Quality description of Commercial inland fishery statistics
Producer of the statistics: The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), starting from 1 January 2015. Previously, the statistics was compiled by the Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (RKTL).
Basis of the statistics: The statistics is 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).
Funding for the statistics: The production of the statistics is funded by the Natural Resources Institute Finland.
1. Relevance of statistical data
1.1. Data content and purpose of use
The statistics of commercial inland fishery comprises a summary of the commercial inland fishery catch and its value. The statistics of commercial inland fishery presents the number of commercial fishers in inland waters, the commercial fishery catch and its value by species and region, and the catch by month and gear.
The statistics is used to monitor the status of fisheries and the fish stocks. Statistical data are also needed to assess the societal significance of the fisheries, the financial state of fishing companies or the impact of environmental changes on the fisheries. The statistics of commercial inland fishery is also included in the FAO statistical programme.
1.2. Concepts and classifications
In these statistics, commercial fisher mean 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.
The catch statistics is presented as a nominal catch in accordance with the international practice. The term “nominal catch” means the landed catch. It is shown as non-gutted fish, i.e. as live weight. The nominal catch does not include any discarded fish.
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 frame population of the statistics consists of fishers listed in the register of commercial fishers. The register of commercial fishers 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. In addition, 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.
The value of the catch is calculated on the basis of annual species-specific average prices reported by fishers. Salmon and trout are sold gutted, 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. Where values from previous years are used, they have been converted into the current year’s prices using the index of consumer prices.
The value of the catch was calculated on the basis of the species-specific average prices (VAT 0) reported by the respondents.
1.3. Research subject and data providers
As a result of the new Fishing Act (379/2015) entered into force at the beginning of 2016, commercial fishers are obligated to maintain a journal of fishing activities, apart from those taking place in sea areas, and to report the catches that they have caught and that have been caught in their name at least once per calendar year to Luke.
1.4. Users’ points of view
Feedback is actively collected from users of the statistics. Other feedback is also monitored and taken into account when developing the statistics. It is ensured that the content of the statistics and the usability of data fulfil the needs of international statistics.
2. Accuracy and reliability of data
2.1. Research method
The statistics of commercial inland fishery is a comprehensive survey. Since 2016, the frame population of the statistics is fishermen in the register of commercial fishermen maintained by the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland.
The statistics of commercial inland fishery is a census survey. Its frame population for 2016 and 2017 is the situation at the end of 2017 in the register of commercial fishers maintained by the ELY Centre for Southwest Finland. Questionnaires are sent to respondents at the beginning of the statistical year. Data about catches, prices and employment can also be reported to Luke via an electronic application. Telephone interviews are targeted at fishers who failed to report data about their catches.
The telephone interview data are used in addition to the actual responses to estimate the number of active fishers by fisher group and fishery unit. When estimating the number of fishers, fishermen are allocated into two categories based on the value of their catches. 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. Within these groups, it is assumed that the proportion of fishers who did not respond to the survey is the same as that of fishers who responded to telephone interviews. In addition, the resulting weights are calibrated according to the number of registered fishers in each group as per fishery units in the respondent’s habitual residence.
The reported catches are expanded to cover the estimated number of fishers as per fisher group. The weights are calibrated by the estimated number of active fisherman as per fishery units in each ELY Centre region.
Any joint ventures formed by fishers are processed on a fisher basis. The reported total catch is divided between each partner before the calculation.
The statistics also includes removal fishing (biomanipulation) by commercial fishers. 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. The statistics only include crayfish caught by registered commercial fishers. There is an unknown amount of crayfish put on the market that is not included in 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 (Table 1).
Table 1. The size of the frame population (N) and the number of the fishermen who have reported their catches to Luke (n) by fisherman group.
