REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL on Member States' efforts during 2009 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing capacity and fishing opportunities
Date: 2011-06-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, fishery management, fishery resources, fishing statistics, sustainable development

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Brussels, 22.6.2011 
COM(2011) 354 final 

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

on Member States' efforts during 2009 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing 
capacity and fishing opportunities 

{SEC(2011) 759 final} 
{SEC(2011) 760 final} 

 
 
 
 
  
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

2. 

3. 

3.1. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3 

Summary of Member State's reports ............................................................................ 3 

Fishing capacity trends during 2009 ............................................................................ 7 

Results for the mainland fleet, i.e. excluding vessels registered in the outermost 
regions .......................................................................................................................... 8 

3.2. 

Results for the fleets registered in the outermost regions ............................................ 8 

4. 

5. 

6. 

Compliance with fishing capacity management rules.................................................. 8 

Quality of Member States' reports ............................................................................... 8 

The Commission's conclusions .................................................................................. 12 

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REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND 
THE COUNCIL 

on Member States' efforts during 2009 to achieve a sustainable balance between fishing 
capacity and fishing opportunities 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

Member States are required to submit to the Commission, before 1 May each year, a report on 
their efforts during the previous year to achieve a sustainable balance between fleet capacity 
and  available  fishing  opportunities1.  On  the  basis  of  these  reports  and  the  data  in  the  EU 
fishing fleet register, the Commission produced a summary for 2009, and presented it to the 
Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) and to the Committee 
for Fisheries and Aquaculture. This report from the Commission now presents that summary 
of the Member States’ reports, plus a technical annex (Commission Staff Working Document 
no. SEC(2011) 759) and the opinions of the above-mentioned committees (Commission Staff 
Working Document no. SEC(2011) 760) to the Council and the European Parliament. 

2. 

SUMMARY OF MEMBER STATE'S REPORTS 

This  year,  ten  Member  States  submitted  their  reports  on  time,  while  the  other  reports  were 
between  one  and  twelve  weeks  late.  Despite  these  delays,  the  Commission  presented  the 
summary report to the above-mentioned committees by 31 July 2010. It should be added that, 
although most Member States followed the outline laid down for the report in Article 13 of 
Regulation 1438/2003, the quality of the information provided was not always sufficient for 
the purposes of this report. 

This  report  sums  up  Member  States’  descriptions  of  their  fishing  fleets,  the  impact  of  the 
existing schemes to reduce fishing effort and Member States’ compliance with the entry/exit 
scheme. 

Belgium:  The  guidelines  were  applied  in  the  report  to  the  beam  trawler  segment  catching 
predominantly plaice and sole. The average value of the biological indicator for both plaice 
and sole were below one, but this was not the case for every stock separately. Seven vessels 
(above  221  kW)  fishing  with  beam  trawls  were  scrapped  and  two  vessels  were  partially 
decommissioned. The 24-40m beam trawl fleet segment had a high quota utilisation for plaice 
and sole in all areas, except in area VIIa. According to the report, the low capacity utilisation 
in  this  area  was  mainly  due  to  increased  national  quota  due  to  the  exchanges.  A  future 
reduction of the fleet capacity by decommissioning is not planned. 

Bulgaria: There are 2 100 fishing vessels less than 12 m representing approximately 95% of 
all Bulgarian vessels. Out of a total of 2 206 vessels, 1.304 vessels were reported as inactive 
in  2009.  Five  vessels  entered  the  fleet  based  on  an  administrative  decision  taken  before 
accession. A total of 366 vessels were excluded from the fleet register in 2009 without public 

1 

In accordance with Article 14 of Regulation 2371/2002 and Article 12 of Regulation 1438/2003 

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aid, of which 344 vessels as a result of a national administrative measure regarding inactive 
vessels.  The  guidelines  were  applied  in  the  Bulgarian  report.  The  technical  indicator  shows 
low capacity utilisation for all fleet segments, but three of the segments used more days at sea 
than  last  year.  Vessels  under  12  m  in  length  have  the  most  negative  assessment.  Bulgaria 
intends  to  develop  more  restrictive  legislation  measures  with  regard  to  the  inactive  vessels. 
Bulgaria applies a quota regime for only the two main species: turbot and sprat. 

