REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on the submission of statistical data on landings of fishery products in Member States
Date: 2010-11-18
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, EU statistics, fishery product, quantity of fish landed, statistics

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 18.11.2010 
COM(2010) 675 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament 
and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on the submission of statistical data on landings 
of fishery products in Member States  

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

on the implementation of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament 
and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on the submission of statistical data on landings 
of fishery products in Member States 

1. 

INTRODUCTION (SCOPE, BACKGROUND, NATIONAL LEGISLATION) 

Under the terms of Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006 of the European Parliament 
and  of  the  Council  on  the  submission  of  statistical  data  on  landings  of  fishery  products  in 
Member States1 (hereinafter referred to as ‘ Landings Regulation) , ‘The Commission shall, by 
19  January  2010  and  every  three  years  thereafter,  submit  an  assessment  report  to  the 
European  Parliament  and  the  Council  on  the  statistical  data  compiled  pursuant  to  this 
Regulation and in particular on their relevance and quality. The report shall also analyse the 
cost-effectiveness of the system used for the collection and processing of statistical data and 
shall put forward best practices for reducing the workload for Member States and enhancing 
the usefulness and quality of the statistical data.’ This report documents the progress made by 
Member States, candidate countries and EFTA countries, together with the Commission, with 
respect to the provisions this Regulation. 

The Landings Regulation requires submission of annual data on the weight and average price 
of  fisheries  products  landed  into  Member  States  by  European  and  EFTA  vessels.  It  is  an 
improvement over the previous instrument in several respects. It requires additional detail on 
products and their intended uses, and details of vessel nationality. The Landings Regulation 
also reduces the reporting burden on Member States as data are required annually instead of 
monthly, and only details of landings of vessels from the EU and EFTA are now required. 

Fishing industries in Member States across the European Union are very diverse in terms of 
the  areas  fished,  the  species  caught  and  the  composition  of  fishing  fleets  (including  size  of 
vessels  and  fishing  methods).  Methodologies  employed  for  data  collection  reflect  this 
diversity in the industry, so comparing situations in different Member States is challenging. 

Most of the data required for landings reports under Regulation (EC) 1921/2006 are collected 
primarily  under  fisheries  control  legislation  and  in  particular  Council  Regulation  (EEC) 
2847/932 (‘Control Regulation’). This provides for submission of fishing log books, landing 
declarations and sales notes, and takeover declarations for quota monitoring and enforcement 
purposes. Problems with reliability and completeness of data were highlighted in a report by 
the European Court of Auditors in 20073. In response, a new Control Regulation was adopted 
by  the  Council  on  20  November  20094.  This  has  greater  provision  for  skippers  to  submit 

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OJ L 403, 30.12.2006, p. 1. 
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system applicable to 
the common fisheries policy. OJ L 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1. 
Special  Report  7/2007  on  the  control,  inspection  and  sanction  systems  relating  to  the  rules  on 
conservation of Community fisheries resources. 
Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1224/2009  of  20 November  2009  establishing  a  Community  control 
system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations 

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electronic  data,  for  automated  cross-checking  by  Member  States,  and  tighter  rules  on 
marketing fish. Many of the Regulations' new provisions will take time to implement, though 
many Member States already report changes to their systems in line with what is required. 

2. 

COVERAGE AND CONTENT 

2.1. 

Data collection 

The  diversity  of  geographies  of  Member  States  and  the  structures  of  their  industries  has  a 
strong influence on how data is collected. For example, Ireland and the United Kingdom, both 
with relatively long coastlines and many potential ports of landing, rely on decentralised data 
collection through their respective fisheries inspectorates. Data is entered at port offices and 
uploaded to the central database. In contrast, data collection is more centralised in Denmark. 
Some Member States, including the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, also report initial 
collection and collating by regional and devolved administrations. 

Those  authorised  to  market  fish  are  required5  to  submit  a  sales  note  to  the  competent 
authorities  in  whose  territory  the  first  marketing  takes  place.  Many  Member  States 
specifically  reported  on  controls  on  first  sales  that  they  had  introduced.  These  included 
Denmark  and  also  the  United  Kingdom,  which  have  had  a  system  to  register  authorised 
buyers  and  sellers  and  to  designate  authorised  markets  since  2005.  For  non-quota  species, 
price information is supplied by wholesalers and 50 percent of non-quota landings are covered 
in this way. Some Member States, for example Belgium, allow some sales of fish direct to the 
public in controlled circumstances and others report applying a weight threshold, for example 
for  sales  under  50  kg.  In  the  case  of  Belgium  details  of  such  sales  are  still  recorded  by  the 
Oostende auction. In other cases the sales are estimated. 

Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  1966/20066  further  requires  Member  States  to  register  those 
responsible for the first sale of fishery products and those with an annual turnover above EUR 
400 000 (EUR 200 000 under the new Control Regulation) to transmit electronic sales notes 
and  take-over  declarations  to  the  national  authorities.  This  Regulation  also  requires  the 
establishment  of  an  electronic  hub  for  sales  notes.  Where  established,  electronic  data 
submission  improves  speed  of  data  collection  and  accuracy  of  reporting.  Member  States 
report  different  degrees  of  coverage  of  landings  through  electronic  channels.  For  example, 
most  landings  are  reported  electronically  in  Denmark,  and  electronic  coverage  of  some 
species is almost total.  

2.2. 

Data sources 

Logbooks, sales notes and landing declarations are the most important administrative sources 
of catch and landings data. The skippers of vessels of over 10 m overall length are required by 
Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 to keep a logbook of their operations (except when absent from 
port for less than 24 hours). Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 also requires skippers to submit a 

(EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) 
No 2166/2005,  (EC)  No 388/2006,  (EC)  No 509/2007,  (EC)  No 676/2007,  (EC)  No 1098/2007,  (EC) 
No 1300/2008,  (EC)  No 1342/2008  and  repealing  Regulations  (EEC)  No 2847/93,  (EC)  No 1627/94 
and (EC) No 1966/2006. OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1. 
Article 9 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93. 
Council Regulation (EC) No 1966/2006 of 21 December 2006 on electronic recording and reporting of 
fishing activities and on means of remote sensing. OJ L 409, 30.12.2006, p. 1. 

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landing declaration to the appropriate authorities within 48 hours of landing. Logbooks are of 
a standard EU format, adapted in some cases (for example Finland) to suit the nature of the 
industry. Logbooks provide a means of recording data during operations and require only an 
estimate  of  the  live  weight  of  the  catch.  They  are  most  useful  for  apportioning  catches  to 
fishing areas, for calculation of fishing effort and for cross-checking.  

More  accurate  information  is  supplied  through  landing  declarations,  which  are  made  at  the 
end  of  each  trip  and  record  the  quantity  of  each  species  (often  only  those  subject  to  catch 
quotas or other European legislation) in the form of landed weight. Sales notes are submitted 
to the authorities responsible for the first marketing of fish (whether the vessel’s agent or the 
auction authorities). These include information on the quantity of each of the species landed, 
the form in which they are presented, and the value of each product, together with information 
on  the  vessel  making  the  landing.  Again,  this  information  may  be  limited  to  species  under 
catch  quota  management,  although  some  Member  States,  for  example  Germany,  report 
complete coverage of all species with sales notes. 

Most Member States report using alternative or supplementary data sources for their coastal 
fleets, mostly for vessels below 10 m (8 m in Sweden and 12 m in Estonia). For example, in 
Finland, skippers of vessels under 10 m are required to keep monthly diaries of their activities 
and  in  Denmark,  they  may  be  exempted  from  the  duty  of  keeping  logbooks,  provided  they 
have presented a signed ‘declaration on fishing area’ and that they fish in accordance with this 
declaration.  In  the  United  Kingdom,  shell  fishing  activity  is  recorded  by  means  of  monthly 
diaries,  to  be  completed  as  a  licensing  condition,  and  Denmark  uses  a  sample  survey  to 
estimate by-catch from their large industrial fishery.  

Statistical censuses and surveys are more widely used by countries prosecuting fisheries in the 
Mediterranean and Black Sea, where coastal fisheries provide a relatively large proportion of 
fishing activity. Statistical data sources are almost exclusively used in Greece and Italy, with 
other  Mediterranean  States  relying  on  administrative  sources  to  a  greater  degree.  French 
operations  in  the  Mediterranean  are  monitored  by  survey,  while  for  operations  in  the 
Northeast Atlantic, administrative sources are used. In Italy, where statistical surveys are the 
primary data source, a small amount of information for Atlantic bluefin tuna only is provided 
through logbooks. Location of operations is not the sole indicator of whether administrative or 
survey  information  is  used.  The  cases  of  the  small  Mediterranean  island  States,  Malta  and 
Cyprus,  bear  more  resemblance  to  the  situations  of  countries  whose  fleets  prosecute  the 
Atlantic  fisheries,  with  administrative  data  sources  being  used  for  the  over  10 m  fleet  and 
sample surveys to collect data on the under 10 m coastal fleets.  

Some Member States, including Slovenia, report that they are still in the process of organising 
their  rules  and  processes  on  first  point  of  sale,  and  on  using  sales  notes  and  landing 
declarations for data collection.  

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2.3. 

