Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, Statistical Office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
E1: Agriculture and fisheries
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
5 rue Alphonse Weicker
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
2 July 2024
2.2. Metadata last posted
2 July 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
2 July 2024
3.1. Data description
Landings of fishery products in the ports of European Economic Area (EEA) member countries (quantity and value).
3.2. Classification system
The 3-alpha species identifier is a unique three letter code (according to the FAO ASFIS List of Species for Fishery Statistics Purposes) that is widely used for the exchange of data with national correspondents and among fishery agencies. More information on other code lists used for landings statistics can be found in the Catches and Landings handbook.
The concepts and definitions used in the submission of these landing statistics are those developed by the Eurostat Working Group "Fishery Statistics".
Species are identified by its English and scientific name and a 3-alpha code. The 3-alpha identifier is a unique code made of three letters that is widely used for the exchange of data with national correspondents and among fishery agencies. The full list of these codes together with the English, French, Spanish and Scientific names may be found in the ASFIS file on the FAO website. The species are aggregated into species groups following the ISSCAAP classification ('International Standard Statistical Classification for Aquatic Animals and Plants') which divides commercial species into 50 groups on the basis of their taxonomic, ecological and economic characteristics. The ISSCAAP groups range from 1 Freshwater fishes to 9 Aquatic plants with further subdivision from 11 Carps, barbels and other cyprinids to 94 Miscellaneous aquatic plants. At Eurostat, these species groups are identified by the codes F10 to F94, and have been complemented by F00 (total of all species), F01, F08, F04, F07 and F02 (see Annex).
Presentation and preservation state. For each of the species the national authorities are requested to submit information on each of the forms in which the species is presented on the market. The presentation codes are listed in Annex III of the Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The presentation codes are a combination of preservation state and presentation of the fish as it is landed.
Presentation:
Fillets refers to strips of flesh cut parallel to the backbone of the fish and consisting of the right or left side of the fish, provided that the head, viscera, fins (dorsal, anal, caudal, ventral, pectoral) and bones (vertebrae or large backbone, ventral or costal, bronchial or stirrup bones, etc.) have been removed and the two sides are not connected, for example by the back or stomach.
Whole fish refers to ungutted fish.
Cleaned refers to squid where the arms, head and internal organs have been removed from the body.
Frozen fish are fish that have been subjected to freezing in a manner to preserve the inherent quality of the fish by reducing the average temperature to -18ºC or lower and which are then kept at a temperature of -18º or lower.
Fresh fish are fish that have not been preserved, cured, frozen or otherwise treated other than chilled. They are generally presented whole or gutted.
Salted fish are fish often in gutted or headed form that are preserved in salt or brine.
Eggs also called roe.
Claws of crabs and lobsters and other similar species.
Dried fish is fish where the water content was removed by evaporation (by air drying, sun drying or wind drying).
Unknown when the state is not known.
Destination. The landings are divided into 2 mandatory groups - those destined for human consumption and those destined for industrial uses (for example, animal feed and reduction to meal and oil).
Human consumption is defined to include all products which are sold at first sale for human consumption, or which are landed under contract or other agreement for human consumption. Excluded are quantities intended for human consumption but which, at the time of first sale, s are withdrawn from the market for human consumption owing to market conditions or hygiene regulations or for similar reasons.
Industrial uses is defined to include all fishery products specifically landed for reduction to meal and oil or for consumption by animals, plus and quantities which, although originally intended for human consumption, are not sold for this that purpose at first sale.
In addition, Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 defines the following uses of fishery products which submissions is voluntary:
Withdrawn from the market: the quantities which originally were intended for human consumption but which, at the time of first sale, are withdrawn from the market owing to market conditions or hygiene regulations or for similar reasons.
Bait: quantities of fresh fish which are intended to be used as bait in other fishing activities. An example is the bait used in tuna pole and line fisheries.
Animal feed: the quantities of fresh fish intended to be fed direct to animals. Excluded are quantities intended for processing to fish meal and oil.
Waste: fish or parts thereof which due to their state are to be destroyed prior to landing.
Intended use unknown: quantities of fish which cannot be assigned to any of the above categories.
Units of measure
Quantity: the quantity landed is recorded in tonnes of fishery products landed (Tonnes Product Weight) rounded to one decimal place.
Unit value: the value at first sale of the fishery products landed (in national currency) divided by the quantity landed (in tonnes), or for fishery products not immediately sold, the average price per tonne in national currency, estimated using an appropriate method. Eurostat converts value expressed in national currencies into euros per tonne by using bilateral annual average exchange rates of those currencies against the euro. In Eurostat public database unit values are expressed in euro per tonne only.
3.5. Statistical unit
The basic statistical units are the individual fishing vessels.
