MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine fishing industry annual turnover: 658 million US dollars

The Argentine fishing industry had an annual turnover equivalent to 658.8 million US dollars in 2003, mainly from sales of goods produced by fishing companies, as indicates the last survey performed by the Statistics and Census National Institute, INDEC, based on 2003 data.

The study researched 360 fishing companies with fresh fish, coastal and deep-sea, factory/reefer vessels, which are listed in the listing prepared by the National Institute for Fisheries Research and Development (INIDEP).

Aimed at "defining the role, data gathering tools, and subsequently training of census enumerators appointed by the Provincial Statistical Directorates, working in the provinces that have a sea coast" the report findings indicate that the monthly gross salaries of 15,105 workers in 2003 fetched the equivalent of 671 million US dollars.

Furthermore the fishing fleet's personnel payroll totalled 153.2 million US dollars, between wages and gross salaries, 131.8 million US dollars, and 21.4 million US dollars in unions contributions.

The INDEC report also points out that the gross value of the production at basic prices (VBP) and the components for the fishing industry totaled 611.6 million US dollars.

Meanwhile, intermediate consumption, which includes the cost of raw materials and consumables used for the production of commodities and services, and leasing of facilities, among others costs, amounted to 310.4 million US dollars.

According to the report this was divided among subcontracted repair and maintenance services amounting to 31.3 million US dollars, temporal worker's agencies, billing for services totalling 7.1 million US dollars and 84 million US dollars fuel costs. (FIS/MP).-