Data collection systems in the Member States and EFTA Countries 

Belgium  –  Belgian  vessels  prosecute  fisheries  in  the  Northeast  Atlantic  (Area  27)  only, 
mostly  in  the  North  Sea  (IVb  and  IVc)  and  the  Eastern  Channel  (VIId).  Data  sources  are 
administrative  (logbooks,  landing  declarations  and  sales  notes).  First  sales  must  be  through 
the  three  main  auctions  (Zeebrugge,  Oostende  and  Nieuwpoort)  except  for  small  vessels 
which  may  sell  to  the  public  at  Oostende.  Sales  notes  are  transmitted  to  the  Sea  Fisheries 
Service (Dienst Zeevisserj) on the day of landing. 

Bulgaria  –  Bulgarian  vessels  prosecute  fisheries  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Sea  (Area 
37),  and  mainly  sub  area  37.4.2.  Data  sources  are  administrative  (logbooks,  landing 
declarations  and  sales  notes)  supplied  to  the  National  Agency  of  Fisheries  and  Aquaculture 
(NAFA). NAFA requires sending of sales notes from first sales within 48 hours of landing. 
Electronic transmission of sales notes is planned in line with community legislation. 

Denmark – Data sources are administrative (logbooks, landing declarations and sales notes) 
and  data  are  collected  centrally  by  the  Danish  Directorate  of  Fisheries  (DDF).  First  sale  of 
fish by non-commercial fishermen is forbidden in Denmark, and all first-hand buyers must be 
registered  with  the  DDF  and  submit  sales  notes  to  them  in  either  electronic  or  paper  form. 
Around 90 percent of sales notes are received electronically. 

Germany - German vessels prosecute fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic, Northwest Atlantic, 
Eastern  Central  Atlantic  and  Southeast  Pacific  (Areas  27,  21,  34  and  87).  Data  sources  are 
administrative  (logbooks,  landing  declarations  and  sales  notes).  These  are  supplied  to  the 
Federal  Agency  for  Agriculture  and  Food  via  Producer  Organisations  (POs)  and  Länder 
authorities.  

Estonia  -  Estonian  vessels  prosecute  fisheries  in  the  Northwest  Atlantic  (Area  21)  and 
Northeast  Atlantic  (27  -Baltic)  and  05  (inland  waters).  Data  sources  are  administrative 
(logbooks,  landing  declarations,  sales  notes,  and  transhipment  and  transport  documents). 
Vessels under 12 m overall length fill in a ‘coastal fishing’ logbook which is provided for in 
Estonian national legislation. Estonia requires paper copies of documentation twice a month 
where  data  is  submitted  by  e-means.  First  buyers  of  fish  are  required  to  submit  sales  notes 
electronically to the authorities (Ministry of Agriculture for commercial fishing) and several 
private companies have also opted to do this. 

Ireland – Irish vessels prosecute fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic (Area 27). Data sources 
are  administrative  (logbooks,  landing  declarations,  sales  notes  and  shellfish  gatherers' 
documents). Data are collected at ports by the Irish Sea Fisheries Protection Authority. Ireland 
reports  making  significant  changes  to  their  collection  systems  to  facilitate  the  electronic 
collection of data required by European Union legislation.  

Greece – Greek vessels prosecute fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic, Eastern Central Atlantic 
and  Mediterranean  (Areas  27,  34  and  37)  and  record  information  by  statistical  surveys.  A 
census survey is applied to the ‘overseas’ fishery and a sample survey for the Area 37 ‘open 
sea’  and  coastal  fisheries.  Surveys  are  carried  out  by  the  National  Statistical  Service  of 
Greece. Greece operates a full census of Greek flagged vessels for the ‘Overseas fishery’. The 
open  sea  and  inshore  fishery  has  a  large  non-response  error  (50  percent)  and  a  sampling 
technique is employed to calculate the discrepancy.  

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Spain – Spain has a large and diverse fishing industry and various agencies are responsible 
for data supply and quality. Data collection is in the first instance carried out by the regional 
authorities and this is then collected centrally. Seven distinct administrative data sources are 
identified  for  compilation  of  landings  data  including  logbooks,  sales  notes,  transfer 
declarations,  landing  declarations  and  information  from  Fish  Producer  Organisations  (POs). 
The various sources are integrated into a database for both catches and landings. Coverage of 
landings from these sources is considered to be exhaustive. 

France – Primary responsibility for data submission and data quality rests with the office of 
fishing  and  aquaculture  (BSPA)  which  is  part  of  the  Ministry  of  Food,  agriculture  and 
Fisheries (MAAP). Data on the important tropical tuna fishery are supplied by the Institute for 
Research  and  Development  to  the  Direction  des  Pêches  Maritimes  et  de  l'Aquaculture 
the 
(DPMA).  French  vessels  are  predominantly  active 
Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. Good coverage of fishing activity in the Atlantic is obtained 
from administrative sources (logbooks, landing declarations and sales notes). For areas where 
administrative  data  is  less  reliable,  particularly  for  the  Mediterranean,  these  sources  are 
supplemented  with  sample  surveys.  France  has  invested  heavily  in  modernising  and 
improving its fisheries data collection system. 

