Documentation of statistics commercial inland fishery

Data description

The statistics of commercial inland fishery contain information about the commercial inland fishery catch, the value of the catch, and the number of commercial fishers. The statistics cover the catch of fish, roe, European river lamprey, and crayfish.

Classification system

Catches are also presented on a monthly basis. In addition to other catches, the statistics also present removal fishing (biomanipulation) separately. High fishing effort is being exercised in removal fishing to impact fish community structure by catching cyprinids in particular. Catches from removal fishing usually do not have major commercial value.

Sector coverage

The statistics cover fishermen registered in the register of commercial fishermen, who have reported that they practice inland fishery.

Statistical concepts and definitions

Commercial fishing is an activity in which fish are caught for sale or in which all or part of the fish caught is sold. According to Finnish fisheries law and EU Common Fisheries Policy regulations, non-commercial fishermen are not allowed to sell their catches, except for the occasional sale of a small quantity of fish or crab directly to the consumer in inland waters. Commercial fishermen have some rights that differ from recreational fishermen. They can sell their catch and receive public subsidies. In addition, commercial fishermen can use more than 240 metres of nets and 100 hooks per boat, a trawl, and a big trap net for salmon and trout.

In these statistics, commercial fisher includes persons engaged in fishing activities for the purpose of sales, who are listed in the register of commercial fishers maintained by the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) for Southwest Finland.

Commercial fishers are classified in two groups based on income received from fishing. Fishers whose average revenue from the sale of the fish they have caught, or fish products processed from their catch over the past three financial years exceeds EUR 10,000 are in group I. Other fishers are in group II. 

The frame population of the Commercial Inland Fishery statistics consists of fishermen registered in the register of commercial fishermen, whose registration status is active and whose registration decision has been valid during the statistical year.

The register of commercial fishermen includes natural persons (persons or one-man businesses) and legal persons (limited liability companies, limited partnerships or general partnerships) who receive a revenue from the sale of the fish or crayfish that they have caught or that have been caught in their name or from fish products processed from the catch. In inland waters, fishers other than commercial fishers cannot engage in the direct sale of the fish they have caught, apart from the occasional sale of minor fish or crayfish catches to consumers. However, family members or hired labour who takes part in fishing activities are not regarded as commercial fishers, unless they are listed in the register.

Catch statistics are presented in accordance with international practice as a nominal catch. The term “nominal catch” means the landed catch. For statistical purposes, this is reported in kilograms live weight, i.e., the weight of ungutted fish. Discarded fish are not included in the nominal catch.

Results are presented using the regional distribution of fishery units applied by ELY-Centres until the end of 2014. The catch is reported according to the catch area, and the number of fishers is reported by the habitual residence of fisher.

The value of the catch is calculated on the basis of annual species-specific average prices reported by fishers, exclusive of VAT. Salmon and trout are sold as gutted fish, and the value of the catch is usually indicated as gutted fish. It is converted into the price of a full fish using a conversion factor, which is 1.11 for salmon and trout. 

The value of the catch is presented as nominal value in the statistical database. The value of catch has been converted into the current year’s prices using the index of consumer prices only if, in the context, it has been declared as a real value.

Statistical unit

The statistical unit is a commercial fisherman. A commercial fisherman may be a natural person or a legal person.

Statistical population

The statistical population of the statistics is the commercial inland fishers in Finland. The statistics are comprehensive. This means that all commercial inland fishers are included in the statistical population.
The register of commercial fishers forms the frame population of the statistics. The size of the frame population (N), i.e., the total number of fishermen in the register of commercial fishermen, and the number of the fishermen who report their catches to Luke (n) varies from year to year. Fishers who have been in the register for at least one day during the statistical year are included in the frame population.

Additionally, the register may include persons who act as fishing guides and recreational fishers who use the type or number of fishing gear intended for commercial fishing.

Unit of measure 

The quantity of catch is given in thousands of kilogrammes (1000kg). The catch of crayfish is given in thousands of individuals (1000 indiv). The value of catch is given in thousands of Euros (EUR1000).

Reference period

The reference period is a calendar year. The number of fishers is the number of fishers in the register at the end of each statistical year.

Reference area

The reference area of the statistics is the inland waters in Finland, and the regional distribution of fishery units applied by ELY-Centres until the end of 2014. The catch volumes and values are reported by catch area. The number of fishers is reported by the habitual residence of fisher.

Time coverage

The statistics are compiled for the year, and the catches are given by month. Information is available since the 1960s.

Frequency of disseminations

Yearly

Base period

The statistics are not an index.

The statistics are compiled based on the Act on the Natural Resources Institute Finland (561/2014), the Act on Food and Natural Resource Statistics (562/2014), and the Statistics Act (280/2004).

More information: Statistics legislation

Confidentiality - policy

Confidentiality is a base principle of statistics and assures the confidential processing of data provided by informants, and the Natural Resources Institute Finland has undertaken to follow this principle. Micro-data is confidential and must never be released for administrative decision-making, investigation, surveillance, legal proceedings, or similar purposes.

