Profitability of fishery 2020

A total of 1,860 companies operated in the fishery industry in 2020. Of these, 70% were fishing companies, most of them practising small-scale fishing. 

The fishery industry provided 2,517 annual work units of employment, Fish processing was the largest sector, covering some 35% of the entire industry. Wholesale and retail accounted for 30% combined, and primary production 25%. Employment increased in processing and aquaculture, while it decreased in all other sectors.

In 2020, the total revenue of fishery industry companies amounted to EUR 845 million, the lowest since 2012. Fish processing produced the highest revenue at EUR 414 million, followed by wholesale with total revenue of EUR 234 million. Fish retail trade produced the total revenue of EUR 74 million, aquaculture EUR 76 million and commercial fishery EUR 48 million.

The processing value produced by the fishery industry amounted to EUR 134 million, most of which (EUR 53 million) came from fish processing. Wholesale produced the second largest processing value at EUR 33 million. The processing value of commercial marine fishery was nearly EUR 17 million and that of commercial inland fishery was some EUR 6 million.

With its net results of EUR 7.4 million, fish wholesale was the most profitable sector in the fishery industry. The net result of fish processing fell clearly short of the previous years’ level, being EUR 1.7 million. The net result of commercial marine fishery was EUR 5.4 million and that of commercial inland fishery was roughly EUR 1.5 million. Aquaculture companies produced a loss of EUR 10.6 million.