BUENOS AIRES, June 13 -- China was the second largest destination for Argentina's fish and seafood exports in the first quarter of 2016, according to a report released Monday.

Argentina's fish and seafood exports to China in this period were worth 77 million U.S. dollars, accounting for 16 percent of the total, the report by Argentine consulting firm Sectorial Economic Research (IES) said.

Spain was the top export destination, accounting for 112 million dollars and 23 percent of the total exports.

The United States took the third place, followed by Italy and Brazil.

In 2016, Argentina's exports of fishery products reached 482.5 million dollars, up 16.8 percent year-on-year.

The report also said the outlook for 2016 seemed uncertain due to a continued decrease in fishing catches, particularly for mollusks.

"Overfishing of squid has led to lower harvests over the years, but we still hope to stabilize the catches and increase the production in the second half of the year, due to the start of the shrimp and squid catching period." IES Director Alejandro Ovando said.