European Commission Studies and Pilot Projects for Carrying Out the Common Fisheries Policy No FISH/2006/17 - Lot 2 Analysis of the economic and social importance of Community fishing fleet using bottom gears in the high seas Final Report March 2008 Disclaimer This report has been prepared under contract FISH/2007/17 – Lot 2 by MRAG Ltd, MG Otero Consultores SL and PolEM sp. z o.o.. It does not necessarily reflect the view of the European Commission and in no way anticipates the Commission’s future policy in this area. Citation MRAG, MG Otero & PolEM (2008) Analysis of the economic and social importance of Community fishing fleet using bottom gears in the high seas. London: MRAG Ltd. 250 pages. Project no: ZF0914 Issue ref: R1 Date of issue: 14.04.2008 Prepared by: Walmsley, S.F., Peatman, T., Pearce, J., Portela, J., Tato, V., Ferreira, J., D. Agnew Checked/Approved by: D. Agnew Executive summary This report presents a description of the Community fleet using bottom gears (fishing gears which are in contact with the seabed) on the high seas (waters located beyond national jurisdiction), together with an analysis of its economic and social importance. Where possible, the importance is disaggregated by fishing activities in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), regulated high seas areas and unregulated high seas areas. The need for this study arises from international moves to address the effects of fishing with bottom gears on vulnerable marine ecosystems and in view of a Communication on the EU policy in respect of this. Catches from deep sea fisheries increased by 440% between 1975 and 2005 (high seas and EEZs), compared to a 47% increase for global marine catches. There is growing concern over the impact of fishing using gears that come into contact with the seabed (bottom gears), in particular in deep-sea areas where vulnerable marine ecosystems including seamounts, hydrothermal vents and cold water corals are located. The EU is an important stakeholder in high seas bottom gear (HSBG) fisheries: five of the eleven countries responsible for 95 % of the reported high seas bottom trawl catches in 2001 were EU Member States (Spain, Portugal, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia). The key EU Member States considered in this report are Estonia, France, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal and Spain. Although there is no commonly agreed definition for deep-sea species or fisheries, they occur at depths from 400 to over 2 000 metres, often on continental slopes or associated with seamounts, and the species are often slow-growing and vulnerable to over-exploitation. Deepwater species include orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus), oreos (Allocyttus spp., Pseudocyttus spp.), alfonsinos (Beryx spp.), redfish (e.g. Sebastes mentella, S. marinus), roundnose and roughhead grenadiers (Coryphaenoides rupestris and Macrourus berglax), blue ling (Molva dypterygia), Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and in the Southern Ocean, Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides). In terms of fleet size, the level of fishing operations, gross value added and employment generation, the most significant EU HSBG fleets are those of Spain, Portugal and Estonia, followed by Lithuania and Latvia. The HSBG fleets of France, Ireland, and Poland are relatively small. Spain has by far the largest HSBG fishing fleet which is based in Vigo and the neighbouring ports of Cangas and Marin. While Vigo is the main landing port in the EU for HSBG-fished species, other significant landings by EU vessels are made outside the EU, notably in Canada, Iceland and Norway. The main fishing areas for the EU HSBG fleets are the north Atlantic, mainly within the NAFO and NEAFC regulatory areas — areas 3L, 3M and 3N in NAFO and subdivisions VII and XII in NEAFC. Interactions with Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs) in these areas are most likely around the Hatton and Rockall Banks area, where a large amount of EU fishing effort takes place and there are concentrations of cold water corals. These areas are, however, within regulated areas and several areas where bottom trawling is banned have already been established. Interactions with VMEs in other areas is likely to be limited, either due to their non-existence in the areas where fleets are fishing (e.g. SW Atlantic) or due to the relatively minor amount of EU effort in those areas (e.g. SE Atlantic). i The EU HSBG fishing fleet has historically directed most of its fishing effort in the north Atlantic (NEAFC and NAFO) in the period 1993–2005. There have also been significant catches by the EU HSBG fleet in the SW Atlantic, mostly by Spanish flagged vessels. Catches in the SW Atlantic peaked in 2001 and have subsequently declined. Fishing effort in NAFO has been fairly constant. EU HSBG catches in NEAFC peaked in 2001 and have subsequently declined. EU