(fis.com) In the first three months of 2012 fishing and aquaculture product exports in Chile reached a value of USD 1,317 million. This represents a 7.3 per cent rise over the same period of 2011, when USD 1,227.2 million was obtained.
Meanwhile, the exported volume during the first quarter of 2012 experienced an 11.9 per cent increase, from 282,310 tonnes between January and March 2012 to 316,060 tonnes this year, the Undersecretariat of Fisheries (Subpesca) reported.
In volume terms, the frozen products were the one having more involvement in shipments abroad: up to March it represented 55.5 per cent of the total, according to the latest Fishing and Aquaculture Sector Report of SUBPESCA.
It was followed by fresh chilled fish and fishmeal, which together accounted for 30.3 per cent of the total.
The average price of fishery products exported between January and March was USD 4.20 per kilogram, 4.1 per cent lower than in the same quarter of 2011.
According to statistics from Subpesca, the main exported product was Pacific salmon, which accounted for 27.4 per cent of the total value of exports. It was followed by Atlantic salmon, rainbow trout and pelagic fish s/e.
Chilean products were destined for 84 countries, of which the nine major ones accounted for 85.5 per cent of total exports. Among them, Japan, US, China, Brazil and Spain stood out.
Aquaculture sector exports accounted for 80.1 per cent of the value and 57.6 per cent of total exports up to March 2012, with USD 1,055 million and about 182,000 tonnes.
With respect to the catching sector, the accumulated value of fish exports (133,800 tonnes) reached USD 261.7 million in the first quarter, indicating a similar level compared to the same period last year.