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following fishery products shall be deemed to be landed on the territory of the reporting Member State:
- products landed by fishing vessels or other parts of the fishing fleet in national ports within the Community;
- products landed by fishing vessels of the reporting Member State in non-Community ports and covered by the T2M form contained in Annex 43 to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code
The data are required to include products discharged within the territory of the reporting country and covered by document T2M referred to in Council Regulation (EEC) no 137/79. Also included are products transshipped to vessels of third countries from Community and EEA fishing vessels and other components of the Community and EEA fishing fleet which are discharged within the territory of that Member State.
Community vessels are vessels flying the flag or, or registered in, a Community Member State.
EEA vessels are vessels flying the flag of, or registered in, a member country of EEA. In fisheries context this means Iceland and Norway.
Third country vessels are vessels flying the flag of, or registered in, a country other than the member countries of the EU or of EEA.
3.7. Reference area
EU Member States and EEA countries (European Economic Area). The database includes data from the EU-Member States and Iceland and Norway.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Data are available from 1992 onwards.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Tonnes, Euro and Euro/Tonne.
Calendar year.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The submission of these landing statistics is covered by the following legislation:
Regulation (EC) no 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006, on the submission of statistical data on landings of fishery products in Member States and repealing Council Regulation (EEC) 1382/91 (data from 2007 onward)
These regulations are EEA relevant: that is, they apply to EU Member States and EEA countries.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Not available.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
In case the national data contains confidential records they are not published but only a c-flag (confidential) is shown in the database. Aggregates including these records are also masked with the “c” flag (including the EU-aggregate).
8.1. Release calendar
The deadline for the national data submission to Eurostat is 30 June year (N + 1) where N is the reference year.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not available.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
The data are annual.
Eurostat launches quality reports updates every three years as required by the Regulation EC (No) 1921/2006,
Fisheries statistics Handbook, rev. 2019 (see Annex 1) gives a summary of the methodologies used for landings statistics.
10.7. Quality management - documentation
The quality reports are required only for the landing statistics. Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 indicates that:
1. By 19 January 2008 each Member State shall submit a detailed methodological report to the Commission describing how the data have been collected and the statistics compiled. That report shall include details of any sampling techniques and an evaluation of the quality of the resulting estimates.
2. The Commission shall examine the reports and present its conclusions to the relevant working group of the Standing Committee for Agricultural Statistics (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Committee’) established by Article 1 of Council Decision 72/279/EEC.
3. The Member States shall inform the Commission of any change in the information provided for under paragraph 1 within three months of the introduction of such change. They shall also forward to the Commission details of any substantial changes in the collection methods used.
11.1. Quality assurance
At the national level, quality checks are performed before submitting data to Eurostat. These are described in the national quality reports.
At Eurostat, the following data checks are performed before publishing any data:
Existence of codes (against dictionaries);
Duplicate records;
Missing data;
Comparability of data with previous years (outlier detection);
Comparability of data with reported catches;
Species being reported for the first time by a country;
Sensible combinations of species, environment and production method.
Any doubts are clarified with the national data provider. If necessary, data revisions are carried out anytime during the year.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Eurostat monitors regularly the quality of landings statistics. In general the data are of good quality.
Eurostat launches regular quality reporting updates every three years as it is required to submit an assessment report to the European Parliament and the Council on the statistical data compiled pursuant to Regulation EC (No) 1921/2006 and in particular on their relevance and quality.
The first report was due by 19 January 2010 and every three years thereafter,
The data are used for monitoring the fisheries products markets and for policy (Common Fisheries Policy) monitoring and assessments.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No user satisfaction survey carried out.
12.3. Completeness
Most of the requested data are available, but there are some missing data in the older time series.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The reliability of landings statistics is good. Most data are extracted from log-books, landings declarations and sales notes.
13.2. Sampling error
Only 4 countries use sample surveys for the provision of landings statistics (CY, EL, IT and MT). Please refer to the EU-level and national quality reports for more details on sampling error.
All other countries use administrative data and/or a census as data source(s).
13.3. Non-sampling error
The non-sampling error analysis is done for a set of parameters:
Coverage error (for census, sample surveys and administrative data);
Measurement error (for census and sample surveys);
Non-response error (for census and sample surveys);
Processing error (for census and sample surveys);
Model assumption error (for census and sample surveys).
14.1. Timeliness
6 months after the end of the reference period.
14.2. Punctuality
The punctuality of the data transmissions is assessed by Eurostat on the basis of received transmissions in EDAMIS.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Although the quality of the data varies from country to country (being in many cases a function of the general characteristics of the national fishing industry), there is a high degree of comparability between countries, due to the fact that the concepts and definitions used in the compilation of catch statistics are those laid down by the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP) being in force since the late 1950's and being applied uniformly worldwide by the CWP and by the national authorities reporting to its member organizations.
