Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF): The 2020 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet (STECF 20-06)

The 2020 Annual Economic Report (AER) on the European Union (EU) fishing fleet provides a comprehensive overview of the latest information available on the structure and economic performance of the EU Member State fishing fleets. Results indicate that the profitability of the EU fleet fell in 2018, registering a net profit of almost EUR 1 billion, down 23% from 2017. Lower catches and an increase in fuel prices partly explain this overall reduction. Thus, 2018 is a continuation of the decreasing trend observed in 2017. Nowcast estimates indicate that the performance of the fleet rebounded in 2019, while projections for 2020 show a contraction back to 2018 levels, chiefly brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2018, the EU fishing fleet numbered 81 199 vessels with a combined gross tonnage (GT) of 1.56 million tonnes and engine power of 6.2 million kilowatts; 78% of these vessels were active. EU fleet capacity has continued to decrease at a similar rate as that observed in previous years. Direct employment generated by the sector, amounted to 146 906 fishers, corresponding to 105 851 FTEs. These values follow a similar trend as the capacity indicators. Almost 29% of the employed persons were estimated as being unpaid labour. Average annual wage per FTE was estimated at EUR 24 287, a reduction compared to 2017. Remarkable, is the big dispersion along the different Member States, ranging from EUR 1 400 for Cypriot fishers to EUR 135 500 for Belgian fishers. In both cases with a value lower than in 2017.