Denmark:  The  guidelines  were  applied  in  the  report  for  11  fleet  segments  categorised  in 
accordance with the Data Collection Regulation. The analysis shows that the present situation 
is  rather  stable  and  indicates  that  there  is  no  significant  long  term  overcapacity.  However, 
when passive vessels are included there is overcapacity in segments of small vessels. Difficult 
economic  conditions  may  mean  that  economic  indicators  will  show  an  increase  of 
overcapacity in economic terms. The main reduction in capacity was seen in the segment of 
vessels between 12 and 24m. Capacity from scrapped vessels amounted to 4 684 GT in 2009, 
which was 6% of the total capacity. The existing possibility to transfer quota has resulted in a 
decrease of the number of commercial vessels in Denmark. A weakness in the management 
system is the difficulty to verify whether the engine power is stated correctly. 

Germany:  The  guidelines  were  not  applied  in  the  report.  The  report  assessed  the  capacity 
trend in each fleet segment versus the trend of the main stocks concerned. Fifty five vessels 
were withdrawn from the German fishing fleet (-3%); total tonnage was reduced by 552 GT 
(0.8%)  and  engine  power  increased  by  1  026  kW  (0.64%).  According  to  the  report,  fishing 
effort  reduction  schemes  had  a  limited  impact  on  the  reduction  of  the  fleet,  which  was  not 
quantified.  The  State  did  not  take  action  on  the  development  of  the  fleet  because  it  has 
adapted  both  to  the  economic  conditions  established  by  the  CFP,  and  to  the  restricted 
availability of resources. 

Estonia:  In  the  report  the  guidelines  were  applied  in  part.  The  technical  indicator  shows 
distinct  overcapacity  within  the  segment  of  trawler  vessels  over  12m.  Eleven  vessels  have 
been  withdrawn  from  the  Fishing  Vessel  Register  with  public  aid  in  2009.  Since  2004  the 
fishing capacity of the Estonian fishing fleet has decreased by 40%. The report states that the 
current  capacity  of  the  Estonian  fleet  is  below  the  minimum  fishing  capacity  necessary  to 
catch its quota. No assessment of the effect of the recovery measures adopted for Baltic cod 
was provided. 

Greece: The report did not include the calculation of indicators proposed in the guidelines. It 
was not possible to provide socio-economic and biological indicators in the report because the 
National  Fisheries  Data  Collection  Programme  was  not  carried  out.  However,  from  data  on 
catches and fishing effort collected under other programmes, the report concludes that fishing 
activities and the situation of biological stocks (despite small variations in the biomass caused 
by  the  biological  cycle)  were  unchanged  from  the  previous  year.  Public  aid  continued  to 
finance a reduction in capacity during 2009, resulting in the decommissioning of 23 vessels 
with a capacity of 523 GT and 1.873 KW. 

Spain:  The  guidelines  were  not  applied  and  no  assessment  of  fleet  capacity  in  relation  to 
fishing opportunities was  provided. The  reduction  in fleet capacity continued as in previous 
years;  66  vessels  with  a  total  tonnage  of  4  949  GT  were  decommissioned  with  public  aid; 
some of the exits took place by an administrative decision due to lack of fishing activity. 85 
new vessels entered the fleet with a total tonnage slightly over 1 000 GT. The Spanish fleet is 
subject  to  the  recovery  plan  for  Southern  hake  and  nephrops  and  also  to  several  national 

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plans.  However,  no  information  is  provided  concerning  the  effect  of  he  fishing  effort 
limitations included in these plans on the capacity of the fleets.  

France:  The  report  gave  an  extended  description  of  the  fleet  and  its  resource  base,  but  the 
guidelines were not applied. No assessment of the balance between the size of the fleet and 
fishing  opportunities  was  provided.  In  this  respect,  the  report  states  that  the  management 
measures in place have resulted in the reduction of fleet capacity and a gradual adjustment of 
the  fleet  to  fishing  opportunities.  According  to  the  report,  five  decommissioning  schemes 
were  under  implementation  during  2009;  these  schemes  have  resulted  in  the  exit  of  110 
vessels  from  the  fleet  with  a  total  tonnage  of  approximately  8  200  GT.  Significant  effort 
reductions are reported under the cod recovery plan and for deep sea species. 

