According to data from the National Statistics Office of Malta, the country’s fish landings in the second quarter this year amounted to 423,777kg, an increase of 5.1% over the comparative period last year.
Bluefin tuna, the main species caught in the period under review, advanced by 51%, while mackerel and swordfish dropped by 26.3% and 42.6% respectively.
The wholesale value of fish landings went up by 22.7% to €2.65m.
In the period under review, fish landings by Maltese fishermen amounted to 259,982kg, a decrease of 1.1% over the second quarter of 2011. This comprised 61.3% of total fish landings.
An increase in the landings of stone-bass (120%), dogfish (86.3%) and bluefin tuna (55.1%) were offset by drops of 79.5% and 50.9% in bogue and swordfish landings respectively.
The wholesale value of fresh fish landings by Maltese fishermen stood at €2.28m, resulting in an increase of 17.5% over the corresponding quarter last year. This was mainly due to a rise in the average price per kilogram of bluefin tuna, from €7.8 per kilogram in the second quarter of 2011 to €10.9 per kilogram this year.
Fresh fish landings by Gozitan fishermen rose by 16.7% over the comparative period last year, accounting for 38.7% of total landings. Significant increases were registered in bogue (457.9%), swordfish (302.6%) and dogfish (148.5%). Mackerel, the main species caught for Gozitan fishermen, dipped by 27.6%.
The wholesale value of fresh fish landings amounted to €0.36m, an increase of 70.9% over the second quarter of 2011, mainly due to the increase in swordfish landings.
