Metadata


Fish catch, value and fisheries


0. Registration entry for subjects


0.1 Name

Fish catch, value and fisheries

0.2 Subject area

Fisheries

0.3 Responsible authority; office, division, person etc.

Statistics Iceland
Business Statistics
Email: fiskitolur@hagstofa.is
Tel. +354 528 1000

0.4 Purpose and history

On January 1st 1999, Statistics Iceland took over responsibility of processing and publishing monthly and yearly statistics on fisheries from the Fisheries Association of Iceland and the Directorate of Fisheries.
The Directorate of Fisheries collects data on landed fish catches. Data on landed (and weighed) catch is registered into a database which is used by all certified scales situated in all ports receiving fish catches. The data registration is electronical. The Directorate of Fisheries also collects data on landings of Icelandic vessels in foreign ports. The Directorate of Fisheries delivers data to Statistics Iceland on a monthly basis. The datasets include data on gutted quantity, species, registration number of vessel, place of landing, date of landing, fishing area and the fishing gear used.

The purpose of the data collection is to enable the Directorate of Fisheries to monitor fish catching, in order to implement government policy on fisheries management. Statistics Iceland publishes statistics on fisheries to inform the government and the public about fisheries.

0.5 Users and application

Public authorities, various interested parties concerned or interested in fisheries.

0.6 Sources

Landed and processing of fish catch registered in a database system maintained by the Directorate of Fisheries. Fish export statistics are derived from original Customs data. World catch is based on data from FAO and ICES and fishing fleet statistics come from the Icelandic Transport Authority.

0.7 Legal basis for official statistics

According to Regulation no. 224 of 14 March 2006 on weighing of fish catches, all catches is to be weighed by certified scales in landing ports when it is landed. The Directorate of Fisheries is responsible for enforcing this regulation.

0.8 Response burden

According to Regulation no. 224 of 14. March 2006 on weighing of fish catches, all catch is to be weighed by certified scales in landing ports when it is landed. The Directorate of Fisheries is responsible for enforcing this regulation. It is illegal to not weigh fish catch on a certified scale. Response burden on enterprises on behalf of Statistics Iceland is none.

0.9 EEA and EU obligations

Council Regulation No 1382/91 of 21 May 1991 on the submission of data on the landings of fishery products in Member States

Council Regulation No 2018 193 of 30 June 1993 on the submission of catch and activity statistics by Member States fishing in the Northwest Atlantic

Council Regulation (EEC) No 2104/93 of 22 July 1993 amending Regulation (EEC) No 1382/91 on the submission of data on the landings of fishery products in Member States

Council Regulation (EEC) No 3880/91 of 17 December 1991 on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in the north-east Atlantic

Council Regulation (EC) No 788/96 of 22 April 1996 on the submission by Member States of statistics on aquaculture production

Council Regulation (EC) No 2597/95 of 23 October 1995 on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in certain areas other than those of the North Atlantic

Council Regulation (EC) No 1636/2001 of 23 July 2001 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 2018/93 on the submission of catch and activity statistics by Member States fishing in the North-West Atlantic

Council Regulation (EC) No 1637/2001 of 23 July 2001 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3880/91 on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in the North-East Atlantic

Council Regulation (EC) No 1638/2001 of 23 July 2001 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2597/95 on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in certain areas other than those of the North Atlantic

Council Regulation (EC) No 448/2005 of 15 March 2005 amending Council Regulation (EEC) No 3880/91 on the submission of nominal catch statistics by Member States fishing in the north-east Atlantic

1. Contents


1.1 Description of content

Data are released monthly, for each month and cumulatively from January each year. Tables are provided for (in tonnes):
· Total catch, value of catch and processing
· Import of raw material
· Export of marine products
· Financial accounts
· Price indices for fish products
· Fishing fleet statistics
· World catch statistics

Furthermore, a monthly index on total value of catch in fixed prices is provided. Along with the index, a percentage change from same month of previous year, percentage change between accumulated periods from January and a percentage change between yearly averages is provided.