Ireland:  The  guidelines  were  not  applied  and  no  assessment  of  the  balance  between  fleet 
capacity  and  fishing  opportunities  was  included.  However,  it  is  reported  that  many  of  the 
targeted  stocks  are  outside  safe  biological  limits.  Fisheries  falling  within  the  scope  of  stock 
recovery plans (ICES areas VIa and VIIa) are of a highly mixed nature. As a result, the Irish 
administration  has  found  it  difficult  to  gauge  the  impact  of  effort  reduction  schemes.  An 
increase of 11 GT was granted in 2009 as "safety tonnage". 

Italy: The guidelines were applied in the report. However, the biological indicators were not 
calculated since no TACs are defined for the Mediterranean stocks, except bluefin tuna. Catch 
per unit of effort over the period 2004-2008 followed a declining trend for small scale vessels 
and seiners, while it was constant for long-liners and trawlers. Economic indicators pictured a 
worsening  trend  for  almost  all  segments.  Nevertheless,  the  report  states  that  the  negative 
values shown by the indicators in 2008 cannot be associated with an imbalance between the 
fleet  and  its  fishing  opportunities,  but  rather  are  the  result  of  very  high  fuel  prices.  During 
2009,  the  capacity  of  the  Italian  fleet  was  reduced  by  approximately  1%  in  terms  of  both 
tonnage and power. 

Cyprus: The report provides a calculation and interpretation of indicators, but no assessment 
of  the  balance  between  capacity  and  fishing  opportunities.  The  two  biological  indicators 
cannot be calculated because there are no quota shares or established harvest ratio targets for 
the stocks exploited (except for Bluefin tuna). There was a significant reduction in the income 
of the passive polyvalent gears in length category 12-24 m due to a dramatic decrease in the 
production  of  Albacore,  the  most  important  commercial  species  of  this  fleet  category.  The 
effect can also be seen in the reduced CPUE value for Albacore, caught by drifting longliners. 
During  2009  twelve  fishing  vessels  were  withdrawn  from  the  fleet  with  public  aid,  and 
nineteen vessels without public aid. 

Latvia:  In  2009  the  fishing  fleet  decreased  with  47  vessels  to  a  total  of  794  vessels.  At  the 
same  time  the  total  capacity  increased,  due  to  administrative  decisions  taken  before  the 
accession (coups parties). Since 2004 a total of 160 vessels have been scrapped with financial 
support.  The  guidelines  were  applied  in  the  Latvian  report.  The  capacity  utilization  is  quite 
low. Based on the set of biological indicators, Latvia concludes that its fisheries are close to 
achieving  a  balance  between  fishing  capacity  and  fishing  opportunities.  The  economic 
indicator CR/BER and the social indicators show a positive trend in economic effectiveness of 
the fishing fleet. The mean reason is the reduced number of fishing vessels. There are plans to 
decommission 70 vessels in the Baltic segment and 110 vessels in the small-scale segment.  

Lithuania: The guidelines were applied for the segments exploiting Eastern Baltic cod stocks. 
The analysis shows that the Baltic fishing fleet targeting Eastern Baltic cod is in balance with 

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the current stock size. The fishing capacity of the fleet fishing on pelagic stocks and salmon is 
in balance with fishing opportunities as well. A balance between the fishing effort and fishing 
opportunities  is  to  be  achieved  by  implementing  the  Lithuanian  Fisheries  Strategy.  The 
objective is to reduce the small scale coastal fishing fleet by 50% until 2013, which makes up 
for 12% of the coastal fishing capacity. In 2009 seventeen small scale vessels and one vessel 
fishing in the high seas were withdrawn from the fleet with public aid. The economic results 
of the demersal trawlers 24-40 m segment improved significantly in 2009, as a result of the 
decrease of the number of vessels. 

