Local fishery prices have risen steadily in recent months, government data showed Tuesday, amid sharp increase in cost to import such goods.

Prices of fishery products soared 6.4 percent in February from a year earlier, according to the data by Statistics Korea.

The comparable figures were 6.6 percent in January and 5.1 percent in November.

The price hike is attributed partly to the climbing costs caused by declining catches abroad, a Statistics Korea official said. He cited abnormal weather conditions as affecting the size of fish caught worldwide.

Prices of imported frozen fishery goods rose 6.4 percent in February from a year earlier. The prices also surged 12.8 percent in January, 13.3 percent in December and 9.1 percent in November.

 By item, the price of chilled hairtail imports rose 18.6 percent to 15,742 won (US$14.1) per kilogram in February from the previous year while that for frozen hairtail jumped 12.5 percent to 6,208 won.

The price of frozen cuttlefish also surged 20.7 percent in February from a year earlier while the prices for frozen mackerel pike and scallops rose 34.4 percent and 83.6 percent each. (Yonhap)