Confidentiality - data treatment

The confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed according to the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Personal Data Act (523/1999), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679). Data is protected at all stages of processing using the necessary physical and technological solutions. The staff only has access to information necessary for their duties. Unauthorised people do not have access to spaces in which micro-data is processed. Staff members have signed a non-disclosure agreement when entering duty. Intentional breach of confidentiality will be penalised.

More information: Privacy policy – Statistics

The disseminations of the Natural Resources Institute Finland are published online on weekdays at 9:00. Data is public after it has been published on the website.

Release calendar

Publication dates are confirmed in autumn together with the action plans. The release calendar of the following year is published for users in the end of the year. The release calendar contains data on the dates of future publications. The publication dates are published in the calendar at first with an accuracy of one week, and two months prior to the publication date with an accuracy of a day. The calendar also contains direct links to already published statistical publication.

Release calendar access

Statistical releases calendar | Natural Resources Institute Finland

Quality assurance

The Natural Resources Institute Finland follows the Code of Practice and the Quality Assurance Framework of European statistics when compiling statistics. The Code of Practice concern the independence and accountability of statistics authorities, and the quality of processes and published data. The principles are compatible with and supplement the Principles of Official Statistics, agreed upon by the United Nations Statistical Commission. The quality criteria of official statistics in Finland are also compatible with the Code of Practice of European statistics. The principles are also compatible with the European Foundation for Quality Management.

Quality assessment

Statistics Finland performs quality assurance of statistics. Quality assurance on the Commercial Inland Fishery statistics was performed in 2020.

User satisfaction

Feedback is collected from the users of the statistics, especially when revising the statistics. Feedback is also received directly. In addition, we investigated the wishes of users for developing the statistics in the autumn of 2021 and beginning of 2022, when updating the work programme for the Natural Resources Institute Finland. We follow the received feedback and take it into consideration in developing the statistics.

Overall accuracy and reliability

In practice the statistics are a census study, as the fishing act (2015/379 90 §) obliges inland fishers to declare their catches to the Natural Resources Institute Finland at least once a year. The accuracy of the statistics is however weakened by fishers not reporting catch and other data such as producer prices. The response rate of Group-I fishers in 2016 and 2020 was 60–70%, and the response rate of Group-II Fishers was 40–50%.

Timeliness

The Commercial Inland Fishery statistics are published every year before the end of the year following the statistical year, since 2016.

Comparability - geographical

Data between national regions included in the statistics is comparable. Data is also comparable to data on fishing published by Eurostat, FAO, and ICES. 

Comparability - over time

Time series have been compiled using consistent methodology since 2016. The methodology of compiling statistics was changed in 2016 as a result of the new fishing act. Up to 2014, the Natural Resources Institute Finland collected data needed for the recording of statistics from professional inland fishers using a national mail survey and phone interviews. Statistical data was not collected in 2015.

Coherence - cross domain

The statistical data consists of catch reports reported by commercial inland fishers to the Natural Resources Institute Finland. No other data is used for the statistics.

The commercial inland fishery statistics are a part of the total fish production statistics.

Source data

The fishing act (379/2015) that came into effect in the beginning of 2016 mandates commercial fishers on keeping a log of fishing activities outside marine areas, and to report their catch to the Natural Resources Institute Finland at least once a year.

Catch report data is collected in a database maintained by the Finnish Food Authority, and the Statistical Services department of the Natural Resources Institute Finland has a real-time connection to this database. The Statistical Services department of the Natural Resources Institute Finland also has a real-time connection to the commercial fishermen’s register.

Frequency of data collection

Yearly

Data collection

The commercial inland fishery statistics are a census study, the statistical population of which, since 2016, is the operators in the commercial fishermen’s register maintained by the Southwest Finland’s ELY Centre. Fishers report their catch to the Natural Resources Institute Finland with either a paper form, or with an electronic data collection app maintained by the Finnish Food Authority. The Finnish Food Authority maintains a database in which data on catch is recorded.

Catch report forms are sent to respondents at the beginning of the statistical year. Catch, price, and labour data can also be reported to the Natural Resources Institute Finland via an electronic application. Phone interviews and text message surveys are conducted on fishers who did not report their catch. 

In the non-response survey of the statistical year 2020, a text message was sent to all Group-II fishers not included in the sample of the phone survey and to fishers who could not be reached by phone calls. In addition to the actual responses, the data from the non-response survey is used in estimating the number of active fishers by fisherman class and by fishery units. Fishers are divided into two groups based on the value of catch, and these groups are used as the basis for stratification for estimating the number of fishers. Data on catch must be reported by the end of February, following the year of landing the catch.

Data validation

The response material of the statistics is reviewed and edited on a monthly basis. Additionally, the non-response is investigated based on variable background information.

Data compilation

Reported catch is expanded to equal the collected number of fishers using fisherman classes as a base for stratification. Weights are calibrated for the given estimates on the number of fishermen by fishery unit of ELY Centres.

Joint ventures formed by fishers are processed individually for each fisher in data compilation. Reported combined catch is divided for each partner before estimation process.