of €27.4 million in stocks of fish, the National Statistics Office.

During 2010, the volume of fresh fish sold amounted to 6,881 tonnes, an increase of 22.5 per cent over the preceding year.

This was complemented by a 42.7 per cent increase in the average price of fresh fish sold, which advanced to €12 per kilogram.

When compared to 2009, intermediate consumption, which takes into account the expenses incurred in the production of farmed fish, declined by 33.3 per cent. Accounting for this were a drop of 46.2 per cent in the value of purchases of live fish and fingerlings, and a decrease of 41.8 per cent in overhead costs.

The value of such purchases accounted for 29.2 per cent of total intermediate consumption. The drop in the value of purchased live fish and fingerlings was mainly due to a decrease in the volume of purchased tuna (-71.2 per cent). This was partly mitigated by a 74.0 per cent rise in the average price per kilogram of purchased tuna.

In 2010 the gross value added of the aquaculture industry advanced to €12.2 million from €10 million in 2009. Taking fixed capital consumption and exchange rate differences into

consideration, the aquaculture industry had a positive factor income of €8.6 million, an increase of €1.8 million.

Compensation of employees amounted to €3.6 million, 10.6 per cent lower than 2009, while entrepreneurial income amounted to €4.1 million compared to €1.4 million in the preceding year.