Quality description of commercial marine fishery statistics

Producer: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) since 1 January 2015. Before then, the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute was the responsible producer of the statistics.

Grounds for the compiling of the statistics: The compilation of the statistics is based on the Act on the Natural Resources Institute Finland (561/2014), the Act on Food and Natural Resources Statistics (562/2014) and the Statistics Act (280/2004) and the Commission Regulation on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in the north-east Atlantic (EC 218/2009). The EU framework for the collection of data in the fisheries sector (EC 1004/2017, 909/2019, 910/2019) also requires the collection of data on commercial fishing at sea.

Funding basis of the statistics: The production of the statistics is funded by the Natural Resources Institute Finland and the EU framework for the collection of data in the fisheries sector.

1. Relevance of statistical information

1.1. The information content and purpose of use of the statistics

Commercial marine fishery statistics constitute an annual summary of the number of commercial fishermen operating in the marine area and the volume and value of the catch, and the distribution of the catch and fishing effort by species, by month, by subdivision and by fishing method.

Marine fishery statistics are used when monitoring the status of fish resources and the development of fishing. Such information is also needed when evaluating issues such as the social impact of fishery, the financial status of fishing businesses, or the effects of environmental changes on fishery. Fishing statistics are used as a basis for deciding the annual quotas of salmon, Baltic herring, sprat and cod catches in the Baltic Sea.

Commercial marine fishery statistics are presented largely in accordance with international regulations and agreements. Fishery statistics from different countries are compiled and published not only by the statistical office of the European Union (EUROSTAT) but also the FAO, OECD and the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), among others.

1.2. Concepts and classifications

Commercial marine fishery statistics are based on periodic catch declarations by commercial fishermen. A commercial fisherman may be a natural person (person or business) or a legal person (limited liability company, limited partnership or general partnership), engaged in fishing for commercial purposes. The catch statistics include the entire catch of Finnish commercial marine fishermen, including the part of the catch landed outside Finland. Foreign vessels also land their catches in Finland, but such catches are not included in the Finnish catch statistics.

According to the Fishing Act (379/2015), all commercial fishermen must be entered in the register on commercial fishermen and the Act on the registration of fishing and aquaculture vessels operating at sea (690/2010) obliges all vessels and boats engaged in commercial marine fishing under a Finnish flag to be registered. Both registers are maintained by Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. In Åland, the Provincial Government maintains a register of fishing vessels engaged in commercial fishing.

The regionalization used in the statistics is consistent with the spatial classification of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). Catch statistics are presented in accordance with international practice as a nominal catch. Nominal catch refers to catches landed by fishermen in Finland or abroad or transshipped at sea. For statistical purposes, this is reported in kilograms live weight, i.e. the weight of ungutted fish. Discards, for example fish damaged by seals, are not included in the nominal catch.

The catch is reported by species and fishing gear. The amount of catch is calculated separately for each species based on non-zero observations during the reporting period and presented in trap net, gill net, trawl and hook days. For instance, trap net fishing with two trap nets over ten days accounts for twenty trap net days. The reporting period is one fishing effort in the fishing logbook and the landing report of coastal vessels of less than 10 metres’ length, and one month on the coastal fishing report.

The catch per unit effort (CPUE) is given as the quantity of catch in kilograms (kg) per fishing gear and 24 hours of fishing. The CPUE per species is also calculated for non-zero catch observations only. The number of units of fishing gear is calculated as the sum of fisherman-specific highest numbers of units of gear simultaneously used for fishing. The number of fishing days is the total number of fishing days of all fishermen for the gear in question, regardless of whether or not there was a catch. Fishing gear is used for different lengths of time and its number varies. This variation is taken into account in fishing gear days (trap net, gillnet and trawl days), for example five days of fishing with ten nets totals fifty net days.