Malta: The guidelines were applied in the report. The technical indicator shows low utilisation 
of the fleet, with a decreasing trend for active gears (trawlers) and a relatively stable one for 
passive gears. According to the report, this indicator shows that less than half of the Maltese 
current fleet is not being used. The report concludes that the status of the resources exploited 
by  the  Maltese  fishing  fleet  is  such  that  a  reduction  in  fishing  capacity  is  not  required.  No 
fishing  effort  adjustment  scheme  was  applied  to  the  Maltese  fleet.  During  2009,  4  fishing 
vessels stopped their fishing activities through the adjustment of fishing effort aid scheme. 

The Netherlands: In 2009 both the capacity and the fishing effort of the fishing fleet decreased 
slightly.  The  guidelines  were  applied  to  the  beam  trawl  segment  and  to  the  pelagic  freezer 
trawler segment. The fishing mortality of plaice and sole stocks has fallen substantially, but 
still needs to be reduced. Economic and social indicators deteriorated, due to low prices for 
the fish (plaice and sole) and high fuel prices. The Netherlands have curbed the capacity of 
fixed  net  fishing  in  2009,  which  has  been  growing  steadily  for  some  years  now.  The  report 
considers  that  high  fuel  prices  have  a  strong  impact  on  the  economic  vitality  of  the  fishing 
fleet and that improving of the fuel efficiency is essential for the Dutch fishing fleet.  

Poland:  The  guidelines  were  applied  in  the  report,  but  it  was  limited  to  the  biological 
indicator. No assessment of fleet capacity in relation to fishing opportunities was included. In 
2009, 46 vessels were withdrawn from the Baltic fleet with public support. According to the 
report,  as  a  result  of  the  fishing  effort  reductions,  the  number  of  fishing  days  by  the  Baltic 
fleet in 2008 was 41.57% down on the level in 2004. Between 2004 and 2008 the number of 
fishing  days  for  cod  fell  by  as  much  as  38%.  The  reduction  in  the  number  of  special  cod 
permits in 2009 was achieved by excluding 2/3 of the Baltic fleet from cod fishing. Only 147 
vessels received special cod permits. 

Portugal: The guidelines were applied in the report, but no assessment of fishing fleet capacity 
in relation to fishing opportunities was included. 24 vessels were scrapped with public aid in 
various  fleet  segments,  of  which  21  as  a  result  of  the  Southern  hake  or  nephrops  recovery 
plans. 34 vessels built with state aid joined the Azores fleet in 2009. The aggregated activity 
of the vessels covered by these plans increased in relation to 2008, although only 85% of the 
number  of  days  allocated  to  them  was  used.  Following  the  adjustment  plan  for  vessels 
licensed to use dredges to fish clams in the South region adopted in 2008, 2 applications for 
decommissioning were approved in 2009. Vessels operating in NAFO area are covered by the 
Greenland  halibut  recovery  plan.  The  total  number  of  fishing  days  increased  in  relation  to 
2008, although it was still 31% lower than in 2003. 

Romania:  The  guidelines  were  not  applied  in  the  report,  although  it  claims  that  the  fleet  is 
operating  in  a  sustainable  manner  and  that  the  fish  species  are  available  in  sufficient 
quantities. Overall, the fleet is old and in poor technical condition. Of the 443 vessels in the 
fleet register 160 vessels were active in 2009. There are plans for scrapping in the 2007-2013 
EFF  programming  period.  There  were  eleven  new  entries  to  the  fleet  in  2009  based  on  an 

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administrative decision taken before accession, and six vessels were withdrawn from the fleet 
without  public  aid.  Romania  wishes  to  maintain  a  minimum  level  of  its  fishing  fleet 
("minimum vitalis"), estimated at 12-13 modern and performing fishing vessels.  

