The 2022 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet (STECF 22-06)

In 2020, the EU fishing fleet numbered 73 716 vessels with a combined gross tonnage of 1.30 million and engine power of 5.26 million kW. Based on data submitted by Member States under the EU MAP, there were 56 111 active vessels in 2020 offering direct employment to 124 636 fishers, corresponding to 82 272 FTEs; on average earning EUR 25 654 in wages, annually. The EU fleet spent 5.3 million days-at-sea and consumed 1.9 billion litres of fuel to land 3.9 million tonnes of seafood with a reported value of EUR 5.8 billion. The Gross Value Added (GVA) and gross profit (all excl. subsidies and fishing rights) were estimated at EUR 3.3 billion and EUR 1.16 billion, respectively. GVA as a proportion of revenue was estimated at 55% and gross profit margin at almost 20%. With a total net profit of almost EUR 0.4 billion in 2020, 7.2% of the revenue was retained as profit. These results should be read in a context of reduction in fuel costs in 2020. These results indicate a deterioration compared to 2019 while nowcast estimates suggest that the performance of the EU fishing fleet will be moderately (in 2021) and heavily (in 2022) deteriorated, specially driven by the increase in fuel prices. This publication includes: 1) a structural and economic overview of the EU fishing fleet in 2020 and trend analyses for the years 2008-2020 where possible (nowcasts for 2021 and 2022); a regional analysis of the EU fishing fleet by major sea basin, as well as, fleets operating in the EU Outermost Regions and in Other Fishing Regions; 3) a detailed structural and economic overview of each Member State fishing fleet, including qualitative economic performance assessments for 2020 and nowcasts for 2021 and 2022