1.3. Research subject and data providers

Commercial marine fishery statistics data is based on the catch declarations made by commercial fishermen operating in the sea area. Council Regulation (EC) No. 1224/2009, Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No. 404/2011 and the Act on the implication system and monitoring of a common fishing policy (available in Finnish as laki yhteisen kalastuspolitiikan seuraamusjärjestelmästä ja valvonnasta, 1188/2014) include regulations on how commercial fishing operators report their catches.

1.4. Taking the users’ perspective into consideration

The feedback received is monitored and taken into account when developing statistics. The aim is to develop the statistics in a way that takes account of structural changes in the sector. It is ensured that the content of statistics and availability of data comply with the requirements of international statistics (EUROSTAT, FAO).

2. Accuracy and reliability of data

2.1. The research method

Commercial marine fishery statistics are based on data received from official registers. The frame population of the statistics comprises the registers of commercial fishermen and commercial fishing vessels and boats. Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and the Provincial Government of Åland distribute and collect catch report forms and save the related data. Catch reports can also be reported on an electronic form. Natural Resources Institute Finland has access to the catch data for statistical purposes.

Three types of catch report forms are used:

1.

Fishing reports of vessels of 10 metres or more in overall length are usually submitted via the electronic EU logbook directly from the vessel. The following information is reported for each fishing effort: the fishing trip and its duration, the quantity caught (by fish species), the catch area as a statistical rectangle (approximately 55 x 55 km in size, formed on the basis of map coordinates), the fishing gear used and the catch time in hours. Information on the buyer of the catch and the quantity of discarded fish by species is also reported in the fishing logbook. Fishing logbooks must be returned to the ELY Centre or to the Provincial Government of Åland within 48 hours of landing the catch.

2.

Fishing reports of vessels under 10 metres in length, with the exception of species with catch quotas (up to 50 kg/day of Baltic herring), are given either on paper or electronically on a monthly coastal fishing journal. The following information is reported: the quantity caught (by fish species), the statistical rectangle, the fishing gear used, the number of fishing gear and fishing days plus the quantity of discarded fish by species. Journals must be returned by the fifth day of the following month to the ELY Centre or to the Provincial Government of Åland.

3.

Reports by vessels under 10 metres in length of species with catch quotas (50 kg or more/ day of Baltic herring) are given in landing declarations of coastal vessels under 10 m for each fishing effort, either on paper or electronically. The landing declaration must be returned to the ELY Centre or to the Provincial Government of Åland within 48 hours of landing the catch. The following information is reported: the quantity caught by fish species, the statistical rectangle, the fishing gear used, the catch time, the number of fishing gear and fishing days plus the quantity of discarded fish by species.

 A proportion of the declarations is checked by the Natural Resources Institute Finland before data is processed. Inaccurately reported data is corrected according to standardized guidelines. Error detection software is used in the search for inconsistencies in stored material. The compatibility of reports by pair trawling vessels is investigated and notifications regarding the quantity of discarded fish are reviewed.

Fishermen report the catch of salmon, trout, cod, flounder, European whitefish and rainbow trout as gutted weight. When catch is reported as gutted fish the weight is converted to ungutted fish by the species specific conversion factor in the national central control register on commercial fishery. The conversion factor of salmon and trout was 1.11; 1.17 for cod, 1.08 for flounder and European whitefish, and 1.2 for rainbow trout.

The value of catches landed in Finland is calculated based on the average prices paid to fishermen for fish, published by Natural Resources Institute Finland. The shares of Baltic herring landed in Finland for food and industrial purposes of the total catch are estimated on the basis of fish purchasing information received from the national central control register on commercial fishery.

2.2. Issues affecting the reliability of the statistics

The Fisheries Act (379/2015) obliges all commercial fishing operators to report their catch data. Previously, the fishing activity of those not responding to the catch enquiry was estimated and they were assumed to have acted in the same manner as those having submitted fishing reports, so that the proportion of those who had caught fish and those who had not fished was the same. From 2015 on, statistics are prepared based on the assumption that everyone engaged in commercial fishing in the sea areas has complied with the statutory obligations and submitted catch reports.

It is known that low-value by-catch and discards tend to be inadequately reported. The magnitude of this source of error has not been investigated.

