The new release of the Italian Fisheries statistic production is now available. Main results of the XIII edition of the Irepa Onlus publication

In 2004, the whole ichthyic production showed a reversal of trend compared with the previous years showed by an overall increase in the output (+ 3 %) and a substantial steadiness of revenues. Last year’s sector performance was partially jeopardized by a drop in the prices (-2,8 compared to the preceding year).
The positive trend of the production to be ascribed to the aquaculture segment. Sea fishing output, instead, has shown a steady decline. Although the growth of productive levels registered within the aquaculture segment has not been as significant as in the 1990s, it establishes a link with the past. Actually, with the exception of 2003, the positive trend concerning this segment has been constant over the years.
In 2004, the production of the Italian fishing fleet in the Mediterranean has registered a constant decline and dropped below 300 thousand tons as a consequence of the reduction in the fishing effort.
Over the last few years, fishing capacity has displayed a negative trend. This led to a streamlining of the national fleet whose vessels, in terms of figures, dropped from 19,789 of 1999 to 14,873 of 2005. However, the constant reduction of the fishing activity proved to be the most influential variable which brought about significant drops in productive levels. In 2004, the number of fishing days per single vessel amounted to 141. In 2001, instead, the number of fishing days per single vessel was equal to 169. It is to be taken into account that, despite the withdrawal of capacity, basically involving very old and scarcely efficient vessels, the decline of the fishing activity, concerned the majority of vessels. Thus, it affected both small fishing boats with low levels of productivity and large vessels with high average levels of productivity.
The decrease in the fishing activity is, at least partially, a result of the sector operators’ choice to  reduce the fishing effort with a view to avoid market saturation and protect the resources. In 2004, the rise in the price of fuel, an exogenous  factor that further damaged the sector, was associated to the choice for a responsible fishery. As a matter of fact, the rise in this cost item had a different impact depending on the fishing system in use. Its impact was stronger on trawler fishery. The price of fuel registered a sudden rise at the end of 2003 increasing by over 1/3. The expenses met to purchase fuel represent the most relevant cost item to determine added value. In 2003, the cost of diesel accounted for approximately 14% of profits. The negative impact on revenues has increased over time, reaching  18% in January 2004 and 24% in January 2005. Salaries of crew members followed a similar trend.
In 2004, a decrease in landings was associated to a decreased revenue. In terms of percentage, between 2003 and 2004, the reductions amounted to approximately 8% as to catches and 6% as to the overall revenues realized by the fishing sector.

Generally speaking, the drop registered in the landings did not have a positive effect on  prices. Thus, in 2004, after years of  steady increases, the average prices of production did not register any substantial growth. This represents a major concern for the fishing sector which, at least until 2002, had managed to hinder the drop in productive levels by increasing the price of landings.