Value of fish landings tops Lm1m in second quarter

A total of 415,975 kilogrammes of fresh fish were landed during the second quarter of this year, an increase of 91,887 kilogrammes (+28.4 per cent) over the 324,088 kilogrammes landed in the same period last year, the National Statistics Office said.

The wholesale value increased by Lm268,328 (+34.2 per cent), from Lm785,118 recorded in the second quarter of 2004 to Lm1,053,446 in the second period this year.

The increase in volume was a result of an increase in all major fish species, the most noticeable increase being the blue fin tuna landings which increased by 25.1 per cent.

Blue fin tuna landings increased by 54,310 kilogrammes, from 216,321 kilogrammes in the second quarter of 2004 to 270,631 kilogrammes in the second quarter this year.

On a regional level, Maltese fishermen landed a total of 365,943 kilogrammes, an increase of 73,079 kilogrammes (+25.0 per cent) when compared to the same period last year. The total wholesale value of all their fish landings increased by Lm221,679 (+31.0 per cent) from Lm714,173 in the second quarter of 2004 to Lm935,852 in the second quarter this year.

Comparing the second quarter to the same period last year, Gozitan fishermen landed a total of 50,032 kilogrammes of fish.

This represented an increase of 18,808 kilogrammes (+60.2 per cent) from last year's landings of 31,224 kilogrammes.

All the main species registered increases in their respective wholesale values, most notably swordfish, whose wholesale value rose by Lm10,437 (+181.4 per cent) from Lm5,753 in the second quarter last year to Lm16,190 in the second quarter this year.

The fresh fish price index for the month of June stood at 149.26, up 21.22 points (+16.57 per cent) from 128.04 points in June 2004.