Libya’s imports of fish from Brazil rose by 550% in 2022 compared to 2021. This is according to a study by the Fishing and Aquaculture unit of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), with the Brazilian Fish Farming Association (Peixe BR). It added that the North African nation ranked fourth for Brazilian fish shipments.
According to the study, frozen fillets are the main product purchased by Libya.
The survey pointed out Brazil earned $23.8 million dollars from fish exports in 2022, with a 15% growth over 2021. It was the best performance ever recorded for the sector. Tilapia had the most significant share of sales, with 98% of total exports, at $23.2 million dollars, up 28%.
The United States remains the leading destination for Brazilian fish, accounting for 81% of purchases. The next biggest market was Canada, with 5%, followed by Taiwan, Libya, and Mexico. Sales to Libya grew significantly despite no exports in the fourth quarter.
In 2022, the Libyan Minister of Economy and Trade, Mohamed Al-Hwaij stressed his commitment to his decision to ban the export of fish.
Last year, Libya decided to impose a total ban on all types of fish, effective immediately. It also announced a plan to create a three-month strategic stock of basic foods.
The announcements came following a meeting headed by Al-Hwaij, to discuss regulating the local market, the flow of goods, and controlling their prices.
On his part, the Head of the National Committee for Sustainable Development in the Libyan Parliament, Rabia Aburas stressed the “need to find alternative economic resources for oil and gas. It is vital this occurs soon due to the successive crises that this sector is going through.”
Aburas added that the “fluctuation in the volume of production negatively affects the effective contribution of oil, to cover the country’s liquidity needs.”
The MP confirmed that “alternatives exist in Libya, most notably marine resources, given Libya’s long Mediterranean coastline. She said that this “opens promising opportunities in the field of tourism, fishing, food industry, and maritime transport.”