HSBG fishing effort in CCAMLR is limited to Spanish-flagged longliners targeting toothfish. Fishing effort in SEAFO has been more sporadic and accounts for only a minor proportion of the EU HSBG fleet’s total catches. The EU HSBG fleet is made up of 106 vessels (2006–2007), comprising 85 bottom trawlers and 21 longliners. They have a total gross tonnage (GT) of 98 870.8 and a total engine power of 129 891.1 kW. They represent 0.1 % of the European fleet by number, 5.1 % by tonnage and 1.8 % by power. Their average age is 23.8 years and average length is 51.9 m. Historical data on fleet size was not obtained from all countries in the study, so trends are difficult to establish. However, it appears that the number of vessels involved in HSBG fishing has increased over the last few decades, although increasing operating costs and decommissioning schemes is reducing these fleets in recent years. Overall, EU HSBG fleets have been catching on average 70 000 tonnes of deep sea species in high seas areas (2004–2006), representing around 1.3 % of total EU catches. This has remained relatively steady over the last ten years, although catches peaked in 2001 with 146 468 tonnes. Spain and Portugal are responsible for the majority of EU HSBG catches (70 % by volume). However, in terms of relative importance to a states’ total catches, Estonian and Portuguese HSBG catches are most important (8. %, over the period 1993–2005) followed by Spain (3.7 % over the period 1993–2005). The main EU countries where deep sea species are landed are Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, although Germany was important during the 1990s. On average, 392 600 tonnes per year of deep sea species were landed into EU ports over the period 2004–2006. This has declined from an average of 527 700 tonnes per year in 1993–1995, but increased from 177 300 tonnes per year in 1998–2000. The total value of these landings was € 562.9 million per year over the period 1993–2006, and they are currently worth € 824.9 million per year (2004–2006). For the EU as a whole, landings of deep sea species make up 1.5 % of landings of all species by volume and 0.25 % by value of the total of landings into EU ports (2004–2006). Spain is the key EU player in HSBG fishing and these activities make a valuable contribution to the economy of the Galicia region in terms of value added, employment and food security. The gross value added from fishing activities generated by the Spanish HSBG fleet accounts for approximately 37 % of the total value added from all Galician based fishing activities in 2005/2006. Other players in HSBG fishing are Portugal, Estonia and Lithuania. The EU HSBG fleet employed 5 053 people in 2007, representing 2.8 % of employment in the European catching sector. The majority of this employment is on bottom trawlers. 41 % is dependent on fishing activities in high seas with bottom gears (2 087 jobs), or 1.2 % of employment in the EU catching sector. The majority of employment on these fleets is of EU nationals (81.1 %), although this is declining. Estimates of indirect employment generated from activities and catches of the EU HSBG fleets are difficult to obtain. However, the magnitude of processing ii employment in the countries studied is probably of the order of 4 000–5 000, or 2.7– 3.4 % of EU processing employment. Processing employment related to the HSBG fleets is largest in Spain, where it represents 10 % of employment in the processing sector. Indirect employment relating to port activities and vessel maintenance and repair is also important in Spain and Portugal, where vessels land their catches and come to port for repair and maintenance. The Baltic fleets rarely return to their home ports. Economic and social benefits from EU HSBG fleets are also derived in non-EU countries, through direct employment, indirect employment, processing and other value-added activities. Direct employment on Baltic fleets benefits Russians, Ukrainians and Belarussians. Indirect benefits mainly accrue to the countries where catches are landed and processed, namely Canada, Iceland, Norway, and to a lesser extent, South Africa, Brazil and Uruguay. Overall, the economic and social importance of Community HSBG fleets is relatively minor, compared to the EU fisheries sector as a whole. Nevertheless, in certain countries and regions, notably Spain and Portugal, it contributes significantly to catches, employment and value-added. iii Sommaire Ce rapport présente un descriptif de la flotte Communautaire utilisant des engins de fond (engins de pêche en contact avec le fond de mer) en haute mer (eaux situées hors juridiction nationale) ainsi qu'une analyse de son importance économique et sociale. Dans la mesure du possible, cette importance est désagrégée en activités de pêche dans les Zones Economiques Exclusives (ZEE), dans les zones de haute mer réglementées et dans les zones de haute mer non réglementées.