the  Northeast  Atlantic, 

in 

Italy – Italy prosecutes fisheries in the Mediterranean, Eastern Central Atlantic and Western 
Indian Ocean (Areas 37, 34 and 51). It operates a sample survey for Area 37 and a census for 
other  areas.  Logbooks  are  used  to  collect  data  on  catches  of  Atlantic  bluefin  tuna  only  and 
these  are  collected  by  the  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Food  and  Forestry  Policies.  The  NSI, 
ISTAT collects data for Areas 34 and 51 and IREPA for Area 37. ISTAT has responsibility 
for  coordinating  reporting  to  Eurostat.  Italy  has  a  large  number  of  small  vessels  (less  than 
12 m overall length). Around 99 percent of vessels operate in coastal waters around the Italian 
peninsula.  Approximately  two-thirds  of  these  are  small-scale  operating  passive  gears.7  Data 
collection is by a multivariate sample survey with the population segmented by area, vessel 
size and fishing gear used. The survey methodology confines sampling errors to within a 3.5 
percent  tolerance.  Non-response  errors  are  also  recognised  and  addressed  through  sample 
selection.  A  small  number  of  vessels  (around  20)  fishing  in  Areas  34  and  51  complete  a 
questionnaire. 

Cyprus  –  Administrative  data  (logbooks)  are  collected  by  the  Fisheries  Inspectorate  for 
vessels 10 m and over overall length. A monthly supplementary survey for the bottom trawl 
fleet is carried out as well as a sample survey of the coastal fishery fleet (vessels under 10 m 
overall  length).  The  latter  is  randomly  determined  and  covers  15-20  percent  of  the  sector. 
Those  surveyed  are  required  to  complete  daily  catch/landing  reports.  The  collection  of 
fisheries data and compilation of reports is the responsibility of the Department of Fisheries 
and Marine Research of the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment. 

Latvia  -  Latvian  vessels  are  active  in  the  Atlantic  (Areas  27,  21  and  34).  Primary 
responsibility transmission of data rests with the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of 
Agriculture but other agencies, including the Marine and Inland Waters Administration of the 
Ministry  of  the  Environment,  the  Latvian  Fish  Resources  Agency  (of  the  Ministry  of 

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Fishing gears are commonly classified in two main categories: passive and active. This classification is 
based  on  the  relative  behaviour  of  the  target  species  and  the  fishing  gear.  With  passive  gears,  the 
capture of fish is generally based on movement of the target species towards the gear (e.g. traps), while 
with  active  gears  capture  is  generally  based  on  an  aimed  chase  of  the  target  species  (e.g.  trawls, 
dredges). 

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Agriculture)  are  responsible  for  data  collection.  Data  sources  are  administrative:  logbooks, 
sales  notes  and  landing  declarations.  Latvia  requires  central  registration  and  annual 
certification of fish buyers. Fish buyers are required to submit electronic sales notes (followed 
by paper copies) within 48 hours of the completion of the sale. 

Lithuania  –  Lithuania  prosecutes  fisheries  in  Northeast  and  Northwest  Atlantic,  Eastern 
Central Atlantic and South Pacific. The Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture is 
responsible for data collection and processing. Primary data sources are logbooks and landing 
declarations.  Lithuania  reports  having  an  integrated  automated  system  for  processing  and 
validation of catch and landings data. 

Malta  –  The  Malta  Centre  for  Fisheries  Sciences  within  the  Ministry  of  for  Resources  and 
Rural  Affairs  is  responsible  for  data  collection  and  this  is  transmitted  to  Eurostat  by  the 
National  Statistical  Office  (Agricultural  and  Fisheries  Statistics  Unit).  Maltese  vessels  are 
active  in  the  Mediterranean  (Area  37,  sub-area  15).  Malta  uses  logbooks  and  sales  notes  as 
data sources for the over 10 m fleet. A stratified sample survey is conducted at the six ports on 
the islands of Gozo and Malta. The sample size is set to estimate total fishing effort with a 
confidence level of 95 percent.  

Netherlands – Netherlands vessels are active in areas Northeast and Eastern Central Atlantic 
and  Southeast  Pacific  (Areas  27,  34  and  87).  Data  sources  are  administrative  (logbooks, 
landing  declarations,  transhipment  and  transport  documents  and  sales  notes).  Data  are 
collected by  the Ministry of  Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Food Quality (Ministerie 
van Landbouw, Natuurbeheer en Voedsekwaliteit) and transmitted to Eurostat by the Central 
Office  for  Statistics.  The  Netherlands  apply  rules  which  govern  the  sale  of  fish  through 
authorised outlets via Producer Organisations. Electronic sales notes are sent within 48 hours 
of sale 

Poland  –  Logbooks  and  sales  notes  are  reported  to  be  the  main  source  of  information. 
Responsibility for data collection and transmission rests with the Fisheries Department of the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. 

