12 per cent rise in fish landings

Total fish landings at the central fish market in 2002 amounted to 940,864 kgs, an increase of 99,575 kgs - 11.8 per cent - over the previous year, the National Statistics Office said.

Compared with the previous year, the wholesale value of fish landings increased by over 13 per cent, from Lm1,587,036 to Lm1,798,867.

The wholesale price index of fresh fish for 2002 stood at 137.89. Compared with 2001, the average wholesale price of fresh fish decreased by 4.39 points or 3.1 per cent.

Fresh fish landings during the fourth quarter of 2002 amounted to 299,514 kgs, 62.6 per cent or 115,255 kgs more than landings in the corresponding period the previous year (184,259 kgs), the NSO said.

The wholesale value of fish landings during the fourth quarter amounted to Lm460,923, an increase of Lm206,949 or 81.48 per cent from Lm253,974 in the previous year.