After the country registered sales for $282 million in 2017, the sector's union expects this year to surpass what was reported in the previous period by 2%.
Tuesday, May 8, 2018
Explained by the good performance in exports of cultivated shrimp, crab and live lobster, during the first three months of the year, the Nicaraguan Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Inpesca) expects the sector to register an increase compared to 2017.
The executive president of the Inpesca, Edward Jackson, explained to Elnuevodiario.com.ni that "... projections for 2017 were of 252 million dollars ...But we closed the year with 282 million dollars; this year we are maintaining that amount, but we will have an increase of 1.72 percent compared to 2017.'"
The article reports that "... The main fishery products that Nicaragua exports abroad are farmed shrimp, lobster and fish, while the United States, Taiwan and some European countries are their favorite markets."
During the first month of the year, Nicaraguan seafood exports totaled $16.7 million, 19% less than what was reported in the same month in 2019, a situation explained by the decline in demand from Asia and the U.S., important destinations for this sector.
According to data from the Center for Export Processing (Cetrex), between January 2019 and the same month of 2020 exports of seafood products recorded a fall of $ 4 million, from $ 16.7 million to $ 20.7 million.
According to projections by the Nicaraguan fishing sector, this year growth could be explained, mainly, by the performance of the production of lobster, sea cucumber and fish.
After the local fishing industry registered $282 million in sales abroad in 2017, the Central Bank of Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Inpesca) jointly prepared a projection for 2018, the result of which is an expectation that the sector will grow 7.5%.
In the first ten months of the year foreign sales of seafood products fell, except for shellfish and shrimp, which are growing at double digits.
Statistics from the Center for Export Procedures (CETREX) show that foreign sales of seafood grew by 19% compared to the first ten months of 2015, while exports of sea shrimp, recorded an increase of almost 13%.
In 2013 total production increased by 8% and foreign sales of fish, shrimp , lobsters and seafood, by 28%.
Fish production last year grew by 8%, with farmed shrimp products having the largest increase. Foreign sales of fish, shrimp, shellfish and lobsters reported a 28% increase compared to 2012, going from $192 million to $246 million at the end of 2013, according to statistics from the Center for Exports.