Slovenia: Slovenia partly applied the guidelines. The technical indicator shows low utilisation 
(<  0.7).  The  biological  indicator  could  not  be  calculated.  Due  to  investor  mistrust,  there's 
hardly  any  investment  in  Slovenian  fisheries.  In  2009,  four  vessels  entered  the  segment  of 
vessels  under  12m.  The  fleet  suffers  from  structural  problems,  in  particular  old  vessels  and 
obsolete  gear.  Scrapping  is  foreseen  for  the  2007-2013  EFF  programming  period.  Slovenia 
has implemented its first management plan in the history of the Slovenian maritime fisheries. 
Since 2008 a measure has been implemented concerning the reduction of the number of trawl 
nets.  

Finland: The guidelines were not applied in the report, although it concludes that as a whole, 
the Finish fleet can be considered to be in an acceptable balance with the fishing resources. 
None of the quota was totally exhausted during 2009. A new capacity reduction scheme was 
implemented in 2009. This scheme was directed solely to the passive gear vessels, as the off-
shore  salmon fisheries suffer from poor profitability as a  consequence of the  driftnet ban in 
force since 2008. As a result of the scrapping scheme of 2009, a total capacity of 245 GT and 
1698  kW  was  withdrawn  from  the  fleet  with  public  aid.  Despite  a  reduction  in  capacity  in 
relation to 2003, the total fishing effort of the Finnish fleet has shown an upward trend since 
2005 and only stabilized in 2008 and 2009.  

Sweden:  The  guidelines  were  applied  in  the  report.  Both  the  biological  and  the  technical 
indicators  show  overcapacity  in  several  segments.  Within  the  EFF  2007–2013  framework, 
Sweden's  operational  programme  has  given  priority  to  scrapping  aid,  and  scrapping 
campaigns  have  been  carried  out  in  the  Baltic  Sea  and  North  Sea.  Annual  quotas  were 
introduced  in  the  pelagic  segment  from  2007,  which  has  led  to  structural  change  and  some 
reduction in capacity. During the year, transferable fishing rights have also been introduced in 
pelagic fishing. The indicators reveal overcapacity in the fleet. The gross value added (GVA) 
shows that fishing contributes to the Swedish economy in all segments. 

United Kingdom: The guidelines were not applied, although some other technical, biological 
and socio-economic data were provided. All fleet segments, with the exception of those using 
pots  and  traps,  reduced  their  capacity  over  the  period  2000-2009.  The  report  concludes  that 
the capacity of the UK fleet as a whole exceeds its level of opportunities. In 2009 the inactive 
fleet totalled 23 000 GT (11% of the total registered fleet) and 140 000 kW (17% of the total 
registered  fleet).  Problems  in  the  English  inshore  fleet  (under  10  metre)  were  due  to  an 
imbalance  between  the  capacity  of  this  fleet  and  the  available  quota.  A  total  of  65  vessels 
under  10  metres  were  removed  from  the  fleet  in  2009  and  a  system  of  license  capping  was 
introduced. 

3. 

FISHING CAPACITY TRENDS DURING 2009 

According  to  the  EU  fishing  fleet  register,  on  31  December  2009  the  EU  fishing  fleet  was 
made  of  84  301  vessels  with  a  total  fishing  capacity  of  1  797  183  GT  and  6  606  556  kW. 
During 2009, the number of vessels decreased by 1.53%, while tonnage and power decreased 
by  2.84%  and  2.24%  respectively.  These  figures  include  the  vessels  registered  in  the 
outermost regions. 

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During the seven period from 2003 to 2009, approximately 305 212 GT and 969 597 kW were 
withdrawn from the EU fleet (including the outermost regions) with public aid, of which 39 
273 GT and 117 236 kW were withdrawn in 2009. 

3.1. 

Results for the mainland fleet, i.e. excluding vessels registered in the outermost 
regions 

The  fleet  subject  to  the  entry-exit  regime,  i.e.  excluding  vessels  registered  in  the  outermost 
regions  and  those  used  exclusively  for  aquaculture,  reduced  its  capacity  during  2009  by 
approximately  2.80%  and  2.55%  in  terms  of  tonnage  and  power  respectively.  Despite  the 
2004  and  2007  enlargements,  the  EU  fishing  fleet  is  smaller  now  than  it  was  on  1  January 
2003. 