2.3. Procedures for correcting errors 

Errors found in the statistics will be corrected as soon as possible in accordance with the recommendations of the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland. Errors are corrected in statistical databases and the corrected information will be published on the statistics home page.

3. Timeliness and promptness of data

Commercial Marine Fishery statistics are published each year in June of the year following the statistical year. Preliminary information on commercial marine fishery catches and the release calendar of statistics are available on the website of Natural Resources Institute Finland at https://www.luke.fi/en/julkistamiskalenteri. The data used in these statistics was drawn from the national central control register on commercial fishery on 19 April 2022.

4. Coherence and comparability of data

An estimate based on catch reports on the fish catch in Finland’s sea areas and its value has been published since 1962. The catch assessment methods used in professional fishery statistics in marine areas changed in 1987. The catch estimates for 1980–1986 were adjusted at the time, to make them more comparable to statistics for later years. When the completion of catch reports became a statutory obligation in 1995, fishermen began to report more actively. A lower non-response decreased the estimated proportion of catch and improved the accuracy of the catch estimates. Because the professional marine fishery data collection response rate has traditionally been high, the change has not materially affected the comparability of earlier statistics. Pursuant to the new Fishing Act (379/2015), all operators engaged in commercial fishing are obliged to provide catch reports. From 2015 on, statistics are prepared based on the assumption that everyone engaged in commercial fishing in the sea areas has complied with the statutory obligations and submitted catch reports. The correctness of this assumption will be investigated at regular intervals through interviews conducted to examine the fishing activities of those who have not submitted reports. Based on interviews conducted in 2013, the catch of non-respondents varied between 0 and 3.6%, depending on the species.

When examining statistics on the numbers of fishermen, account must be taken of the changes in fishermen's registers in 1987, 1995 and 2016. The fishermen's register used before 1987 was defective and the size of the frame population was determined based on the estimated numbers of fishermen by member organizations of the Federation of Finnish Fisheries’ Associations. In 1988, the fishermen's register was reformed in an effort to create a comprehensive list of professional fishermen. In the statistics, the reform shows as a reduction in the number of fishermen from 1986 to 1987. The next change occurred in the transition to EU membership in 1995, when the registration of professional fishermen became obligatory under a decision by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In the statistics, the consequences of the change show as an increase in the total number of registered fishermen in 1995. However, the number of active fishermen remained more or less unchanged. In 2009 and 2010, the number of professional fishermen grew due to revised provisions relating to the sale of fish. The new Fishing Act (379/2015) entered into force on 1 January 2016. The register of commercial inland fishermen was abolished and the commercial fishermen’s register was established. All natural and legal persons fishing for sales purposes must be included in the register. The commercial fishermen’s register includes two groups: Group 1 is for commercial fishermen whose average turnover from fishing activities in the last three financial years exceeded EUR 10,000, while group 2 is for other commercial fishermen. The consequences of the change shows in the statistics as an increase in the number of registered fishermen in 2016 and 2017. Commercial fishermen have the right to use certain fishing gear and amounts of fishing gear, which has actually encouraged other fishermen to register.

5. Accessibility and clarity of data

The statistics are published on the Natural Resources Institute Finland's website at www.luke.fi/en/statistics.

Professional marine fishery statistics since 1980 are available from Luke's statistical database. The statistics for professional marine fishery were published in the Suomen Kalatalous series for 1962–1986, in the SVT-Ympäristö series for 1987–1997 and, since 1998, in the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery series of the Official Statistics of Finland. The time series statistics for professional marine fishery for 1980–1998 are given in the publication Finnish Fishery Time Series (Official Statistics of Finland: Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery 2001:60).

Separately ordered reports can be produced for clients, within the limits set by the basic content itself and privacy rules. The statistical calculation data is stored by Natural Resources Institute Finland. Southwest Finland Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment and the Provincial Government of Åland manage archiving of catch reports.

Information requests concerning statistics should be addressed to Luke´s statistical information services: tietopalvelu@luke.fi.