Brussels, 09/11/2005 (Agence Europe) - Statistics recently published by Eurostat show that the number of fishing vessels in the EU15 fell from 96000 to 86000, or 10.3% between 2000 and 2004. This fall was observed in all Member States, particularly the Netherlands (-21.7%), Sweden (-20.7%), Denmark (-17.4%) and Spain (-15.7%). The EU15 fleet tonnage fell by 6.9% between 2000 and 2004, with five Member States (the UK, Sweden, Finland, Greece and Denmark) having falls of more than 10%. Only Ireland saw an increase in the tonnage of its fleet, 27.2%, through the addition of one huge ship to a relatively small fishing fleet (1.5% of the total EU25 fishing fleet). The engine power of the EU15 fleet fell 9.0%, with six Member States (Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Greece and Italy) experiencing falls of more than 10%.
In 2004, there were 92422 fishing vessels registered in the EU25. Greece (18730 ships, 20% of the total), Italy (14935, 16%), Spain (14052, 15%), Portugal (10098, 11%), France and the UK account for 79% of the EU25's fishing ships. In terms of tonnage, Spain comes out on top (491000 tonnes, or 23% of the EU25 total), followed by the UK (223,000 tonnes, 9%), Italy (216000 tonnes, 10%), France (214000 tonnes, 10%) and the Netherlands (195000 tonnes, 9%). The seven new Member States with a fishing industry only account for 7% of the number of EU25's fishing ships, 11% of the tonnage and 7% of the engine power. Baltic States account for 53% of the number of ships, 85% of the tonnage and 66% of the engine power of the fishing fleet of new Member States.
According to Eurostat, 81% of EU25 fishing vessels are less than 12 metres long. With the exception of Belgium and the Netherlands, whose fishing vessels tend to be big ships, all Member States have relatively similar fishing fleets. In Finland, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta, more than 90% of the boats are less than 12 metres long.
The average age of the EU25 fishing fleet is 22.8 years, with the newest ships being found in Estonia and Malta. 69% of ships are less than 30 years old, but 6.5% are more than 50 years old and 45 more than a hundred years old. On average, the new Member States' fishing fleet is much newer than that of the EU15 (18.5 years as opposed to 23.1 years).