Fishing fleet capacities

Overview

EU countries are obliged to report annually on this balance, using the guidelines prepared by the European Commission.

Also on an annual basis, the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) reviews the national fleet reports and assesses the balance between the fishing capacity and the fishing opportunities for key fleet segments in the EU.

A fishing fleet capacity ceiling in kilowatts (kW) and gross tonnage (GT) is established for each EU country. New fishing vessels may enter the fleet only after the same fleet capacity (in kW and GT) is removed. Through this ‘entry-exit’ system, the EU’s fleet capacity is kept stable.

Access to waters

In general, fishing vessels registered in the EU fishing fleet register have equal access to all of the EU waters and resources that are managed under the common fisheries policy. Access to fisheries is normally authorised through a fishing licence.

There are two temporary exceptions to the rule of equal access

• an EU country can limit access in waters up to 12 nautical miles from its coast to certain vessels and fisheries
• in Europe’s outermost regions, access can be restricted in waters of up to 100 nautical miles from their coasts to vessels registered in these territories and to vessels that traditionally fish in those waters

The exceptions expire on 1 January 2032.

Fishing fleet register

The Commission maintains the EU fleet register with the necessary vessel information received periodically from EU countries.

Master data register

The Master data register contains data structures and lists of fisheries codes to be used in electronic information recording and exchanges among Member States and for Member States' communications with Norway with the purpose to record and report fishing activities.

Law

Communication from the Commission: On the Energy Transition of the EU Fisheries and Aquaculture sector

Regulation (EU) 2022/2495 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 as regards restrictions to the access to Union waters