Fish landings accumulated up to September, 2013 totalled 1.9 million tonnes, that is to say 26.9 per cent less than in the first nine months of 2012, when 2.6 million tonnes were landed.
According to the latest Sector Report on Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Subpesca), the capture sector contributed 1.2 million tonnes between January and September 2013, that is to say, 38.2 per cent less than the volume recorded in the same period last year.
77.9 per cent of the capture sector landings consisted of pelagic resources, and 3.2 per cent of demersal resources. The landings of pelagic resources totalled 950,700 tonnes, which represented a decrease of 40.5 per cent year-on-year. The landings of sardine registered the largest drop, which was 73.6 per cent while those of anchovy were reduced by 25.2 per cent. In the case of horse mackerel, landings were similar to those in 2012.
Landings of anchovy, horse mackerel and sardine respectively accounted for 46 per cent, 23.1 per cent and 17.4 per cent of the landings of the catching sector accumulated until September 2013.
These landings were concentrated in regions V and X, which together received 48.5 per cent of the total. Further back were Regions XV and II, 40.8 per cent, and Regions III and IV, with 10.6 per cent of the landings.
As to catches of demersal fisheries, as of September 2013 a total of 12,110 tonnes of southern hake was landed, a figure that is 9.4 per cent lower than that recorded in the same period of 2012 (13,370 tonnes).
The main contribution came from the industrial fleet, with 8,900 tonnes while artisanal vessels landed 3,100 tonnes.
Subpesca reported that the landing of hake accumulated up to September this year totalled 26,830 tonnes, a volume representing a decrease of 7.2 per cent compared to the same period in 2012 (28,920 tonnes).
The landing of toothfish (Chilean sea bass) was of 2,518 tonnes up to September 2013, 10.3 per cent fewer than in the first nine months of 2012 (2,807 tonnes).
Between January and last September 1,212 tonnes of kingclip were landed compared to 1,295 tonnes in the same period last year, that is to say, 10.3 per cent less.
Meanwhile, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) reported that the aquaculture sector harvests in the first nine months of this year totalled 752,700 tonnes. This figure represents a decrease of 2.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2012 when 769 093 tonnes were harvested.
The main resources that were domestically produced were Atlantic salmon, mussels and rainbow trout, which respectively accounted for 46.8 per cent, 28.3 per cent and 14.1 per cent of the total harvest.
Regions X and XI generated most of the harvest: a total of 440,400 tonnes and 287,400 tonnes, respectively.
The Atlantic salmon harvests totalled 352,200 tonnes, 21.4 per cent more than the cumulative volume between January and September 2012 (290,212 tonnes). Most of the production was from Regions XI (215,600 tonnes) and X (119,000 tonnes).
The harvests of mussels accumulated through August totalled 212,660 tonnes, 1.3 per cent less than in the same period in 2012 (215,400 tonnes). 100 per cent of the harvest came from the Region X.
Meanwhile, rainbow trout harvests totalled 106,420 tonnes, 43.9 per cent less than the cumulative volume between January and September 2012 (189,817 tonnes). Most of the production was from Regions X (59,900 tonnes) and XI (44,400 tonnes).