Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) - the 2025 annual economic report on the EU fishing fleet (STECF 25-03 & 25-07)

Commission Decision of 25 February 2016 setting up a Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, C(2016) 1084, OJ C 74, 26.2.2016, p. 4–10. The Commission may consult the group on any matter relating to marine and fisheries biology, fishing gear technology, fisheries economics, fisheries governance, ecosystem effects of fisheries, aquaculture or similar disciplines. In 2023, the EU fishing fleet numbered 70,280 vessels. Based on data submitted by EU Member States under the EU multiannual programme (EU MAP) for data collection, there were 53,260 active vessels with a combined gross tonnage of 1.15 million and engine power of 4.36 million kW. Of the active vessels, 77% were SSCF vessels, 5.8% L12AG, 16.5% LSF and less than 0.5% DWF. In 2023 they offered direct employment to 119,479 fishers, corresponding to 73,974 FTEs; on average labour costs of EUR 29 447 per FTE, annually. The EU fleet spent 5.2 million days-at-sea and consumed 1.56 billion litres of fuel to land 3.39 million tonnes of seafood with a reported value of EUR 6.1 billion. The Gross Value Added (GVA) and gross profit (all excl. subsidies and fishing rights) were estimated at EUR 3.2 billion and EUR 1.0 billion, respectively. GVA as a proportion of revenue was estimated at 49.5% and gross profit margin at almost 15.8%. With a total net profit of EUR 59 million in 2023, net profit margin was set at 0.91%. These results should be read in a context of high inflation rates compared to the whole time series (2013-2023). Overall economic performance indicators display a deterioration compared to 2022 while nowcast estimates suggest that the economic performance of the EU fishing fleet has improved in 2024 and in 2025, specially driven by the decrease in fuel prices and lower inflation rates. This publication includes: 1) a structural and economic overview of the EU fishing fleet in 2023, trend analyses for the years 2013-2023, and where possible nowcasts for 2024 and 2025; 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’s fishing fleet, including qualitative economic performance assessments for 2023 and nowcasts for 2024 and 2025.