Maputo, Mozambique — Mozambique's total exports of fish products last year were estimated at 15,800 tonnes, valued at about 109.3 million US dollars, statistics released this week indicated.

According to a Report of Activities of the Fisheries Ministry, these figures represent a growth of 13 per cent in terms of volume, and 20 per cent in terms of value.

The tonnage, however, fell short of the target figure of 16,320 tonnes.

Conversely, earnings were much more than the earmarked figure 87.5 million dollars, thanks to the increase in the price of a few key fishery products on the international market, the most important of which were prawns.

Mozambique exported 9,729 tonnes of prawns last year, earning 92.4 million dollars.

This compares with 8,000 tonnes in 1999 that fetched 72 million dollars.

Two other fishery products, lobsters and the freshwater fish kapenta, also showed a significant growth, both in exports and in revenue.

The country exported 102 tonnes of lobsters worth 1.1 million dollars, compared to 77 tonnes and 847,000 dollars in 1999.

As for kapenta, which is fished on Cahora Bassa lake and exported to Zimbabwe, the country earned 3.8 million US dollars for an export of 3,813 tonnes.

Last it exported 2,832 tonnes, collecting 3.3 million US dollars. (The price for kapenta, however, has fallen by 17 per cent).

Exports of sea fish and crabs fell sharply, by 32 and 38 per cent respectively, as 631 tonnes of fish were exported compared with 933 tonnes in 1999, while crab exports declined from 120 to 78 tonnes.

Most Mozambican fishery products are exported to European Union countries, notably Spain, Italy, Portugal and Britain.