According to the Times of Malta, the rise was mainly on account of an increase in the value of fish sold, which rose by 41.2 per cent to €103.2 million in 2007.
The volume of fresh fish sold advanced by 19.9 per cent, from 7.1 thousand tonnes in 2006 to 8.6 thousand tonnes in 2007, says the news organisation. Complementing this increase in volume was a general rise in the average price of fresh fish sold, which went up by 17.8 per cent to €12.02 per kilogramme in 2007.
Similarly, intermediate consumption, which takes into account the expenses incurred in the production of farmed fish, rose by 74.5 per cent, from €56.9 million in 2006 to €99.3 million in 2007.
According to The Times of Malta, the purchases of live fish and fingerlings, while making up 43.7 per cent of all intermediate consumption in 2006, rose by 103.2 per cent in 2007. The per centage share of live fish and fingerlings purchased amounted to 50.9 per cent of the total intermediate consumption in 2007, up by 7.2 per centage points from 43.7 per cent in 2006.
The increase in the value of fresh fish purchased resulted from an increase in the volume of fresh fish purchased (+39.6 per cent) complemented by a rise in the price per kilogramme by 45.5 per cent over 2006.
Maltese Aquaculture Doubles its Output
MALTA - An aquaculture census carried out by the Maltese National Statistics Office last year shows that the gross output of the industry rose by 49.1 per cent, from 86.4 million in 2006 to 128.8 million in 2007.
