Portugal’s exports of canned fish last year hit the previous record, way back in 1923.
The 2013 figures show that 53,000 tonnes of canned fish and fish paste were exported from just 23 factories, a fraction of the 400 factories estimated to have been operating 90 years ago.
A study made by the former Assistant Director-General for Fisheries, António Duarte de Almeida, shows that exports earned €218 million last year.
Almeida’s study reveals that "the canning industry traditionally exports about 70% of its production which accounts for over one quarter of the national export figure for fish products."
The industry has been battling against a fall in the supply of sardines as national catches have continued to fall in recent years, with the consequent doubling of average prices. The answer has been to import fish for use in Portugal’s canneries, and to export the added value canned products.
The production and export of canned sardines increased by 39% in volume and 62% in value over the past four years, and mackerel and tuna have been succesfully added to the range.
In 2013 almost 40% of canned fish exports were sardines and tuna represented a further 25%.
According to the report’s author these figures show that the few remaining canneries have been adept, have survived difficult economic periods, and now are producing more than double than they achieved four years ago with exports and production up to levels not seen since the the boom years of the 1020s.
To António de Almeida, these figures represent "the importance of an ongoing investment in new plant and the modernisation of many existing ones."
See also:
http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/2497-la-rose-back-in-production-after-40-years
