Belgium’s fishermen landed around 15,800 metric tons (MT) of seafood products with a first-sales value of EUR 52.5 million (USD 56.1 million) in the first 10 months of last year, representing a decrease in volume of 8 percent and a drop in value of 4 percent, compared with the corresponding period of 2015.
According to the latest figures published by the European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products (EUMOFA), the average price of all species landed by the fleet also declined by 4 percent.
EUMOFA said the overall value decrease was largely the result of reduced sole, cod and ray landings. During the 10-month period, the sole catch’s first-sales value dropped 13 percent to EUR 23.6 million (USD 25.2 million), cod fell 42 percent to EUR 1.2 million (USD 1.3 million) and earnings from rays slipped 21 percent to EUR 1.9 million (USD 2 million). The full impact of these reductions were partially offset by increases in the landings and first-sales value of cuttlefish, shrimp and plaice.
Belgium has a coastline of just 67km and an exclusive economic zone covering a total surface of 3,478 sq. km, of which 1,430 sq. km belong to the territorial sea.
The size of the Belgian fleet has decreased by 19 percent since 2008 and now comprises only 76 active vessels, which operate from the Bay of Biscay to the Irish Sea and in the North Sea. One-third of the fleet is owned by Dutch fishermen who prefer to land in their home market, where the price of plaice tends to be higher than in Belgium.
