September 22, 2010

Spanish January-July fish imports decline 8.9%

Between January and July 2010, 131,404 tonnes of fresh fish entered Spanish ports, this volume represents a drop of 8.9% over the same period in 2009, when 144,356 tonnes were landed, according to the State Ports.

According to the report prepared by the entity under the Ministry of Development, in July, only 21,162 tonnes of fresh fish were caught, 12% less than the same month last year (24,035 tonnes).

The port of Vigo received the majority of landings in July: 8,306 tonnes, which is still 9.6% less than during the same month in 2009 (9,187 tonnes).

Meanwhile, in the first seven months of this year, 44,170 tonnes were landed in the Galician port, 4% less than the same period in 2009 (46,045 tonnes).

In second place was the port of A Coruna, with 25,392 tonnes landed between January and July, 0.3% less than during the same period last year (25,489 tonnes), and then Pasajes, with 10,898 tonnes.

The port of Ferrol-San Cibrao registered the largest increase in landings, by 94.2%, as it had only received 122 tonnes in the first seven months of 2009, compared to the 237 tonnes this year.

Ranked slightly lower were the ports of Pasajes, with 10,898 tonnes, a 17.4% increase between January and July 2009 (9277 tonnes), and Cartagena, with 659 tonnes, 4.1% more than the same period last year (633 tonnes).

According to the latest report, the largest decrease occurred in the port of Algeciras Bay: it received only 694 tonnes of fresh fish in the first seven months, 45.8% less than the same period of 2009, when landings totalled 1,282 tonnes.

Another port where there was a significant decrease in fresh fish landings was the Balearic Islands, where 978 tonnes were landed compared to the 1,687 tonnes caught between January and July 2009, which was 42% less.

In the port of Motril, there was a decline in fresh fish landings by 37.1% to 879 tonnes, while in the same period last year there had been 1,399 tonnes landed.