Ljubljana - Slovenia's landed catch totalled over 155 tonnes last year, a 29% increase compared to 2019, making the total purchase value higher by 39% on the 2019 figure, show the Statistics Office data. This is the first recorded rise of fish catch in five years.

According to the Statistics Office, 105 tonnes of the total catch were fresh fish, 38 tonnes were molluscs and 13 tonnes were crustaceans.

Some 68% of last year's catch were fresh fish, 8% crustaceans, and 24 % molluscs. Most of the latter were the musky octopus kind. The molluscs percentage remained the same as in 2019.

The tonnage of crustaceans went up by 10,842 kg compared to 2019 as more tiger prawns, a guest species in the Adriatic sea, were caught.

The Statistics Office has estimated that last year's sea catch was worth some EUR 1.22 million (without VAT), 39% up on 2019.

Fresh rays, little flying squid, shi drums, tiger prawns and black seabreams reached the highest average selling price with at least EUR 15 per kilogram.