Tuna sales net €168 million

Tuna farming is a lucrative trade with figures out today showing how the industry made €168 million in sales last year.

The 10% increase in income from tuna sales corresponds to an increase in the tonnage of fish sold. More than 13,000 tonnes of tuna were sold last year.

The National Statistics Office also reported that €99.8 million were spent on the purchase of live tuna.

The figures from a census on fish farming activity released by the National Statistics Office, today.

Tuna remains the primary fish farming activity, accounting for 93.3% of sales from fish farms.

A breakdown of expenditure shows that the largest cost factor for fish farm operators is fish feed. In 2017, operators spent €51.7 million on fish feed.

The NSO said the fish farming industry’s value added stood at €100,000, as overall expenses increased by €60.9 million.