Spain’s fishing fleet emerged on top of the statistics in the EU Fisheries Report for 2022. Photo: Europeche
The European Union’s total fish catch in 2022 reached approximately 3.4 million tonnes of live weight, spanning seven marine areas under EU statistics scrutiny.
Spain’s fishing fleet emerged as a powerhouse, contributing over one-fifth of all EU catches (22% – 752,000 tonnes), followed closely by France (15% – 517,000 tonnes) and Denmark (13% – 459,000 tonnes).
The Atlantic, Northeast area dominated the catch, accounting for about 70% of the total EU haul. Small fish like herring (19% of live weight), sprat (14%), blue whiting (11%), and mackerel (10%) were the primary species caught in this region. Denmark led the pack, making up 19% of the EU’s total catch in the area, followed by France (around 17%), the Netherlands (11%), and Spain (11%).
Around one-tenth of the EU’s total catch occurred in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, focusing on sardines (22% of the EU catch in the area) and anchovies (18%). Italy led the way, contributing 36% of the EU catch, with Greece (19%), Croatia (18%), and Spain (17%) making up the lion’s share of the remainder.
In the Atlantic, Eastern Central area, comprising about 7% of the total EU catch, mackerel and yellowfin tuna were the main targets. Spain (37%), Latvia (around 16%), Lithuania (about 15%), and the Netherlands (about 12%) stood out among EU countries in this region.
Fishing in the Indian Ocean, Western area, constituted almost 7% of the total EU catch, primarily centered on tuna. Tuna, especially skipjack, yellowfin, and bigeye tuna, made up 96% of the total live weight caught by the EU fishing fleet. Spain led the way with two-thirds of the EU catch in the area (66%), while France contributed most of the remaining share (31%).
The remaining three marine areas accounted for only 6% of the EU’s total catch. Key species in these areas included hake (Atlantic, Southwest area), blue sharks and skipjack tuna (Atlantic, Southeast area), and redfish, halibut, and cod (Atlantic, Northwest area).
