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Facts and Figures on the EU Fishing Fleet
European Union


Typology of the fleet

The publication of a statistical bulletin on the Community fishing fleet was launched in the early 1990s in a paper version. After being discontinued for several years, publication resumed in electronic form at the start of 2005.
This new version, available to the general public on the Internet, aims to provide information on the geographical distribution, composition and main characteristics (age, tonnage and engine power) of the fishing vessels which make up the Community fleet.
This information is taken directly from the Community fishing fleet register (1), which is updated quarterly by the Member States themselves.
This information system covers all fishing vessels, defined as vessels equipped for commercial fishing (2).
The Community fleet statistical bulletin aims to provide answers to most of the questions the general public might have on the characteristics of the fleet and its evolution, with the exception of personal data protected by rules on privacy. Specific requests are nonetheless possible when duly justified (3).

(1) Commission Regulation 26/2004
(2) Article 3 of Council Regulation 2371/2002
(3) Article 11 of Commission Regulation 26/2004

Composition of the fleet by fishing gear

Gear typology Number of vessels Tonnage (GT*) Engine power (kW)
Passive Gear 68 033 366 356 2 650 048
Towed Gear 13 731 1 252 197 3 469 660
Mobile Gear 4 124 235 584 702 315
TOTAL 85 888 1 854 137 6 822 023

* Under the EU legislation the Member States are required to record the vessel tonnage using the Gross Tonnage (GT) under the London Convention (1969) as opposed to the previously used Gross Register Tonnage (GRT) under the Oslo Convention (1946). This change in recording tonnage has taken place over a number of years throughout the 1990's and at varying rates in the different countries. Given that the GT of a vessel is generally significantly greater than the GRT, great care has to be taken in comparing the tonnages of the various fleets at different times. By the end of 2003 the recording of the tonnage by GT was largely completed.



Geographical distribution of the fleet





Evolution of the fleet's number of vessels, tonnage and engine power





Analysis of the fleet by age



No of vessels
0<5 4,051 5<10 5,172 10<15 4,866 15<20 4,855 20<25 6,494 25<30 6,213 30<35 4,845 35<40 3,345 >=45 7,399

Age

More on Fleet management:

Last update: 15/07/2009
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