PANJIM: The Mormugao Port Trust witnessed a 27% decline in iron ore exports for the year 2011-12 as compared to the previous year, bringing down the total traffic handled at the port by 22%.

Revealing figures for the financial year 2011-12, Chairman of Mormugao Port Trust P Mara Pandiyan said that the decline was both due to internal problems like illegal mining as well as a global economic recession that all ports were facing. He however said that the operating income of the port increased by 4%.