WHAT A HANDFUL: A fisherman at Ngwe Saung holds his share of a nga ni tu catch earlier this month. Pic: Hein Latt Aung

FISHERIES exports for the 2008-09 financial year are well down on those recorded in past years and officials are laying the blame on the double impacts of Cyclone Nargis in May and the global recession which struck in late 2008.

Exports dropped dramatically when – and after – the two crises struck, they said.

A Department of Fisheries official said the impact of financial crisis was worse in monetary terms.

“When Cyclone Nargis hit the country our fisheries exports for the month of May declined compared to last year by about US$13 million but when the financial crisis hit the world economy our sales for November and December dropped by $28 million combined,” he said.

In May last year, exports dropped by about $12 million compared to last year, while the figure for June was about $315,000, department figures show.

He said November’s exports had fallen by $15 million, while the figure for December was $13 million attributing the falls to decreased demand abroad.
Prices also dropped at the same time – with farmed freshwater rohu, which is one of the nation’s most exported fish, falling by about 30 percent, one exporter said.

In addition to buyers coming to the Yangon fish markets, there are also fewer fish arriving. At this time last year 160,000 viss (1 viss equals 1.6 kilograms or 3.6 pounds) entered these markets every day; that figure is now only 90,000 viss.

Since the start of the financial year in April 2008, total exports have reached about $382 million, about $30 million short on what they were at this time last year.

However, the government export target for the industry this year stands at a lofty $850 million, with only three months to the end of the year.