15.2. Comparability - over time
A high degree of comparability over time is also ensured by the worldwide adoption of the CWP concepts and definitions.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Landings of fishery products statistics are established in close collaboration with international fishery agencies, along with which quality and coherence of the data are managed.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not available.
The European Statistical System (ESS) carried out a cost analysis of European statistical products. Cost estimates for fishery landings statistics were received from 19 Member States. The total direct and indirect costs for all countries providing the figures was roughly EUR 3.0 million annually. The median cost per country was EUR 18 500, meaning that the share of the data collection costs in the total economic value of the landings was around 0.06%.
The vast majority of countries cover also national needs as well as reports requested by Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).
All reported errors (once validated) result in corrections of the disseminated data.
Reported errors are corrected in the disseminated data as soon as the correct data have been validated.
Data may be published even if they are missing or flagged as provisional or of low reliability for certain countries. They are replaced with final data once transmitted and validated.
Whenever new data are provided and validated, the already disseminated data are updated.
18.1. Source data
The statistical data on landings of fishery products are based on an array of data sources. The quality report provides the following set of sources as possible options:
Administrative data;
Census;
Sample surveys;
Expert(s) estimate(s);
Other data sources.
The countries reported in total 43 different sources. Majority of countries collect the data using administrative data. In total, 11 countries are using it as the only source, 4 or in the combination with census, 3 in the combination with census and sample survey, 2 in the combination with sample surveys, 1 in combination with consultation with experts and 1 in combination with other sources. Only 1 country is using census as the only way of data collection.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Annual.
18.3. Data collection
Under the EU legislation the national authorities are required to collect landings data from all EEA vessels landing fishery products in their ports. The recording of data of vessels from third countries is facultative. The national authorities are not required to submit data on landings of their vessels in foreign ports.
All fisheries data sent by the EU27 and EEA countries are sent through EDAMIS as a Single Entry Point of data to Eurostat. Upon the reception of new data, the domain manager and the Fishery statistics section's common mailbox, ESTAT FISHERIES INBOX (ESTAT-Fisheries@ec.europa.eu), are automatically notified by EDAMIS. The XML files are transferred from the EDAMIS server to a dedicated folder on the production server ("fish-staging").
Compliance: Countries, which have not provided data one week before the end of the deadline, are notified with a reminder sent by the EDAMIS collection system automatically and then each week. Eurostat domain managers contact the data provider three weeks later. In case of non-response, Eurostat contacts the data provider again before sending the formal reminder letter, which is the last step before starting an infringement procedure.
18.4. Data validation
It should be noted that the reliability of the data is highly dependent on the quality of the submissions by the national authorities.
18.5. Data compilation
EU and EEA aggregates are compiled by summation of the data for the individual countries.
Landings of fishery products in the ports of European Economic Area (EEA) member countries (quantity and value).
2 July 2024
The concepts and definitions used in the submission of these landing statistics are those developed by the Eurostat Working Group "Fishery Statistics".
Species are identified by its English and scientific name and a 3-alpha code. The 3-alpha identifier is a unique code made of three letters that is widely used for the exchange of data with national correspondents and among fishery agencies. The full list of these codes together with the English, French, Spanish and Scientific names may be found in the ASFIS file on the FAO website. The species are aggregated into species groups following the ISSCAAP classification ('International Standard Statistical Classification for Aquatic Animals and Plants') which divides commercial species into 50 groups on the basis of their taxonomic, ecological and economic characteristics. The ISSCAAP groups range from 1 Freshwater fishes to 9 Aquatic plants with further subdivision from 11 Carps, barbels and other cyprinids to 94 Miscellaneous aquatic plants. At Eurostat, these species groups are identified by the codes F10 to F94, and have been complemented by F00 (total of all species), F01, F08, F04, F07 and F02 (see Annex).
Presentation and preservation state. For each of the species the national authorities are requested to submit information on each of the forms in which the species is presented on the market. The presentation codes are listed in Annex III of the Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The presentation codes are a combination of preservation state and presentation of the fish as it is landed.
Presentation:
Fillets refers to strips of flesh cut parallel to the backbone of the fish and consisting of the right or left side of the fish, provided that the head, viscera, fins (dorsal, anal, caudal, ventral, pectoral) and bones (vertebrae or large backbone, ventral or costal, bronchial or stirrup bones, etc.) have been removed and the two sides are not connected, for example by the back or stomach.
Whole fish refers to ungutted fish.
Cleaned refers to squid where the arms, head and internal organs have been removed from the body.
Frozen fish are fish that have been subjected to freezing in a manner to preserve the inherent quality of the fish by reducing the average temperature to -18ºC or lower and which are then kept at a temperature of -18º or lower.
