Portuguese fishermen landed 78,000 metric tons (MT) of seafood products worth more than EUR 151 million (USD 157.5 million) in the first nine months of this year, representing a decrease in volume of 9 percent but an increase in value of 4 percent, compared with the corresponding period of 2015.
According to new figures published by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), the average price of all species landed by the fleet increased by 14 percent.
EUMOFA said the overall value increase was largely the result of higher volumes of octopus and anchovies, with the respective landings amounting to 5,500 MT and 6,500 MT in the nine-month period. Despite the lower market prices for these products – down 5 percent and 7 percent respectively – the larger catches saw the octopus landing value increase 23 percent year-on-year to EUR 24.8 million (USD 25.9 million) and the anchovy catch value soar 157 percent to EUR 11.2 million (USD 11.7 million).
Last year, Portuguese vessels landed 194,164 MT of fish, crustaceans and mollusks, an increase of 6 percent compared to 2014. In value terms, these landings increased 7 percent to EUR 184.8 million (USD 192.7 million).
EUMOFA also highlighted that this year there were quota increases for horse mackerel (up 16 percent to 53,445 MT), anchovy (up 10 percent to 5,542 MT), swordfish (up 11 percent to 1,651 MT) and bluefin tuna (up 19 percent to 332 MT). However, quotas were reduced for hake (down 23 percent to 3,188 MT), mackerel (down 15 percent to 6,971 MT), blue whiting (down 4 percent to 8,480 MT), cod (down 5 percent to 7,729 MT) and monkfish (down 14 percent to 426 MT).
The Portuguese fleet currently comprises 4,188 registered vessels.
