ID :
110852
Wed, 03/10/2010 - 14:39
Auther :

S. Korea's fish farming production surges in 2009: report


SEOUL, March 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's fish farming output surged in 2009 due
to better market prices and improved production capacity, a government report
said Wednesday.
According to the report by Statistics Korea, total value of fish produced at
local aquaculture facilities reached 981.6 billion won (US$867.1 million) up 28.7
percent from 763.0 billion won tallied for the previous year.
Total production was estimated at 109,477 tons for a 10.7 percent gain from
98,915 tons reported for 2008.
It said overall production of expensive fish such as flounder, sea bream, bass
and rockfish have all risen along with prices.
Flounders accounted for 55.6 percent of the total or 545.8 billion won, followed
by rockfish and sea bream that made up 25.2 percent and 7.9 percent respectively.
The statistical office said exports of flounders to Japan and the United States
rose 26 percent annually last year as local fish farms started producing larger
fish suitable for fillets.
It added that reduction in imports from China caused by the appreciation of the
Chinese yuan vis-a-vis the Korean won also helped production.
The office, meanwhile, said that while production in terms of value and volume
have all increased last year, the number of households that engaged in fish
farming fell 4.5 percent on-year to 2,575.
The decrease was caused by smaller-scale fish farms closing down or being
absorbed by bigger operators.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)

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