EU fishing fleet numbers and catches continue falling, with fishing concentrated in the Northeast Atlantic and dominated by a few species. Photo: Cepesca
EU Fishing Fleet Size And Capacity Continue Decline
The European Union fishing fleet continued to contract in 2024, both in vessel numbers and overall capacity, according to the European Commission’s 2025 Key Figures on the European Food Chain.
In 2024, the EU fishing fleet consisted of 68,863 catching vessels, with a combined gross tonnage of 1.2 million tonnes and total engine power of 5.0 million kilowatts. Compared with 2014, this represents a reduction of 10,850 vessels, a fall of 13.6 percent. Over the same period, total fleet capacity declined by 14.9 percent and engine power by 12.3 percent.
The vast majority of EU fishing vessels were under 10 metres in length, reflecting the continued dominance of small-scale vessels by number, despite larger vessels accounting for a disproportionate share of catching capacity.
Measured by gross tonnage, Spain accounted for 24.8 percent of total EU fishing capacity in 2024, followed by France with 12.3 percent and Italy with 11.8 percent. Italy held the largest share of fleet engine power at 18.9 percent, narrowly ahead of France at 18.2 percent.
EU Fish Catches Down Sharply Since 2008
Total fish catches by the EU fishing fleet were estimated at 3.3 million tonnes in 2023, measured in live weight. This was 3 percent lower than in 2022 and 23 percent below the level recorded in 2008, continuing a long-term downward trend.
Fishing activity remained heavily concentrated in the Northeast Atlantic, which accounted for 73 percent of the EU’s total catch across the seven major marine fishing areas defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Around 10 percent of catches were taken in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, followed by the Western Indian Ocean at 6 percent and the Eastern Central Atlantic at 5 percent.
In the Northeast Atlantic, the main species caught in 2023 were herring, representing 18 percent of landings by live weight, blue whiting at 16 percent and sprat at 13 percent. In the Mediterranean and Black Sea, sardine and anchovy dominated catches, accounting for 19 percent and 18 percent respectively.
National Fleets And Catch Distribution
Spain recorded the largest national catch among EU member states in 2023, landing 698,000 tonnes, equivalent to 21 percent of the EU total. Denmark followed with 495,000 tonnes, representing 15 percent, while France landed 470,000 tonnes, or 14 percent.
By comparison, Iceland and Norway, which operate outside the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, recorded a combined catch of 3.6 million tonnes in 2023, exceeding the total catch of the entire EU fishing fleet by 10 percent.
The distribution of catches across fishing areas reflects both geographic proximity and fleet structure. While most EU countries focus activity close to home waters, fleets from Spain and, to a lesser extent, France and Portugal operated across a wider range of Atlantic and Indian Ocean fishing grounds.
Fisheries Management Under Continued Pressure
Fish stocks within EU waters continue to be managed collectively under the Common Fisheries Policy, with annual quotas set on the basis of scientific advice. The Commission data underlines that, despite ongoing reductions in fleet size and capacity, fishing pressure remains concentrated on a limited number of key species and areas.
The figures also highlight the structural imbalance between small-scale vessels, which dominate fleet numbers, and larger vessels, which continue to account for most fishing power and landings across the EU fishing industry.