During the period seven year period 2003-2009, the capacity of the 'EU-15 fleet' was reduced 
by approximately 16% both in terms of tonnage and power. The 'EU-10 fleet' was reduced by 
31%  in  tonnage  and  27%  in  power..  Romania  and  Bulgaria  have  withdrawn  around  7%  of 
capacity in terms kW.  

3.2. 

Results for the fleets registered in the outermost regions 

The  trend  in  the  capacity  of  the  fleets  registered  in  the  outermost  regions  is  summarised  in 
table 4 in the technical annex. The capacity of the fleet registered in the Canary Islands has 
been reduced in terms of both tonnage and power. In the French Overseas Departments, the 
tonnage of the fleet was reduced but its power increased due mainly to the regularisation of 
engine power, following an increase in the reference levels. In Azores and Madeira, following 
the implementation of a fleet development plan, the power of the fleet increased, although its 
tonnage continued to decline. In all cases the reference levels for the various fleet segments 
were complied with. 

4. 

COMPLIANCE WITH FISHING CAPACITY MANAGEMENT RULES 

All Member States have complied with these rules, including the specific limitations for the 
fleets registered in the outermost regions. On average, the fishing capacity of the EU fleet is 
roughly 9% below the fishing capacity ceilings that result from the management rules. Tables 
1 and 2 in the technical annex to this report summarise the compliance by Member States with 
the entry/exit scheme and the reference levels on 31 December 2009. 

5. 

QUALITY OF MEMBER STATES' REPORTS 

In their national reports, 14 Member States made to some extent use of the guidelines for the 
assessment  of  the  balance  between  fishing  capacity  and  fishing  opportunities.  The  technical 
difficulties  related  to  its  applicability,  non  availability  of  data  and  lack  of  coordination,  in 
particular  with  scientific  bodies  in  the  Member  States  continue  to  hinder  their  application. 
When the guidelines are used, Member States do not always draw concrete conclusions from 
the  results  of  their  application.  However,  in  a  number  of  cases  the  values  obtained  for  the 
balance indicators point to an excess of fishing capacity. 

Most  of  the  reports  do  not  establish  a  relation  between  effort  reductions  schemes  and  fleet 
capacity adjustments. It should be born in mind that there are no effort adjustment schemes in 
some fisheries or fishing areas, e.g. the Mediterranean. Where there is effort adjustment, often 

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there is no clear information concerning the trend in the effort deployed in particular fisheries 
or  by  the  fleet  as  a  whole.  Overall  it  appears  that  the  impact  of  fishing  effort  adjustment 
measures  on  fleet  capacity  is  limited,  but  in  some  fleets  their  consequences  are  revealed  by 
the low activity level. 

The assessment of STECF was summarised as follows: 

–  Overall there is variation in the completeness and quality of MS reports for 2009 
but  there  is  a  general  improvement  in  completeness  compared  to  the  reports  for 
2008. Once again a common strength amongst the Member States’ reports was the 
description provided of their fleets, changes of the fleet over the year and linkages 
with fisheries. Key points to note are: 

–  There has been a distinct overall improvement in providing the required elements 

of the MS reports compared to the 2008 reports. 

–  Several  MS  mentioned  as  not  having  completed  required  elements  in  their  2008 

reports have included those elements in their 2009 reports. 

–  Sweden, Spain and UK did not describe their fishing fleets in relation to fisheries. 

–  All MS stated whether they complied with entry/exit schemes. 

–  Five  MS  (Belgium,  Cyprus,  Estonia,  Greece  and  Spain)  did  not  provide  a 

summary of weaknesses & strengths of fleet management system. 

–  Eleven  Member  States’  reports  did  not  provide  plans  for  improvements  in  fleet 

management systems. 

–  Seven  Member  States  did  not  give  information  on  the  level  of  compliance  with 

fleet policy instruments. This was an improvement on 2008 MS reports. 

–  Eight MS did not give an overall opinion on whether their fleet was or was not in 
balance with its fishing opportunity in 2009 (compared to14 in 2008 reports). 

–  Greece was the most improved MS in terms of score achieved. 

STCEF also prepared a scoreboard on the quality and content of the MS reports that is 
reproduced below. 