Portugal – The Portuguese Directorate General for Fisheries and Aquaculture is responsible 
for submitting statistical data to Eurostat. Portugal has a large and diverse national fleet with 
different characteristics in the different zones fished. The fleet is dominated by small, open-
topped,  wooden  boats  involved  in  artisanal  fishing.  The  most  important  areas  are  the 
Northeast  and  Northwest  Atlantic  and  Central  Eastern  Atlantic.  There  are  also  important 
longline fisheries in the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, targeting swordfish (and also blue shark in 
the  Indian  Ocean).  Data  are  mostly  derived  from  logbooks,  landing  declarations  and  sales 
notes.  Fresh  or  chilled  fish  has  to  be  sold  through  regulated  markets  and  sales  note 
information for these is complete. For fish processed at sea, average prices are obtained from 
landing declarations. 

Romania – Romania is active in the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Black Sea (Area 37). 
Data sources are administrative, logbooks, sales and transport notes. Documents are collected 
by regional inspectors of the National Agency of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NAFA). NAFA 
collates this for reporting to Eurostat. 

Slovenia  –  Responsibility  for  data  collection  and  submission  rests  with  the  Ministry  of 
Agriculture,  Fisheries  and  Food,  the  Fisheries  Research  Institute  of  Slovenia  and  the 
Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia. The Slovenian fleet prosecutes fishing grounds 

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in the Northern Adriatic (Area 37). Data sources are administrative for volumes (logbooks). 
All vessels are required to complete logbooks, so coverage of catches by the fleet is complete, 
with  the  exception  of  landings  of  small  amounts  of  fish  (less  than  50kg)  which  are  not 
currently recorded. Systems are under development to regulate point of first sale and to collect 
information  from  sales  notes.  Price  information  is  collected  through  a  statistical  monthly 
survey of businesses which covers 50 % of total landings by quantity. 

Finland  -  Primary  responsibility  for  fisheries  data  collection,  submission  and  quality  rests 
with  the  Finnish  Game  and  Fisheries  Research  Institute.  Registers  are  maintained  by  the 
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Finnish vessels fish only in the Baltic Sea. Data sources 
include  a  variation  of  the  EU  logbook  for  the  over  10m  fleet.  This  also  records  details  of 
transhipments, fish buyers and discards. A monthly coastal fisheries form is used to record the 
activity  of  the  under  10m  fleet  (with  the  exception  of  salmon  for  which  there  is  a  different 
form). The first-hand sales of quota species are regulated, with notifications being compulsory 
within 48 hours of landing. Information on sales of non-quota species is supplemented with a 
survey of the largest fish wholesale companies. 

Sweden – Responsibility for data collection and submission rests with the Swedish Board of 
Fisheries.  Data  sources  are  administrative,  comprising  logbooks,  sales  notes,  landing 
declarations,  and,  for  the  coastal  fleet,  monthly  (or  even  daily)  journals.  Sales  notes  are 
collected centrally, either electronically or on paper, and coastal fishermen have the option of 
submitting coastal journals electronically, via a secure web interface. 

United  Kingdom  –  Catches  from  the  Northeast  Atlantic  (Area  27)  are  the  most  important. 
There  is  a  sizeable  coastal  fishery  fleet  which  mainly  targets  non  quota  species  but  takes  a 
significant  proportion  of  some  quota  stocks.  The  United  Kingdom  also  operates  a  small 
distant  water  fleet  which  is  UK  registered,  but  based  and  operated  abroad.  The  fisheries 
inspectorates  of  England,  Scotland,  Wales  and  Northern  Ireland  are  responsible  for  data 
collection. This is collated and transmitted to Eurostat by the Marine and Fisheries Agency of 
the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). For the over 10 m fleet, 
administrative data (logbooks, sales notes and landing declarations comprise the data sources. 
For the under 10 m fleet, logbooks and landing declarations are supplied voluntarily, but sales 
notes are required under rules governing first sales of fish. These sources provide a complete 
census  of  most  fishing  activity.  Additional  information  on  shellfish  is  provided  through 
activity diaries which are completed as a condition of being granted a shellfish permit. 

Iceland – Icelandic vessels fish predominantly in the waters of the Northeast Atlantic but also 
to a lesser extent in the Northwest and Southern Atlantic. As for EU Member States, there are 
no fundamental differences in the methodologies for compiling catch and landings statistics. 
Data is derived from logbooks. Iceland also tightly regulates first sales of fish and all landings 
must  be  made  into  designated  ports  and  weighed  on  certified  scales.  Both  buyers  and 
processors of fish are required to submit reports. Responsibility for data collection rests with 
the Icelandic Directorate of Fisheries and with Statistics Iceland for transmission to Eurostat. 
While the data sources are the same for both organisations, discrepancies may arise where the 
Directorate of Fisheries supplies data directly, as this draws from the live database which is 
subject to revision. 