Group 1 Group 2 Total YearNnNnNn20162962001,4706781,76687820172961921,4706361,76682820183182091,6177861,93599520193742161,7847282,15894420203532151,4997541,852969
2.2. Factors affecting the reliability of the statistics
Considering the reliability of the statistics, it would be important that all respondents reported their fishing data as required in the legislation. The response rate among fishers in group I was roughly 60% in 2016 and 2017, whereas it was 40% among fishers in group II. Telephone interviews were conducted in 2018, including a sample of fishers in group II and all fishers in group I. They were asked whether they were engaged in fishing activities and whether they sold the fish they caught in 2016 and 2017.
2.3. Procedures for correcting errors
Any errors in the statistics will be corrected as quickly as possible in accordance with the recommendations issued by the advisory council of the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF). Errors will be corrected in statistical databases, and corrected data will be published on the website of the statistics.
3. Timeliness and promptness of data
The statistics of commercial inland fishery is published every year, starting from 2016, by the end of the year following the statistical year.
The publication date will be announced in the release calendar at https://stat.luke.fi/en/releasecalendar.
4. Coherence and comparability of statistics
The statistical method was changed in 2016 as a result of the new Fishing Act. Until 2014, Luke collected the data required for the statistics from professional inland fishermen by means of a national questionnaire and telephone interviews. No statistical material was collected in 2015.
Starting from 2016, all commercial fishers have a statutory obligation to register. Since 2016, a comprehensive register has been available for the first time. As a result of the amended Fishing Act, new fishers registered in, and the number of registered fishers multiplied. Since 2016, the statistics has been published annually.
In 1962–1996, statistics of national professional inland fishery was prepared annually. Starting from 1996, the statistics was compiled every other year. In 1990, the fisherman register was audited thoroughly. As a result of the audit, the number of registered fishermen decreased from 1989. ELY Centres have maintained the register of professional inland fishermen since 1998. It was previously maintained by TE Centres. In 1990–2006, the statistics was compiled using the same method. The frame population consisted of RKTL’s register, which included fishermen listed in the register of professional fishermen. Results from the national survey and separate studies for specific water areas were combined.
In 2008, the method was changed so that the frame population only consisted of fishermen listed in the ELY Centres’ register, and data was collected coherently by means of a national questionnaire and interviews. The 2010, 2012 and 2014 statistics were also compiled using this method. The most notable change can be seen in the number of part-time fishermen that clearly decreased in 2008. The exclusion of these unregistered fishermen from the statistics may also be reflected in the catches of certain species. This change apparently reduced the estimated catches of European whitefish, trout and, in particular, salmon. Since 2008, the statistics have also included estimates of crayfish and roe sales by registered professional fishermen. Their value has been included in the total estimate of professional inland fishery ever since. The calculation of the catch value was also changed during that year. Previously, the value was calculated by using average producer prices that were calculated from purchase prices collected from fish wholesalers. Since 2008, the values have been calculated on the basis of prices reported by fishermen.
In 1990–1996, the estimate was prepared according to the provincial division valid at the time. Before that, the statistics covered the whole country or was divided into water areas. The regional distribution used since 1998 follows the distribution of fishery units used by TE Centres and the previous provincial division. In 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, the regional distribution of fishery units used by ELY Centres until 2014 were used, and the same distribution has been used since 2016.
Until 2006, catches were reported by region according to the habitual residence of each fisherman. Since 2008, the regional distribution has been based on the catch area.
5. Availability and clarity of data
The statistics is published in Luke’s online service at stat.luke.fi.
Previously, the statistics of professional inland fishery was published in the Suomen Kalatalous series in 1962–1986 and the SVT-Ympäristö series in 1991–1996, and it has been published in the SVT Maa-, metsä- ja kalatalous (OSF Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery) series since 1998. The time series of professional inland fishery in 1980–1998 are presented in the Kalatalous aikasarjoina publication (SVT Maa-, metsä- ja kalatalous 2001:60).
Customers can order separate reports from the material, within the scope permitted by the basic material and privacy rules. The questionnaire and calculation data of the statistics are stored at Luke.
Information requests concerning statistics should be addressed to Luke´s statistical information services:: tietopalvelu@luke.fi.
A description of the statistics is available on the statistics website.