The index is chain-linked in January each year to provide for continous time series. New average prices for each species are incorporated in the index in January as well. The prices are from the last fining-year are used. The index has the average catch of 2004 as a reference. The year 2004 has thus the value of 100.

Statistics Iceland releases statistics concerning quantity and value of imported and exported material from fisheries, the type of landing and the processing methods of the imported raw material. Statistics on the origin of the raw material, the region of landing and the share of imported raw material of catch value for domestic processing is also provided.

1.2 Statistical concepts

Region. Catch by regions is based on the place of landing. The regions are the conventional regions used by Statistics Iceland, namely the capital region, west, Westfjords, northwest, northeast, east, south and southwest.

Type of vessels. Fishing vessels are categorised by the quota class assigned to them by the Directorate of Fisheries.The classes are; trawlers, vessels with catch quota, small boats with catch quota, small boats with limited fishing days, hook and line boats with catch quota and other vessels.

Other concepts used are fishing gear and place of landing.

In the monthly index on total value of catch in fixed prices, the base year is the year from which the average prices are taken in order to weigh the species. It is common to confuse the base year with reference year, which is the year where an index is tuned to the value of 100. This, however, does not apply here. The base year is the year before last year as the average prices are from that year.

Imported raw material means catch purchased by Icelandic fish processors from foreign vessels i.e. vessels registered in other countries than Iceland.

2. Time


2.1 Reference periods

Calendar year.

2.2 Process time

Data is delivered to the Directorate of Fisheries from the port scales electronically twice a day. The Directorate delivers on the 11th day of each month raw data to Statistics Iceland as well as audited and processed data. Statistics Iceland further processes the data which typically takes 1-3 days.

2.3 Punctuality

The statistics are published in accordance to an Advance Release Calendar published on www.statice.is.

2.4 Frequency of releases

Monthly and yearly.

3. Reliability and security


3.1 Accuracy and reliability

By law all catch is to be weighed by certified scales in landing ports when it is landed. The Directorate of Fisheries is responsible for enforcing this law. It is illegal to not weigh fish catch on a certified scale. The accuracy and reliability is dependent on the fulfilment of these mandatory obligations. The catch is calculated to live weight by using conversion factors. The accuracy of live weight statistics is thus dependent on the quality of the conversion factors.

3.2 Sources of errors


3.3 Measures on confidence limits/accuracy


4. Comparison


4.1 Comparison between periods

The statistics can be compared between periods. However, it should be noted that statistics on last year's catch are more accurate than for the current year as the data are corrected and updated on continuous basis. However, this does not refer to the monthly index on total value of catch in fixed prices which is always calculated on the basis of first preliminary data.

4.2 Comparison with other statistics

The statistics can be compared with statistics on catch from the weight- and processing reports. However a small difference is normally adherent as the statistics are based on two seperate data sources.

The statistics for imported raw material for fish processing are processed from weight- and processing reports collected by the Directorate of Fisheries from buyers of catch. The statistics should be comparable with statistics on imports, which Statistics Iceland produces based on customs declarations. However, one must remember that quantity of imported catch is in weight- and processing reports calculated to live weight by using conversion factors. Such calculations are not made in the customs declarations.

4.3 Coherence between preliminary and final statistics

Final statistics are published yearly, while preliminary statistics are published monthly.

5. Access to information


5.1 Forms of dissemination

· News, released on Statistics Icelands website
· Statistics, categorised statistical web tables
· Statistical Series, Hagtíðindi
· Statistical Yearbook of Iceland, Landshagir

5.2 Basic data; storage and usability

Source data is stored at Statistics Iceland and the Directorate of Fisheries and is not available but for those working directly on fisheries statistics.

5.3 Reports

There are no other reports.

5.4 Other information

© Hagstofa �slands, �ann 12-1-2016