L'estudi de cas: la proposta metodològica

Member State fleets operating in the North Sea & Eastern Arctic region in 2012, for which data was available numbered 5,861 vessels. This value is underreported as data (number of vessels operating in the region) was not provided for the Irish and Lithuanian fleets. The UK North Sea fleet comprised the largest fleet in number (2,905 vessels), accounting for 50% of the total reported (Figure 4.11).

Overall the North Sea fleet saw declines in capacity and effort deployed over the period 2009-2012. Landed value also increased steadily from 2010 onwards while landed weight increased between 2010 and 2011, remaining rather stable in 2012.

The latest official DCF data suggests that the EU North Sea fleet spent over 471 thousand days at sea in 2012. The weight and value of landings generated by the fleet amounted to approximately 1,094 thousand tonnes and almost €1.5 billion, respectively.

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The pie charts presented in Figure 4.11 also indicate the proportion of days at sea, landings weight and value attributable to each North Sea Member State fleet and by fishing activity in 2012. Denmark, France and UK together accounted for around 73% of the total days at sea (mostly generated by large-scale fisheries).

In terms of landed weight, Denmark (413 thousand tonnes), UK (306 thousand tonnes), The Netherlands (121 thousand tonnes) and France (112 thousand tonnes) were the leading MS fleets, together accounting for 87% of the total reported landings. The same MS fleets: UK (€436 million); Denmark (€327 million); The Netherlands (€241 million) and France (€196 million), also collectively accounted for 81% of the total value of landings in the North Sea in 2012. These figures suggest that the Danish fleet landings are composed mainly of low valued species (Figure 4.11).

According to the data reported, the North Sea fisheries are dominated by large-scale vessels; although accounting for only 41% of the number, LSF vessels deployed 61% of the effort and landed 97% of the weight and 92% of the value (Figure 4.11).

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

Figure 4.11 North Sea and Eastern Artic fleet capacity, effort and landings by MS and fishing activity: 2012. Note: number of vessels missing for Ireland, Lithuanian and Spain.

Based on the data provided, in 2012 Atlantic herring (290 thousand tonnes) was the most important species in terms of weight. Landings of sandeel, which had been the most important species in the region in 2011, fell 82% in 2012 due to significant cuts in the TAC for this quota species. Landed weight of Atlantic mackerel (149 thousand tonnes) overtook European sprat (101 thousand tonnes), becoming the third most important species in terms of weight in the North Sea. Landings of relatively low value ‘industrial’ species (sandeel, sprat, herring, Norway pout) appears to have decreased substantially, the majority being landed by the Danish fleet. In terms of demersal species, plaice (77 thousand tonnes) and cod (71 thousand tonnes) were the most prevalent in terms of weight landed (Figure 4.12).

In terms of value, Atlantic cod was the most important species in 2012 (€173 million) followed by Atlantic herring (€172 million), common sole (€141 million), common shrimp (€123 million) and Atlantic mackerel (€121 million).

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Figure 4.12 List of the top 10 species in terms of weight landed of MS fleets operating in the North Sea and Eastern Artic region, 2012

Socio-Economic performance

Table 4.11 to Table 4.13 contain a summary of economic performance of the North Sea & Eastern Arctic fleet by Member State, fishing activity and fleet segment, respectively.

Performance by Member State

The revenue (income from landings and other income) generated by the North Sea fleet in 2012 was an estimated €1.6 billion, 86% of which was split between five Member States ‐ UK (€451 million), Demark (€333 million), The Netherlands (€244 million), France (€201 million) and Germany (€106 million). Revenue decreased 2% compared to 2011, largely driven by decreased revenue in the UK fleet (-11%). Conversely, the Portuguese fleet saw its revenue almost double in 2012 while the German fleet saw a 35% increase (Table 4.11). Data on the Spanish fleet is not included due to insufficient data provided. However, according to the data available, the Spanish fleet contribution to the region is insignificant with landings equating to only 230 tonnes and €1.1 thousand reported in 2012.

GVA produced by the North Sea fleet in 2012 was estimated at €774 million. After accounting for operating costs, the fleet made €385 million in gross profit and when deducting for capital costs, the fleet was profitable, generating €161 million in net profits (Table 4.11).

Danish fishers were the most productive in 2012, with a labour productivity (GVA per FTE) estimated at around €184 thousand per FTE, followed by the German (€101 thousand per FTE) and then Dutch (€76 thousand per FTE) fishers. Results suggest that the UK fishers were the least productive, generating €47 thousand per FTE (Table 4.11).

Performance by fishing activity1

By fishing activity, the North Sea small-scale fleet generated €122 million in revenue, a 5% increase on 2011 results, while the large-scale fleet generated €1.5 billion in revenue, a 0.3% increase compared to 2011. There were six MS small-scale fleets operating in the North Sea region. The UK small-scale fleet, consisting of 2,075 vessels and employing 1,012 FTEs (indicating high part-time activity), generated the highest revenue (€58 million) in the SSF segment. Additionally, the UK North Sea large-scale fleet, consisting of 830 vessels, generated the highest revenue (€393 million) in the LSF segment, followed by the Danish (€319 million) and Dutch (€40 million) large-scale fleets (Table 4.12).

