Albania's fishing industry sees significant growth in 2023

Tirana, June 26, 2024 - Albania's fishing industry experienced significant growth last year, with both fleet size and fish catches increasing.

Official data from INSTAT shows that fish catches in 2023 reached 19,338 tons, up from 17,799 tons in 2022, marking an 8.65% increase. The aquaculture sector drove this growth, accounting for 47.27% of the total catches, followed by inland waters at 25.12% and marine fishing at 22.02%.

Inland waters recorded the most notable increase, with catches rising by 43.39% compared to the previous year. Aquaculture also performed strongly, with a 14.46% increase.

The most abundant species in 2023 were deep-water shrimp, comprising 19.42% of the total catch, followed by hake at 15.17% and sardine at 11.51%.

The number of licensed fishing companies grew to 811 in 2023, with 27 new licenses issued compared to the previous year. The Port of Durrës had the highest number of licensed vessels, making up 36.87% of the fleet, followed by the Port of Vlorë with 30.83% and the Port of Sarandë with 15.04%.

Smaller ports, such as Lushnje-Fier and Himarë, had lower percentages of licensed fishing companies, at 2.22% and 1.60%, respectively.

The fleet mainly consists of small-scale vessels, which account for 71.64% of the total, and trawlers, both bottom and pelagic, at 24.54%. These vessels are mostly used for bottom fishing, while the rest of the fleet includes multi-purpose and specialized boats.

To support biodiversity, the industry focused on producing fingerlings like Rainbow Trout, Koran, and Carp. In 2023, fish farmers released 3.3 million Rainbow Trout fingerlings, 1.8 million Koran fingerlings, and 1.15 million Carp fingerlings into Lake Ohrid.