Greek fishermen landed 3,800 metric tons (MT) of seafood products worth EUR 10.2 million (USD 11.2 million) at the main port of Piraeus in the first four months of this year, representing increases of 15 percent and 7 percent respectively, compared with the corresponding period of 2015.
The improved performance was largely thanks to a 44 percent spike in the sardine catch, finds new figures published by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA).
EUMOFA also highlighted that anchovy landings at the port for January through April increased 10 percent to 981 MT, achieving a total first-sale value of EUR 1.5 million (USD 1.7 million), up 6 percent year-on-year. The average price paid during this period was EUR 1.51 (USD 1.66) per kg, down 4 percent year-on-year.
In 2015, Greek vessels landed a total of 11,660 MT of fish, crustaceans, and molluscs at Piraeus, an 8 percent increase over 2014. However, the first-sales value decreased by 6 percent to EUR 29.9 million (USD 32.9 million).
Seafood sales in Piraeus represented 35 percent of the total landings made in Greece.
In January through April 2016, the top five species landed in Greece – red mullet, hake, anchovy, sardine and picarel – represented 73 percent of the total first-sales value and 81 percent of the volume. These species increased 13 percent in first-sales value and 21 percent in volume year-on-year.
The Greek fleet comprises around 15,000 vessels.
