EU fisheries report shows stock recovery in northern waters but slow progress in the Mediterranean, continued fleet decline, rising profits and strong trade dependence
New Figures Reveal Progress In North Atlantic But Ongoing Failures Elsewhere
The European Commission has published its latest Facts and Figures on the Common Fisheries Policy, offering a statistical snapshot of the state of EU fisheries and aquaculture.
The report presents a mixed picture, with some stocks recovering steadily while others remain stalled, and with a fleet still outsized compared to available fishing opportunities.
The document, available in 23 languages, sets out trends in stock recovery, fleet capacity, employment, trade and consumption. It confirms that while the Common Fisheries Policy continues to show improvements in sustainability across the North-East Atlantic, progress in the Mediterranean and Black Seas remains far slower.
According to the report, most stocks of interest to the EU are now recovering from the historic lows seen in 2003, and fishing mortality has declined across many key species. However, the Mediterranean and Black Seas continue to lag significantly, reflecting chronic overexploitation and longstanding management weaknesses.
EU Efforts Outside Its Waters Remain Central To Supply
The report highlights the EU’s continued reliance on access to non-EU waters through Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements. Twelve such agreements were active in 2024, allowing EU vessels to fish in parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Post-Brexit arrangements with the United Kingdom, together with ongoing agreements with Norway, now make up nearly 60 per cent of all quota-regulated catches taken by the EU fleet worldwide. These “Northern Agreements” remain the backbone of EU supply, underlining how external access arrangements underpin the bloc’s fisheries model.
Fleets And Jobs Declining Despite Record-High Industry Profits
The human and economic sections of the report show a sector undergoing continued contraction, with employment falling and fleet size continuing its long-term decline.
The EU fleet comprised just over 69,000 vessels in 2021 across 22 coastal Member States. Although vessel numbers remain substantial, the Commission notes that the fleet is still disproportionate to the actual fishing opportunities available, even after years of decommissioning and capacity reductions.
Employment in the catching sector stood at nearly 124,500 in 2021, with Spain, Italy and Greece accounting for 58 per cent of all active fishers. Aquaculture employed almost 76,000 people, while fish processing supported over 130,000 jobs and wholesale and retail operations accounted for a further 210,000.
Despite fewer vessels and fewer workers, industry profitability continues to rise. Gross profit climbed to €1.19 billion by 2021, driven largely by higher stock abundance in northern waters and increasing market value in key species.
EU Catches Fall To 3.9 Per Cent Of Global Total
With total catches of 3.59 million tonnes in 2021, the EU represented only 3.9 per cent of global fisheries production. Most EU catches were taken in the North Atlantic, dominated by Atlantic herring, European sprat, blue whiting and mackerel — together making up 42 per cent of total landings.
Aquaculture output reached 1.13 million tonnes, with mussels accounting for 38 per cent of production. Industrial processing turnover totalled roughly €30 billion, reflecting the scale of downstream operations relative to the catching sector.
The report includes detailed country-by-country breakdowns of species composition, landing trends and aquaculture performance.
Trade Value Climbs Despite Falling Volumes
The EU remains the world’s second-largest trader of fishery and aquaculture products by value. While the combined volume of imports and exports has declined in recent years, total value reached nearly €40 billion in 2022.
Imports came primarily from Norway, China, Ecuador, Morocco and the United Kingdom, while exports were dominated by trade to the United States, the UK, China, Norway and Switzerland. Exports reached €8 billion in value in 2022, far below intra-EU sales, which amounted to €31.5 billion.
Consumer data show the average EU citizen eats 23.7 kilograms of fish or seafood per year, around 3 kilograms above the global average. Consumption varies widely, from 6.6 kilograms per person in Hungary to 56.5 kilograms in Portugal. Three quarters of EU consumption comes from wild-caught fish, with aquaculture supplying the rest.
Tuna, salmon and cod remain the dominant species in household markets. Consumers spent around €63 billion on fisheries products in 2022, representing roughly 6 per cent of all food expenditure across the EU.
