Cuttlefish have been hunted lately by our amateur fishermen, to sell them to professional fishermen for 5 euros each. Live cuttlefish become a delight, as they are the ideal solution for fishermen. And this phenomenon becomes more intense during the summer, because finding live bait is quite difficult. As professional fishermen have told us, live cuttlefish is a very effective bait for those who hunt ribs, sea urchins and miners. They also added that when the cuttlefish is baited on the hook and realizes that a fish is approaching it in a threatening mood, it leaves its weapon (ink) and the fish go crazy. The amateurs are well aware of this and that is why they are waiting for the fishermen in the ports, who do not miss such an opportunity. Because with such a bait they have increased the chances for big fish, such as ribs, the prices of which reach 65 euros per kilo in restaurants.
We eat 23.3 kilos of fish
Meanwhile, according to data, which refer to the EU Fisheries Policy, 359 tons of white tuna are caught every year in the territorial waters of Cyprus, a percentage of 30.8% of the total fish caught, 170 tons of sea bream, a percentage of 14.6 %, 88 tons of marigold 7.5% and 74 tons of red mullet, percentage 6.3%. In addition, the 15 main species caught in Europe are herring (first by far), followed by mackerel, sprat, sardine, horse mackerel, yellowfin tuna, hake, cod, small pelagic fish, blueberry , sharks, European plaice, anchovy and large scallop.
Meanwhile, aquaculture is an important activity in many European regions. It accounts for more than 20% of the EU's total fish production, producing around 1.2 million tonnes and a value of € 4 billion. The EU's share of total world aquaculture production is 1.25% in terms of volume and 3.4% in terms of value. The main aquaculture producing countries in terms of volume are Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Greece and Italy. The main product of aquaculture is sea bream (71.05%).
According to the EU, fishery and aquaculture products are an important source of protein and a key element of a healthy diet. This is especially true for the average European, who consumes 24.9 kg of fish or seafood per year (6 kg more than in the rest of the world). Consumption varies considerably between EU countries, from 5.3 kg per person in Hungary to 56.8 kg in Portugal. In Cyprus the consumption reaches 23.3 kg per inhabitant per year.
