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The total number of days at sea reported by the EU fleet4 reached almost 5 million days in 2012. Italy reported by far the highest number of days at sea, amounting to 1.5 million days (31% of the total), followed by Spain (23%), France (10%), the UK (8%) and Portugal (8%). Together, these five MS accounted for 80% of the total registered days at sea in 2012 (Figure 3.6).

Energy consumed by the EU fleet5 in 2012 was reported at 2.36 billion litres. According to the data available, the Spanish fleet consumed the most, accounting for 29% of total fleet fuel consumption, followed by the Italian (14%) and French (13%) fleets (Figure 3.6).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.6 Effort and fuel consumption, expressed as a percentage of the EU fleet: 2012

Figure 3.7 shows the spatial distribution of fishing effort deployed by the EU fleet in 2012. While the EU fleet operates in most fishing areas worldwide, effort is concentrated in the Mediterranean Sea and coastal Atlantic waters, owing to the high number of small-scale vessels operating in these regions.

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.7 Distribution of fishing effort in 2012 by main FAO fishing area. Colour shows fishing days and size shows days at sea.

4 _{excluding Cyprus and Greece due to missing data} 5

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The map in Figure 3.8 presents fishing effort distribution in days at sea and fishing days by vessel length groups and shows that most of the fishing effort is applied in the Mediterranean Sea. This is not surprising since the Italian, Spanish and French fleets, important Mediterranean MS fleets, deploy around 64% of the total effort in sea days.

Vessels less than 12 m operate predominately in the Mediterranean Sea, while larger vessels deploy a large portion of their effort also in the North and Baltic Seas, in the Celtic Sea and in the Bay of Biscay. Vessels greater than 40 m also operate in distant waters, along the African coast, W Atlantic and Arctic Sea.

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.8 EU fishing fleet effort in Days at sea and Fishing days, 2012.

From left to right: vessels <12 m; between 12-24m; 24 to over 40 meters. Colour shows fishing days and size shows days at sea.

By fishing activity, the small-scale fleet deployed more than half of the total fishing effort of the EU fleet in days at sea (54%) but consumed less than a tenth of the fuel in 2012. Conversely, the distant-water fleet deployed 2% of the total effort but consumed 15% of the energy used by the fleet. The large-scale fleet consumed 76% of the fuel for 44% of the effort in sea days (Figure 3.9).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.9 Effort deployed and fuel consumption by fishing activity, expressed as a percentage of the EU fleet: 2012

Landings

According to DCF data, the EU fleet6 landed 4,295 thousand tonnes of seafood in 2012, corresponding to almost €6.9 billion in value (Figure 3.30).

The Spanish fleet landed the most in weight, totalling 20% of the landings covered, followed by the UK (14%), French and Danish fleets (both contributing 12%, respectively).

In terms of landed value, the Spanish fleet landed the most (28% of the total), followed by France (16%), the UK (14%), Italy (13%) and Portugal (7%) (Figure 3.10).

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EU Fleet Overview

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.10 Landings in weight and value by MS, expressed as a percentage of the EU fleet: 2012

At 610.6 thousand tonnes, herring was the most important species in terms of weight landed in 20127, followed by Atlantic mackerel at 349 thousand tonnes and then European sprat at 324 thousand tonnes. At €346 million, landings of Atlantic mackerel generated the most landed value, followed by yellowfin tuna at €337 million, Norway lobster at €328 million and then Atlantic cod at €308 million (Figure 3.11).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.11 Top ten species landed in weight (left) and in value (right) in 2012.

Note: Spanish data excluded, as Spain provided data on landings weight but not on landings value

The common sole achieved by far the highest average first-sale price in 2012 at €10.6/kg, followed by Norway lobster at €5.9/kg, swordfish at €5.4/kg and European hake at €3.3/kg (Figure 3.12).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.12 Average price of the top species landed in terms of weight and/or value in 2012.

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Figure 3.13 shows the spatial distribution of landings (representing catches) by the EU fishing fleet in 2012. The majority of landings, in weight and value, are taken in the North Sea and to a lesser extent in the Mediterranean Sea, while lower quantities and valued landings occur in the Black, Baltic and Celtic Seas.

