Italians reduced their purchases of fresh fish by 31% owing to price hikes, including boat expenses that have almost doubled due to conflict and high energy prices. This is what Coldiretti Impresapesca asserts on World Fisheries Day based on ISMEA statistics for the first nine months of the year. An important appointment for a sector that is going through a hard crisis because of rising energy prices. The average price of diesel for fishing has almost doubled since last year, forcing Italian fishing boats to sail at a loss or cut their outputs and making it easier to import fish from other countries. Up to more than half of a fishing company's expenses are comprised of fuel expenditures. In the first seven months of 2022, the value of imports of fish products rose by 27%, which is no coincidence. A tendency that worsens a scenario in which national fish output is around 180 thousand tons per year and fresh and frozen fish imports are approximately 840 thousand tons annually.
9COLONNE - NIAF