Although the German small-scale fleet generated gross losses in 2012, overall the SSF segment was profitable in 2012; generating €16 million in gross profit (a 12% decrease compared to 2011). All North Sea MS large- scale fleets generated gross profits in 2012 (Table 4.12).

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Table 4.13 provides results for the top 35 MS fleet segments in terms of landed value operating in the North Sea in 2012. These 35 MS fleet segments represented 60% of the effort (284 thousand days at sea), 84% of the landed weight (915 thousand tonnes) and 83% of the landed value generated by the regional fleet in 2012. At fleet segment level, the Danish pelagic trawl over 40m segment operating in the North Sea region generated the most revenue in 2012 (€121 million), followed by the UK purse seiners over 40m (€105 million) and the Dutch beam trawlers over 40m (€101 million) (Table 4.13).

The most important fleets in terms of GVA were again the Danish pelagic trawlers and UK purse seiners over 40m followed by the Portuguese demersal trawler/seiners over 40m.

4.5.

Other Fishing Regions (OFR) – EU Distant-water fleet

Although the main fishing grounds for the EU fishing fleet are the Baltic Sea, North Sea, North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, parts of the EU fleet operate much further afield. This analysis is concentrated on all the other fishing regions where the EU fleets are present and operational. These regions, collectively termed “other regions” (or OFR) encompass all fishing areas outside the North Atlantic (FAO AREA 21 & 27) and Mediterranean & Black Sea (FAO AREA 37), including EU-waters in outermost regions and non-EU waters (international waters/high seas and EEZs of non-EU countries).

While the majority of the production in ‘Other Regions’ is the result of Member States high seas fleets (usually over 40m), EU Member States also have a substantial fleet, consisting mainly of small to large-scale coastal vessels, operating in EU outermost regions.

EU outermost Region fleet - There are seven "EU outermost regions": Guadeloupe, French Guyana, Martinique, Réunion, Saint Martin and Saint-Barthélemy (the French overseas departments), the Canaries (autonomous community belonging to Spain), and the Azores and Madeira (autonomous regions of Portugal). Their respective geographical locations (Atlantic, Caribbean and Indian Ocean) enable the EU to have the world's largest maritime territory with an exclusive economic zone covering 25 million km². The Portuguese Azores region is not included in Other Fishing Regions as it is located in the North Atlantic (AREA 27).

EU high seas or distant-water fleet - The EU distant-water fleet operates in international waters (high seas) and through bilateral agreements with countries outside the EU. These include fishing areas in the South and Central Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Antarctic (or Southern) Oceans.

The EU has 2 types of fishing agreements with non-EU countries: (1) fisheries partnership agreements (FPA) – the EU gives financial and technical support in exchange for fishing rights, generally with southern partner countries and (2) the "northern agreements" – these are excluded from the Other Fishing Regions analysis and instead included, by definition, in either the North Atlantic or the North Sea & Eastern Arctic Regions.

According to the definition applied in the AER, the EU distant-water fleet is defined as vessels over 24 m predominately operating in Other Fishing Regions.

Due to the limited data provided for many EU fleet segment operating in Other Fishing Regions, this analysis is complemented with FAO statistics.

Fisheries management

Outermost regions/national regional fisheries regulations – Apart from TACs for all main species/stocks, EU regulations comprise specific fishery technical regulatory measures, such as mesh sizes, minimum landing sizes, by-catch limitations as well as periods and areas closed for fishing. Coastal and offshore fisheries are mainly regulated by each MS country through their national legislation (France, Spain and Portugal).

Fisheries Partner Agreements (FPAs) with 3rd countries – these are fisheries agreements with non-EU

countries, negotiated and concluded by the Commission on behalf of the EU. They are intended to allow EU vessels to fish for surplus stocks in other country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), in a legally regulated

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environment. In return, the EU pays the partner countries a financial contribution composed of 2 distinct parts: access rights to the EEZ and "sectoral" financial support.

There are currently 16 FPA in force, which can be divided into two main forms:

1 - Tuna agreements – 11 bilateral tuna agreements that allow EU vessels to pursue migrating tuna stocks as they move along the shores of Africa and through the Indian and Pacific Oceans;

2 - Mixed agreements – 5 bilateral agreements that provide access to a wide range of fish stocks in the partner country's exclusive economic zone.

More information on these fisheries agreements can be found in Annex Table X.

Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RMFOs) - Fishing in international waters outside the EEZ is regulated by RFMOs and their member countries. These members include bordering states as well as countries that are heavily involved in fishing in a given marine region. EU Member States are represented in numerous RFMOs through the European Commission. Annual negotiations are held to determine which countries are allowed to catch how much of a species. Almost all commercially relevant fish species are covered by the RFMOs.There are specific RFMOs for the management of certain fish species, for example, tuna, salmon and pollock.

RFMOs that manage fish stocks by region include: North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO); South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO); South Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA); South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO); Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), etc.

RFMOs that manage highly migratory fish species, mainly tuna include: International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT); Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC); Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC); Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC); Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), etc.