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Press release

UK fishing industry report available online

Date issued: 12 July 2012
Reference: 04/12

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) publishes its latest statistical report The UK Fishing Industry in 2011: Structure and Activity today.

The report – which is published in advance of the full UK Sea Fisheries Statistics in September – includes detailed data about the size and composition of the UK fishing fleet, the number of fishermen and UK fishing activity during 2011.

The statistics also include new coverage of fishing effort in the Cod Recovery Zone and Western Waters. The report will inform and complement government policy and proposed changes to the Common Fisheries Policy.

Overall, the statistics show that there were 17 per cent fewer vessels in the UK fleet in 2011 than in 2001, with fishermen numbers falling by around 2,600. The number of days spent at sea by over 10 metre vessels has fallen by 42 per cent over the same period.

The statistics are being released in advance of the compendium publication UK Sea Fisheries Statistics 2011 in late September in a drive to provide data to the public as soon as statistics are available. A further report on UK catches and landings will also be issued in late August.

In 2011:

• The UK fishing fleet remained the sixth largest in the EU in terms of vessel numbers, with the second largest capacity and fourth largest power. 6,444 fishing vessels were registered with a total capacity of 202,000 gross tonnage (GT) and total power of 809,000 kilowatts (KW).  This compares with 6,477 vessels, 207,000 GT and 827,000 KW in 2010.
• 22 per cent of the UK fleet was made up of vessels over 10 metres in length. In Scotland almost a third of vessels were over 10 metres, the same as in 2010.
• Just over 12,400 fishermen were reported as active in the UK. Of these, around 2,400 were part-time. This compares with 12,703 fishermen of whom 2,531 were part time in 2010.
• Effort controls can be applied to specific zones to aid recovery of stocks. Fishing effort using the most cod-intensive regulated gears has fallen by 38 per cent since the implementation of the Cod Recovery Zone in 2003. Effort in the Sole Recovery Zone with regulated beam trawls has fallen by 27 per cent since its creation in 2004.
• Effort on fishing trips targeting scallops in ICES sub-area VII under the Western Waters Regime has increased by 47 per cent since 2001, while effort on similar trips in ICES sub-areas V and VI has more than halved.

The full report, and more detailed supplementary tables, can be seen at www.marinemanagement.org.uk/fisheries/statistics/annual.htm

Notes to editors

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) regulates the seas around England, including the management of fisheries.

The MMO has the difficult balancing task of ensuring that stocks are managed throughout the year to maximise fishing opportunities for the UK industry, while ensuring that stocks are not overfished and the UK Government and taxpayer does not have to pay steep penalties.

We are continually working with the fishing industry to improve day-to-day management with accurate catch limits and forecasts that secure longer fisheries, whilst ensuring the welfare of fish stocks.

The MMO, through the European Fisheries Fund (EFF), awards millions of pounds every year to the fishing industry and surrounding communities.