(01 October 2018) – The 2018 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet shows record-peak levels in economic performance of the EU fishing fleet in 2016 and closely links this achievement to the use of sustainable fishing methods.
The report points to a significantly improved economic performance of the EU fishing fleet from 2009 onwards. The EU fleet registered record-high net profits of EUR 1.3 billion in 2016, a 68% increase compared to 2015. Moreover, forecasts for 2017 and 2018 are looking positive.
The positive economic development of the EU fishing fleet is closely linked to the sustainable exploitation of fish stocks. The report indicates that economic performance stagnates where fleets depend on stocks that are still overfished or overexploited.
Fleets that fish sustainably, ever growing in numbers, have seen clear improvements in their profitability.