EU farmed fish output bounds back
FARMED fish production in the European Union bloc is bounding back at an impressive rate, figures from the European Market of Fisheries and Aquaculture (EUMOFA) show.
The latest available data is for 2014 which discloses that output that year increased by eight per cent, marking a reversal of the trends in the previous five years.
The value of that production also increased by two per cent over 2013 (75 million euros) to a total of 3.96 billion euros.
The value growth of salmon led the overall five per cent or 79 million euro increase of salmonids between 2013 and 2014, but down on the previous two years.
The value of other marine fish also grew by five per cent during 2013-2014, thanks to a 25 million euro increase registered for gilthead seabream. The report says the production of bivalves in 201314 rose by 75,400 tonnes. This increase was mainly due to an increase in mussels farmed in Spain, which marked a recovery from a 2013 production shrinkage caused by ‘red tide’ or algae blooms.
Salmonid production also increased from 2013 to 2014, mainly attributable to increased farming of salmon (plus 16,500 tonnes) and trout (plus 7,700 tonnes).
Spain and the UK, the main EU producers of farmed products in volume, saw an overall upward trend in 2014, with both reaching 10year value peaks for farmed production.
Spain’s 2014 volume of 285,000 tonnes with a value of 472 million euros represented an increase of 58,700 tonnes and 42 million euros over 2013, due to the increase in the value of mussel production.
The UK’s aquaculture products totalled 214,000 tonnes worth 953 million euros, an increase of 11,300 tonnes or 56 million euros over 2013, mostly driven by farmed salmon.