Commercial marine fishery catch continued to decrease in 2021

According to preliminary estimates, the total catch of commercial marine fishery in 2021 was 94 million kilos, being 18 million kilos lower than in the year before. The total catch was mainly Baltic herring and sprat. Gillnets and trap nets were primarily used in coastal fishing. The catch of most species fished in coastal areas was also smaller than on average in the 2000s.

According to provisional statistics by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Baltic herring catch totalled 74 million kilos in 2021, being 19 million kilos lower than in 2020. The total catch of sprat, caught  in conjunction with the fishery targeted at Baltic herring, increased by two million kilos to 15 million kilos. More than half of the sprat catch and 15 per cent of the Baltic herring catch were landed at ports in Estonia and Sweden.

“The Baltic herring and sprat catches, primarily caught from the open sea by trawlers, made up 94 per cent of the total commercial marine catch. Baltic herring and sprat fishing was very concentrated, with seven trawlers of roughly 30–40 metres in length accounting for more than half of the total catch. In total, Baltic herring and sprat were caught by 35 trawlers and 220 gillnet or trap vessels. The bulk of the Baltic herring catch was fished from the Bothnian Sea, while sprat was mainly caught from the Archipelago Sea,” says Pirkko Söderkultalahti, senior statistician at Luke.

Baltic herring, sprat, cod and salmon catches are regulated by annually agreed international catch quotas, the goal of which is to ensure the sustainable use of fish stocks. In Finland, a quota for Baltic herring has been set for two management areas. Of the quota set for the Gulf of Bothnia, 55 per cent was harvested in 2021, while the corresponding figure was 93 per cent in the Gulf of Finland and the Baltic Proper.

A large part of the quota set for the Gulf of Bothnia remained unutilised because the catch quota was exceptionally increased during summer from 53 to 102 million kilos. The decision to increase the quota was made late considering the markets, and fishermen and fish processors were unable to react to it.

The sprat quota was fully utilised. Three quarters of the salmon quota were harvested, totalling a little more than 26,000 fish.  The status of the cod populations in the Baltic Sea is very poor, and quotas have been reduced significantly in recent years. Only ten years ago, Finland’s total cod catch was more than one million kilos, while last year’s catch was down to a few per cent of the volume, totalling 35 tonnes.

“The majority of commercial fishermen fished with gillnets or traps in coastal areas. The most common species in coastal fishing was perch, caught by more than 800 commercial fishermen,” Söderkultalahti says.

The perch catch increased from 2020, while being slightly below the average of the 2000s. In coastal fishing, it was followed by European whitefish, pike, pikeperch, bream, roach, burbot, trout, smelt, Baltic herring, ide and salmon. Compared with average catches in the 2000s, the smelt and vendace catches were higher in 2020. The pikeperch and European whitefish catches were half of the average catches in the 2000s, while the trout catch remained at a quarter of the average. Also the salmon, burbot and pike catches were lower than the average.

"The decrease in catches can be explained, for example, by decreases in fishing efforts. The number of active fishermen has more than halved from over 2,100 fishermen during the past ten years."

The information is based on the statistics produced by Luke on commercial marine fishery catches. The estimated volumes of Baltic herring, sprat, salmon and cod catches are acceptably reliable. However, the catches of other species may be adjusted in the final statistics that will be completed in May. Depending on the species caught and the size of the ship, all commercial fishermen are obligated to report their catch while the ship is at sea, within 48 hours of landing the catch, or by the 20th day of the month following the end of the fishing month. Ships longer than 15 metres are equipped with a satellite tracking system that allows the authorities to monitor the ship’s movement. The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) for Southwest Finland and the Provincial Government of Åland monitor the utilisation of fishing quotas. Luke has access to fishery data for statistical and research purposes.

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