Norway  –  Norwegian  vessels  fish  in  the  Northeast  Atlantic  (Area  27),  Northwest  Atlantic 
(Area  21)  and  in  the  Arctic  Ocean  (Area  48).  The  Norwegian  Directorate  of  Fisheries  is 
responsible  for  the  collection  of  fishery  data.  Data  sources  are  administrative,  comprising 
catch logbooks, landings and sales notes. Logbook data that are registered in the Directorate 
of  Fisheries  include  records  mainly  from  trawlers,  including  vessels  operating  outside  the 

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ICES  area.  Data  from  landings  and  sales  notes  are  collected  through  six  different  sales 
organisations  and  sent  electronically  on  a  regular  basis  to  the  Directorate  of  Fisheries. 
According  to  Norwegian  law,  the  fishermen’s  sales  organisations  have  the  sole  right  to  all 
first-hand  sales  by  Norwegian  fishermen.  The  sales  note  covers  data  of  both  domestic 
landings  and  in  foreign  ports  by  Norwegian  vessels  and  landings  from  foreign  vessels  in 
Norway.  As  required  in  Norwegian  regulations,  each  sales  note  contains  information  about 
species, type of product, fishing area, quantity and value etc. Additional information such as 
state of preservation is given for statistical purposes. 

2.4. 

Data Quality 

Methodologies  for  collecting  information  for  enforcement  and  control  and  for  statistical 
purposes are fairly consistent across Member States. The reliability of statistics is dependent 
on  the  veracity  and  accuracy  of  the  documentation  provided  by  fishermen  and  on  Member 
State authorities' quality controls.  

Member States use a variety of mechanisms to monitor fishing activities, including sightings 
by  aircraft,  fisheries  protection  vessels,  satellite  monitoring  (for  vessels  >  15  metres  overall 
length)  and  on-board  inspections  of  fishing  vessels.  This  information  is  used  to  check  the 
information recorded in logbooks, sales notes and landing declarations. Many Member States 
already report the use of electronic methods for performing these cross-checks. 

The various data sources  are  also  quality-checked on entry,  ensuring that the information is 
internally consistent and basic errors are eliminated, including formatting errors and input of 
incorrect  species,  areas  and  prices.  As  discussed,  various  main  data  sources  are  checked 
against  each  other  for  consistency,  again,  often  electronically.  In  addition,  some  Member 
States, including the United Kingdom, report having working agreements with other Member 
States whereby their vessels land, to exchange data for cross-checking, particularly for quota 
monitoring purposes. 

The coverage of data from the various sources is comprehensive, and a majority of Member 
States report it as being total. For the most part, where administrative data sources (log books, 
landing  declarations  and  sales  notes)  are  used  as  data  sources,  this  represents  a  complete 
census  and  no  statistical  sampling  is  employed.  In  Sweden,  logbooks  are  pre-registered  to 
vessels  and  this  reportedly  ensures  a  particularly  high  degree  of  return.  Any  gaps  in  data 
coverage  are  made  up  through  statistical  surveys  which  may  cover  all  or  part  of  fishing 
operations.  

Strict  rules  are  in  place  governing  deadlines  for  the  provision  of  sales  notes,  logbooks  and 
landing declarations and these are respected in a majority of cases when the landings are made 
on  the  territory  of  the  Member  State  concerned.  In  some  instances,  for  example,  where 
electronic  data  provision  is  applied,  data  are  updated  on  a  daily  basis.  Member  States 
frequently report problems with delays in receiving sales notes from vessels that have landed 
in another Member State or third countries. Such delays can amount to some months. While 
this issue does not directly affect reports under Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006, which applies 
to landings in a Member States' own territory, it does have an impact on the quality of related 
statutory  catch  reports,  particularly  in  the  shorter  term–,  where  less  precise  logbook 
information is substituted until sales notes become available. Delays in data submission can 
lead to discrepancies between supposedly identical information sent to Eurostat and to other 
Commission  Services  (DG  MARE)  for  quota  monitoring  purposes.  While  Member  States 
endeavour to have their records complete as close to the end of the fishing year as possible, 

EN 

9 

   EN 

databases are kept open for corrections, though in general, few significant updates are made 
six months after the reference year. 

The  Netherlands  reported  a  specific  problem  with  information  where  fish  is  prepared  and 
frozen on board and where the first sale is registered on leaving the country as an export. In 
this  instance,  average  price  information  is  provided  until  the  real  data  become  available.  In 
practice,  this  applies  to  most  of  the  Netherland’s  catches  by  volume,  comprising  mainly 
pelagic species (mackerel, herring and blue whiting etc.). Other Member States report similar 
issues, where the fish is not immediately sold and where estimates are supplied using sales of 
the same or similar species. 

