Some 340,000 kilos of fish, valued at €1.02 million, were caught in the fourth quarter of 2010, according to the National Statistics Office.

The volume caught rose by 33 per cent and wholesale value was up 22 per cent when compared to the same period in 2009.

The increase in the fresh fish landed (the part of the catch that was brought ashore) in the period under review was due to more swordfish (up 43.8 per cent) and dorado (up by 36.1 per cent) being caught. The only decline registered was in bogue (down 49 per cent).

Fish landings by Maltese fishermen amounted to 185,490 kilos, which accounted for 54.1 per cent of the total, while Gozitan fishermen brought in 157,161 kilos of fresh fish, making up 45.8 per cent of total landings.

In the quarter under review, foreign flagged vessels landed 218 kilos of fish (0.1 per cent of the total catch), a drop of 94.9 per cent over the fourth quarter of 2009.

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