ZAGREB, 27 June, 2021 - In the first quarter of 2021, Croatia's fisheries exports went up 31% on the year to almost €94 million, with 17,700 tonnes of commodities exported, the Agriculture Ministry says.

Bluefin tuna exports were record-high both in quantity and value terms.

The value of first-sale went up by 3% and the average price of sea fisheries commodities by 20%.

The quantity and value of aquaculture production continues to increase, surpassing €33 million in 2020, a 12% increase in value and a 3% increase in quantity.

Surveys show that the growth and consumption of fisheries and aquaculture products in 2019 had gone up by 11% on the year to a little over 20 kilos per capita.

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ZAGREB, April 3, 2020 - The European Commission has supported Croatian requests for financial aid to the fisheries sector, which is severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Agriculture said in a statement on Thursday.

Croatia was one of the initiators of changes to the EU legislative frameworks relating to the allocation of financial aid to the fisheries sector, the statement said.

The economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 epidemic has considerably hit the fisheries sector, an important economic branch of strategic importance for Croatia.

Intense cooperation with the EU institutions and member states has resulted in a set of measures put forward by the European Commission, including aid for the implementation of the measure for temporary cession of fishing activities and the grant of compensation to freshwater, marine fish and shellfish farmers for the temporary cessation or reduction of production due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the statement said.

Until now temporary cessation of fishing activities was possible only because of biological indicators and resource management, and this change allows for the implementation of this measure from 1 February to 31 December 2020 due to the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak. The duration of such temporary cessation under the present circumstances does not count towards the maximum possible duration of the temporary cessation of fishing activities of six months per vessel, which is crucial for its implementation in Croatia.

The amended Regulation on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund also allows for the grant of compensation to the aquaculture sector to reduce the negative effects of this crisis and includes measures concerning producer organisations. The percentage of funds for the implementation of production and marketing plans has been increased from 3% to 12% of the average annual value of production and the implementation of the "Storage Aid" measure will be allowed until 31 December 2020.

Provided that the proposal is adopted by the Council and the European Parliament, and there is no reason why this should not be so, the proposed measures will help protect jobs, preserve the food supply, increase stability on the market, mitigate the risk of loss and prevent the worst-case scenario - the closure of businesses engaging in aquaculture, fisheries and fish processing. The adoption of these amendments will greatly assist this sector and prepare it for a sustainable recovery, along with other measures adopted by the government and rules relating to state aid for the fisheries sector, the statement said.

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ZAGREB, January 6, 2020 - The gilt-head sea bream also called Orata and the sea bass also known by its Italian name branzino are exported more and more from Croatia to the European Union's market, while the top exporting fish from Croatia to Japan is tuna, according to the data provided by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) on Monday.

In the first eight months of 2019, Croatia exported fresh or chilled Atlantic bluefin tuna in the amount of 2,800 tonnes, worth 31.2 million euro, as against 33.9 million euro for 3,000 tonnes exported in the whole of 2018.

In 2018, the value of the export of fish and other seafood products, including Ostracods, sometimes known as seed shrimps, and molluscs, was 170.4 million euro (47,000 tonnes). Of that amount, the export of fresh or chilled fish made up 108 million euro (21,000 tonnes).

Apart from tuna, which is exported to Japan in large quantities, 4,300 of fresh or chilled branzino were exported to the European Union in 2018, and the value of this export stood at 26.4 million euro.

The export value of 3,800 tonnes of gilt-head sea bream was 23.6 million euro.

Also, Croatia exported sardines in the amount of 4,500 tonnes, worth 3.6 million euro, and 2,200 tonnes of anchovies, worth 3.5 million euro.

In the first eight months of 2019, the total value of the export of fish and seafood products came to 121.1 million euro.

The major markets for the export are Japan, as the most important destination for Croatian tuna, while within the EU, Italy, Slovenia and Spain are the main export destinations for fresh and salted fishery products.

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ZAGREB, November 13, 2018 - The European Parliament on Tuesday adopted a report which Croatian MEP Ruža Tomašić submitted on the Multiannual plan for small pelagic stocks in the Adriatic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, whereby measures for replenishing the stocks in the Adriatic are suggested, instead of the imposition of quotas for the catch of Adriatic fish as proposed by the European Commission, which would seriously affect the fishing industry in Croatia.

"I knew that it would be tough, but we have succeeded. The European Parliament has been the last defence line and our diligent work has halted the Commission's harmful proposal that would have had a devastating effect on Croatia's fisheries, the fish processing industry, tuna fisheries and coastal communities living off fisheries," Tomašić said after her report was endorsed.

She explained that the imposed quota would have restricted the catch in the whole of the Adriatic Sea to 50,000 tonnes of small pelagic fish annually, whereas Croatia's current catch is about 60,000 tonnes and the amount in the region now stands at 100,000 tonnes.

Another Croatian MEP, Ivan Jakovčić, endorsed Tomašić's report and called on the EC to pursue a policy that would be beneficial to the Adriatic fishermen. He explained that the introduction of the quotas as proposed by the EC would have been detrimental to the blue growth in the Adriatic region.

Dubravka Šuica, also one Croatia's 11 MEPs, reported that she supported Tomašić's reports and that she had not endorsed the EC's proposal for incorporating a set of measures into a multi-annual plan for the Adriatic Sea that would manage the fisheries in the Adriatic Sea based on the Biomass Escapement Strategy and a quota system.

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ZAGREB, January 16, 2018 - The European Parliament on Tuesday voted on new rules to limit harmful fishing and adopted an amendment by Croatian member Ruza Tomasic rescinding a restriction of the use of purse seines which was unfavourable for Croatian fishermen due to the configuration of the Adriatic seabed.