Fresh fish are fish that have not been preserved, cured, frozen or otherwise treated other than chilled. They are generally presented whole or gutted.
Salted fish are fish often in gutted or headed form that are preserved in salt or brine.
Eggs also called roe.
Claws of crabs and lobsters and other similar species.
Dried fish is fish where the water content was removed by evaporation (by air drying, sun drying or wind drying).
Unknown when the state is not known.
Destination. The landings are divided into 2 mandatory groups - those destined for human consumption and those destined for industrial uses (for example, animal feed and reduction to meal and oil).
Human consumption is defined to include all products which are sold at first sale for human consumption, or which are landed under contract or other agreement for human consumption. Excluded are quantities intended for human consumption but which, at the time of first sale, s are withdrawn from the market for human consumption owing to market conditions or hygiene regulations or for similar reasons.
Industrial uses is defined to include all fishery products specifically landed for reduction to meal and oil or for consumption by animals, plus and quantities which, although originally intended for human consumption, are not sold for this that purpose at first sale.
In addition, Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 defines the following uses of fishery products which submissions is voluntary:
Withdrawn from the market: the quantities which originally were intended for human consumption but which, at the time of first sale, are withdrawn from the market owing to market conditions or hygiene regulations or for similar reasons.
Bait: quantities of fresh fish which are intended to be used as bait in other fishing activities. An example is the bait used in tuna pole and line fisheries.
Animal feed: the quantities of fresh fish intended to be fed direct to animals. Excluded are quantities intended for processing to fish meal and oil.
Waste: fish or parts thereof which due to their state are to be destroyed prior to landing.
Intended use unknown: quantities of fish which cannot be assigned to any of the above categories.
Units of measure
Quantity: the quantity landed is recorded in tonnes of fishery products landed (Tonnes Product Weight) rounded to one decimal place.
Unit value: the value at first sale of the fishery products landed (in national currency) divided by the quantity landed (in tonnes), or for fishery products not immediately sold, the average price per tonne in national currency, estimated using an appropriate method. Eurostat converts value expressed in national currencies into euros per tonne by using bilateral annual average exchange rates of those currencies against the euro. In Eurostat public database unit values are expressed in euro per tonne only.
The basic statistical units are the individual fishing vessels.
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following fishery products shall be deemed to be landed on the territory of the reporting Member State:
- products landed by fishing vessels or other parts of the fishing fleet in national ports within the Community;
- products landed by fishing vessels of the reporting Member State in non-Community ports and covered by the T2M form contained in Annex 43 to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2454/93 of 2 July 1993 laying down provisions for the implementation of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2913/92 establishing the Community Customs Code
The data are required to include products discharged within the territory of the reporting country and covered by document T2M referred to in Council Regulation (EEC) no 137/79. Also included are products transshipped to vessels of third countries from Community and EEA fishing vessels and other components of the Community and EEA fishing fleet which are discharged within the territory of that Member State.
Community vessels are vessels flying the flag or, or registered in, a Community Member State.
EEA vessels are vessels flying the flag of, or registered in, a member country of EEA. In fisheries context this means Iceland and Norway.
Third country vessels are vessels flying the flag of, or registered in, a country other than the member countries of the EU or of EEA.
EU Member States and EEA countries (European Economic Area). The database includes data from the EU-Member States and Iceland and Norway.
Calendar year.
The reliability of landings statistics is good. Most data are extracted from log-books, landings declarations and sales notes.
Tonnes, Euro and Euro/Tonne.
EU and EEA aggregates are compiled by summation of the data for the individual countries.
The statistical data on landings of fishery products are based on an array of data sources. The quality report provides the following set of sources as possible options:
Administrative data;
Census;
Sample surveys;
Expert(s) estimate(s);
Other data sources.
The countries reported in total 43 different sources. Majority of countries collect the data using administrative data. In total, 11 countries are using it as the only source, 4 or in the combination with census, 3 in the combination with census and sample survey, 2 in the combination with sample surveys, 1 in combination with consultation with experts and 1 in combination with other sources. Only 1 country is using census as the only way of data collection.
The data are annual.
Eurostat launches quality reports updates every three years as required by the Regulation EC (No) 1921/2006,
6 months after the end of the reference period.
Although the quality of the data varies from country to country (being in many cases a function of the general characteristics of the national fishing industry), there is a high degree of comparability between countries, due to the fact that the concepts and definitions used in the compilation of catch statistics are those laid down by the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics (CWP) being in force since the late 1950's and being applied uniformly worldwide by the CWP and by the national authorities reporting to its member organizations.
A high degree of comparability over time is also ensured by the worldwide adoption of the CWP concepts and definitions.