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.13 EU fishing fleet landing in 2012 by main fishing area (ICES rectangle). Colour shows landings value and size shows weight of landings.

Figure 3.14 presents landings (representing catch) in weight and value by vessel length groups and shows that in general, vessels under 12m catch lower quantities mainly in EU coastal and island regions, with one exception being the north coast of France (Brittany) and Portugal. Higher SSF landings in value are obtained in the Mediterranean Sea and along the coasts of France and Portugal (no data available for the Greek fleet) while lower landings in weight and value occur in the Baltic and North Seas. Larger vessel landings in weight are taken mainly from the Baltic and North Sea, with the North Sea being more important in terms of landed value.

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.14 EU landings in weight and value, 2012.

From left to right: vessels <12 m; between 12-24m; 24m to over 40 meters Colour shows value of landings and size shows weight of landings.

By fishing activity, the large-scale fleet contributed 79% to landings in weight and 71% to landings value. While the small-scale fleet landed 6% of the landing in weight (excluding Greece), it produced more than 12%

EU Fleet Overview

of landed value (excluding Greece), indicating that when compared to its larger counterpart, the small-scale fleet on average obtains higher first sale value, depending on species etc.(Figure 3.15).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.15 Landings by fishing activity, expressed as a percentage of the EU fleet: 2012

According to the data submitted, the large-scale fleet contributes the most to landings, both in weight and value, for almost all MS (Figure 3.15). For example, the UK LSF landed 93% of the seafood weight in 2012, corresponding to 88% in value; for France, 70% in weight and 69% in value; for Denmark, 98% in weight and 94% in value. The only exceptions were Spain, Lithuania, Cyprus and Romania. For Spain and Lithuania, the distant water fleet landed, 51% and 71%, respectively, of the total amount of seafood in 2012, which for Lithuania corresponded to 82% of its overall value. Conversely, for Cyprus and Romania8 _{the largest part of}

landings derive from the small-scale fleet: 53% in weight and 65% in value for Cyprus, and 90% in weight and value for Romania (Figure 3.16).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.16 Landings by MS and fishing activity: 2012

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Cypriot and Romanian large-scale fleets are very small (in 2012, they comprised 30 and 4 vessels, respectively); Furthermore, these two countries do not have a distant water fleet.

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Income and Costs

The available data suggest that the amount of revenue9 generated by the EU fishing fleet (excluding Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta10) in 2012 was €6.941 billion. This amount consisted of €6.849 billion in fish sales and €92 million in non-fishing income.

With the exclusion of the same five countries, costs incurred by the EU fishing fleetin 2012 amounted to 6.5 billion11, 13.5% of which consisted of capital costs (€804 million in annual depreciation and €70 million in opportunity costs of capital) and 86.5% of operating costs12. This mainly consisted of labour costs (35.6% of total operating costs, €1.8 billion in crew wages and €223 million in unpaid labour) and fuel costs (€1.6 billion, 27.6% of total operating costs). Other costs linked to production amounted to €957 million; while other non- variable costs and repair costs amounted to €551 million and €556 million, respectively. Total costs amounted to 93.4% of revenue generated by the fleet in 2012.

The top four MS fleets in terms of revenue (Spain, France, the UK and Italy) accounted for over 70% of the revenue generated, as well as, the labour and energy costs incurred by the fleet in 2012 (Figure 3.17).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.17 Revenue and main cost items by MS, expressed as a percentage of the total: 2012

Analysed by fishing activity, the large-scale fleet generated 72% of the revenue, accounting for 73% of the labour costs and 77% of the energy costs. Conversely, the small-scale fleet generated 13% of the revenue and accounted for 18% of the labour costs and 8% of the energy costs. The distant-water fleet generated 15% of the revenue and contributed 9% to labour costs (Figure 3.18).

Data source: Member State data submissions under the DCF 2014 Fleet Economic (MARE/A3/AC(2014))

Figure 3.18 Revenue and main cost items by fishing activity, expressed as a percentage of the total: 2012

9

Direct income subsidies and income from leasing out fishing rights excluded from the economic analyses.

10

Data for Greece not reported; data for Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Malta considered unreliable.

11 _{Fishing rights costs excluded for methodological reasons.} 12

EU Fleet Overview