Fishing effort
Fishing effort limits restrict the size of the fleet that sets to sea, and the amount of time it can spend fishing.
Fishing effort is calculated by multiplying the fishing capacity deployed by the period of time for which it is active. The EU uses two ways of measuring fishing capacity, one based on the size of the boat in gross tonnes, the other on the power of its engines in kilowatts. Effort limits are then set either as GT/days or KW/days.
Fishing effort limits are important in preventing overfishing, and are therefore included in all multiannual plans that aim to recover depleted stocks.
Further reading:
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Fact sheet on fishing effort
[182 KB] 
Official documents
Legislation
Council Regulation (EC) No 754/2009 of 27 July 2009 excluding certain groups of vessels from the fishing effort regime laid down in Chapter III of Regulation (EC) No 1342/2008
Reports
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Member States' efforts during 2011 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - COM/2013/85
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Member States' efforts during 2010 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - COM/2012/368 final/2 [86 KB]
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SWD(2012) 395 final [601 KB]
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SWD(2012) 396 final [191 KB]
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Member States' efforts during 2009 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities -
COM/2011/354 final
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SEC(2011) 759 final [210 KB]
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SEC(2011) 760 final [281 KB]
Annual report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Member States' efforts during 2008 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - COM/2010/0060 final
CORRIGENDUM: Annule et remplace le document COM(2008) 902 final du 12.1.2009 Concerne toutes les versions linguistiques
Annual report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Member States’ efforts during 2007 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities -
COM/2008/902 final/2
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SEC(2009) 645 [36 KB]
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SEC(2008) 3108/2 [116 KB]
Annual report from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on Member States’ efforts during 2006 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - COM/2007/0828 final
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SEC(2007) 1703 [112 KB]
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SEC(2007) 1704 [26 KB]
- More information
Annual Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on Member States’ efforts during 2005 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - COM/2006/0872 final
Annual Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on Member States’ efforts during 2004 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities - COM/2005/0691 final
Annual Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on Member States’ efforts during 2003 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities -
COM/2004/0799 final
Annual report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the results of the multiannual guidance programmes for the fishing fleets at the end of 2002 - COM/2003/0508 final
Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the intermediate results of the multi-annual guidance programmes for the fishing fleets at 30 June 2002 -
COM/2002/0483 final
Annual Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the results of the multiannual guidance programmes for the fishing fleets at the end of 2001 - COM/2002/0446 final
Annual Report from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the results of the multi-annual guidance programmes for the fishing fleets at the end of 2000 - COM/2001/0541 final
Report from the Commission to the Council - Preparation for a mid term review of the Multi-annual Guidance Programmes (MAGP) - COM/2000/0272 final
Communications
Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on improving fishing capacity and effort indicators under the common fisheries policy - COM/2007/0039 final