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Scores by Member State for inclusion of required elements in annual reports2 

E
B

G
B

Y
C

K
D

E
E

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F

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D

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Q 

Required element of report 

i) Description of fleets 

1A 

ii) Link with fisheries 

iii) Development in fleets 

i) statement of effort reduction schemes 

1B 

ii) impact on fishing capacity of effort 
reduction schemes 

1C 

Statement of compliance with entry / 
exit scheme and with level of reference 

i) Summary of weaknesses & strengths 
of fleet management system 

1D 

ii) plan for improvements in fleet 
management system 

iii) information on general level of 
compliance with fleet policy instruments 

1E 

Information on changes of the 
administrative procedures relevant to 
fleet management 

2 

Report 10 pages or less? 

O 

Overall: does report assess balance 
between capacity & opportunity? 

x
a
M

s
e
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o
c
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2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

2 

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3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

0 

0 

0 

1 

3 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

0 

1 

1 

0 

3 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

3 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

3 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

0 

0 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

0 

1 

1 

1 

0 

2 

3 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

0 

0 

Total scores:  

24 

19 

24 

18 

23 

19 

19 

19 

23 

14 

23 

22 

20 

21 

22 

24 

20 

19 

20 

2 

The French report was not submitted in time to be assessed by the STECF working group 

EN 

10 

2 

0 

0 

2 

0 

2 

0 

0 

1 

1 

0 

0 

8 

2 

0 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

1 

0 

2 

0 

3 

2 

3 

2 

1 

2 

1 

1 

0 

3 

18 

20 

EN 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                 
Scores by Member State for quality of required elements in annual report 

s
e
r
o
c
s

x
a
M

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

E
B

G
B

Y
C

K
D

E
E

I
F

E
D

L
E

I
E

T
I

V
L

T
L

T
M

L
N

L
P

T
P

O
R

I
S

S
E

E
S

K
U

3 

1 

2 

3 

2 

3 

3 

2.5 

0.5 

2.5 

0.5 

2 

1.5 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

3 

1.5 

1.5 

0.5 

1.5 

3 

3 

3 

0 

2 

0 

3 

3 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

3 

2 

0 

3 

2.5 

2.5 

2.5 

3 

3 

3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

3 

3 

3 

3 

2.5 

2.5 

1.5 

0 

1.5 

2.5 

3 

3 

3 

0 

1 

3 

2 

0 

0 

3 

3 

2.5 

1 

3 

3 

3 

0 

1.5 

0.5 

2.5 

3 

2 

0 

3 

1.5 

3 

0 

0 

0 

0 

1.5 

3 

1 

3 

3 

3 

1.5 

2.5 

0.5 

1 

3 

3 

3 

3 

1.5 

2 

2 

1.5 

3 

3 

2.5 

1.5 

2 

2.5 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

0 

0 

3 

2.5 

1.5 

0 

0 

0 

0 

2 

1.5 

3 

2 

2 

3 

2 

0 

3 

0 

1 

3 

1.5 

2 

1.5 

2.5 

1.5 

3 

3 

2.5 

3 

3 

3 

3 

2 

3 

3 

3 

1.5 

2.5 

2.5 

1.5 

3 

3 

3 

2.5 

3 

3 

3 

0 

1 

2 

3 

0.5 

2 

3 

0.5 

3 

3 

3 

2 

2 

3 

0 

0 

3 

0 

2 

0 

0 

3 

0 

3 

3 

1.5 

0 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

1.5 

0 

1.5 

3 

0 

3 

3 

3 

3 

0 

3 

0 

3 

Q 

Required element of report 

i) Description of fleets 

1A 

ii) Link with fisheries 

1B 

1C 

iii) Development in fleets 

i)  statement  of  effort  reduction 
schemes 

ii) impact on fishing capacity of 
effort reduction schemes 

Statement  of  compliance  with 
entry  /  exit  scheme  and  with 
level of reference 

i)  Summary  of  weaknesses  & 
strengths  of  fleet  management 
system 

1D 

ii)  plan  for  improvements  in 
fleet management system 

iii)  information  on  general  level 
of  compliance  with  fleet  policy 
instruments 

Information on changes of the 
administrative procedures 
relevant to fleet management 

1E 

2 

O 

EN 

Report 10 pages or less? 

n/a 

Overall: does report assess 
balance between capacity & 
opportunity? 