Member  States  also  report  problems  with  differing  landed  to  liveweight  conversion  factors 
being  applied  in  different  Member  States.  Again,  this  is  not  a  direct  issue  for  reports  under 
Regulation (EC) No 1921/2006, which require product rather than live weight. However, this 
has been a particular issue for Member States' quota monitoring and other reporting purposes. 
This  will  to  a  large  degree  be  addressed  by  Commission  Regulation  (EC)  No  409/20098, 
which sets out common landed weight to live weight conversion factors for many species and 
products.  

A particular problem with species identification has been noted. Various initiatives have been 
taken to improve this, including providing fishermen with identification charts. For the most 
part,  this  affects  non-quota  species  and  those  where  landings  are  small  or  irregular.  Species 
may  be  included  under  a  generic  code,  even  when  the  species  is  identified,  for  example, 
where the exact code is not yet in the system. Member States can and do revisit these data and 
make  corrections  where  problems  are  identified.  Denmark  notes  occasional  campaigns  to 
target particular reporting issues among fishermen. 

3. 

USE OF THE DATA (DATA DISSEMINATION) 

The  reports  of  Member  States  are  made  available  free  of  charge  through  Eurostat’s 
dissemination database for all users with internet access. The main users of these statistics are 
DG  MARE  for  the  purposes  of  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy  and  also  the  International 
Council  for  the  Exploration  of  the  Sea  (ICES),  which  uses  Eurostat  data  for  making 
recommendations to DG MARE with respect to fisheries in the Northeast Atlantic. 

4. 

MAIN FINDINGS: ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS 

Summary results are presented in the Annex of the present Report. The overall quantity and 
value of landings saw a fall across most Member States from 2007 by around 11 % and 17 % 
respectively (see Table 1). The largest falls from 2007 were recorded for the Netherlands (308 
thousand tonnes), Germany (83 thousand tonnes) and Denmark (79 thousand tonnes). 

Among  Member  States,  Spain,  Italy,  the  United  Kingdom  and  France  recorded  the  highest 
values for landings (see Charts 1 and 2 of the Annex). However, in terms of volume, Denmark 

8 

Commission Regulation (EC) No 409/2009 of 18 May 2009 establishing Community conversion factors 
and  presentation  codes  used  to  convert  fish  processed  weight  into  fish  live  weight,  and  amending 
Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2807/83. OJ L 123, 19.5.2009, p. 78. 

EN 

10 

   EN 

                                                 
recorded the highest landings. These are accounted for by the Danish industrial fishery's large 
catches of relatively low value pelagic fish.  

Both Norway and Iceland recorded higher volumes of landings than any Member State, again 
with  the  majority  of  landings  comprising  just  two  pelagic  species  (43 %  and  63 % 
respectively). 

Across  the  EU  as  a  whole,  most  species  caught  in  terms  of  volume  were  pelagic  (herring, 
sprats,  blue  whiting  and  sand  eels  etc.)  (see  Table  2  of  the  Annex)  with  the  only  demersal 
species within the 10 highest volumes being cod. However, the higher-volume pelagic species 
tend to be of far lower value than the demersal. Nephrops (Norway lobster) is the species with 
the highest total value in 2008, and the next four highest-ranked species in terms of value are 
all demersal. 

For  some  Member  States,  significant  quantities  of  landings  were  reported  under  generic 
species  codes.  For  Ireland,  Greece  and  Italy  this  represented  more  than  5  percent  of  their 
landings. For Spain, the volumes recorded under generic codes were large, but amounted to a 
relatively  small (less than 2 %) proportion of their recorded landings. This is most probably 
indicative of the diverse nature of the Spanish fishing industry. The use of generic codes by 
Italy and Greece may also be an indicator of the diversity of landings, but also a result of the 
data collection methods and artisanal nature of much of their fleets.  

5. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 

The majority of Member States provided a detailed account of their methodologies, 
describing their data sources and quality checks employed. The great majority of data 
supplied  to  Eurostat  are  collected  under  mechanisms  introduced  for  control  and 
enforcement purposes. Eurostat relies  mainly on fishermen in the first instance and 
on national authorities for ensuring the accuracy and quality of data.  

Member  States  report  no  particular  differences  in  methodology  for  information 
supplied  to  the  Commission  services  (DG  MARE  and  Eurostat).  The  reuse  of  data 
for statistical purposes ensures that there is little additional cost burden on the fishing 
industry.  To  minimise  the  burden  on  Member  States  providing  reports  to  the 
European Commission, there is increasingly close cooperation between DG MARE 
and DG ESTAT through the joint development of information technology solutions 
for data collection and dissemination. 

Accurate  species  identification,  particularly  for  more  minor  species,  is  an  ongoing 
problem,  as  is  use  of  generic  codes  for  species.  Eurostat  is  introducing  new 
automated validation systems for data which will help to address this issue. Further 
investigation  into the reporting  of  substantial quantities  of fish under generic codes 
by some Member States is warranted. 