Total scores:  

3 

2 

2 

0 

3 

2 

0 

2 

1.5 

0 

1.5 

1.5 

2 

0 

1.5 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

3 

33 

14.0 

20.0 

20.5 

28.0 

18.5 

22.5 

20.0 

21.5 

12.5 

21.5 

23.5 

17.5 

20.5 

20.5 

25.0 

23.5 

23.5 

22.0 

9.5 

16.5 

24.0 

11 

EN 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
6. 

THE COMMISSION'S CONCLUSIONS 

During 2009, the overall reduction in fleet capacity continued to be between 2% and 3% on 
average,  as  it  was  during  previous  years.  The  overall  trend  in  fishing  capacity  since  1992, 
shown in figures 3 to 5 in the technical annex, shows no appreciable change in the tendency.  

The  Commission  is  concerned  that  the  total  power  of  the  fleet  as  recorded  in  the  EU  and 
Member States Fleet Registers may not reflect the power effectively deployed at sea, an issue 
that  will  be  addressed  by  way  of  application  of  the  new  Control  Regulation  and  its 
implementing rules. 

The economic data for 2009 was not available for the majority of the Member States in which 
case, the reports include data for 2008. The Annual Economic Report3 shows a deterioration 
of  the  economic  performance  in  2008.  It  is  reasonable  to  conclude  that,  the  economic 
performance  of  the  fleet  in  2009  was  influenced  by  the  high  fuel  prices  in  2008  and  the 
subsequent economic crises. Furthermore, it can be seen from the reports of MS that fishing 
activity, i.e. the average number of fishing days per vessel is rather low and often, when times 
series are available, shows a declining trend. 

The  amount  of  capacity  decommissioned  with  public  aid  in  2009  increased  approximately 
10% in relation to 2008. Capacity reductions with public funds accounted for 73% in GT and 
79% in kW of the net capacity reduction during 2009. This seems to indicate that economic 
problems  and  the  scarcity  of  fishing  opportunities  due  to  overexploitation  of  resources  are 
pushing  down  the  size  of  the  fleet.  For  many  Member  States,  the  size  of  their  fleet  is  well 
under  the  capacity  ceilings  which  result  from  the  entry-exit  regime,  as  mentioned  above. 
Moreover, decommissioning programmes, being always a voluntary option for vessel owners, 
are  driven  by  poor  economic  results  and  not  necessarily  by  the  state  of  the  stocks.  These 
considerations  call  for  a  reflection  on  the  role  of  fishing  capacity  limitations  and  put  into 
question the need and effectiveness of publicly financed capacity reductions. 

The  implementation  of  individual transferable  rights  (ITR)  in  some  fisheries  has  resulted  in 
capacity  reductions  without  public  aid.  The  extension  of  ITR  schemes  to  more  fisheries, 
especially those with a greater excess of fishing capacity could facilitate its adjustment. 

Despite  the  fact  that  some  specific  fleets  seem  to  be  reasonably  in  balance  with  its  fishing 
opportunities,  the  overall  assessment  indicates  an  excess  of  fishing  capacity.  This  can  be 
concluded from the combination of overfishing, i.e. excessive fishing mortality in some stocks 
which  calls  for  fishing  effort  reductions,  low  capacity  utilisation,  i.e.  a  very  low  average 
number  of  fishing  days  per  vessel  and  low  profitability.  The  current  rate  of  capacity 
reductions,  which  are  at  least  partly  compensated  by  technological  progress,  will  make  it 
difficult  to  eliminate  overcapacity  in  the  short  term  if  no  changes  are  made  to  the  current 
policy. 

The  opportunity  to  implement  the  policy  changes  required  to  eliminate  excess  of  fleet 
capacity in the coming reform of the common fisheries policy should not be missed. 

3 

2010 Annual Economic Report on the European Fishing Fleet, ISBN 978-92-79-17117-8  

EN 

12 

   EN