The various administrative data sources may be cross-checked against each other for 
consistency. When these data sources are used in an integrated way, they can provide 
a comprehensive and consistent view of fishing activities. Further confidence in data 
quality is provided by cross-checks from surveillance activities. The increasing use 
of  electronic  methods  of  data  collection  has  improved  both  the  timeliness  and 
accuracy of information. Work to implement systems in line with changing European 
requirements is ongoing in many Member States.  

EN 

11 

   EN 

5. 

The reduction in frequency of reports reduces the workload for Member States. The 
data  continue  to  be  a  valuable  source  of  information  for  formulation  of  policy  and 
management of markets within the CFP framework. 

EN 

12 

   EN 

LANDINGS OF FISHERY PRODUCTS IN THE EU AND EFTA 

ANNEX  

Table 1 

2005

2006

2007

2008

Quantity 
(tonnes)*

Value 
(million 
Euro)

Quantity 
(tonnes)*

Value 
(million 
Euro)

Quantity 
(tonnes)*

-
-

:

19601

3408

-

1090673

140420

69406

:

89903

703249

294990

281987

1329

90598

6875

-

-

1332

621101

-

81688

105910

:

1011

-

84098

268799

485889

:

80

2

-

442

122

10

:

308

1513

775

1413

6

16

5

-

-

6

310

-

32

127

:

0.4

-

15

106

537

:

18258

4388

-

893953

136688

70624

:

96015

777543

325910

299266

1898

81003

5229

-

-

1291

781361

-

79912

170881

615

931

-

91050

270169

426051

:

83

2

-

446

113

12

:

336

1680

842

1518

5

17

5

-

-

6

336

-

37

212

1

6

-

18

117

680

5297815
-
-
19120

7858

-

1063873

308197

76726

244296

93640

836771

310958

276743

2019

80998

15293

-

-

1252

882233

-

79054

181403

518

914

-

92793

242223

480935

Value 
(million 
Euro)

7502

80

0

-

503

119

17

364

524

1672

790

1365

4

17

9

-

-

7

736

-

36

241

1

2

-

18

122

874

Quantity 
(tonnes)*

4729114
-
-
17349

7645

-

984766

225246

83143

209667

87461

891284

285861

227160

1868

85767

12057

-

-

1298

574570

-

65790

185209

444

687

-

90686

226982

464174

Value 
(million 
Euro)

6831

67

3

-

433

127

19

250

487

1916

706

1107

13

20

8

-

-

8

511

-

34

257

1

1

-

19

105

740

1680246

2077930

940

1607

1310877

2037950

942

1611

1370013

2182349

989

1677

1257896

2216894

751

1663

EU-27

BE

BG

CZ

DK

DE

EE

IE

EL

ES

FR

IT

CY

LV

LT*

LU

HU

MT

NL

AT

PL

PT

RO

SI

SK

FI

SE

UK

IS

NO

* Figures for Lithuania in 2008 are under review. 

Quantity figures are in product weight.  

EN 

13 

   EN 

 
Chart 1 

Total value of landings in 2008 — EU and EFTA 

Euro (m illions)

ESP

NOR

ITA

ISL

GBR

FRA

NLD

GRC

DNK

PRT

IRL

DEU

SWE

BEL

POL

LVA

FIN

EST

LTU

CYP

MLT

BGR

SVN

ROU

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

EN 

14 

   EN 

 
Chart 2 

Total volume of landings in 2008 — EU and EFTA 

000 tonnes

NOR

ISL

DNK

ESP

NLD

GBR

FRA

ITA

SWE

DEU

IRL

PRT

FIN

GRC

LVA

EST

POL

BEL

LTU

BGR

CYP

MLT

SVN

ROU

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

EN 

15 

   EN 

 
Table 2 

The 10 species with the highest volume and value (EU) in 2008 

Species

Norway lobster
Atlantic herring
European hake
Common sole
Atlantic cod
Skipjack tuna
Atlantic mackerel
European pilchard(=Sardine)
Swordfish
Yellowfin tuna
Other
Total

Species

Atlantic herring
European sprat
Blue whiting(=Poutassou)
Atlantic mackerel
Sandeels(=Sandlances) nei
European pilchard(=Sardine)
Jack and horse mackerels nei
Skipjack tuna
Atlantic cod
European anchovy
Other
Total

Value: Euro 
(millions)

Percentage

375
314
308
288
226
206
181
163
143
143
4484
6831

5
5
5
4
3
3
3
2
2
2
66

Quantity: ('000 
tonnes)

Percentage

769
536
328
295
287
204
203
185
92
73
1756
4729

16
11
7
6
6
4
4
4
2
2
37

EN 

16 

   EN