So says a recently published report from SINTEF Ocean commissioned by Fiskebåt (a sector and employer organisation affiliated to the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association and representing the Norwegian marine fishing fleet).
This wealth generation involved the employment of about 21,000 FTEs. The marine fleet thus contributed between 61 and 66 per cent to the entire fisheries-based value chain.
The fisheries-based value chain includes the catch component, fish processing (based on wild fish and various shellfish), the export/trade component, as well as the suppliers of services and equipment to the various sectors in the value chain. During 2021, the marine catch component alone accounted for 4,500 FTEs, which contributed NOK 11.4 billion to Norway’s total GNP.
Major ripple effects from the catch component
Demand from the catch component generates activity among actors that supply goods and services to the sector, and in 2021 this activity accounted for NOK 4.4 billion. Moreover, activity further along the value chain (i.e. that generated by the product supplied by the fleet) is of major significance in particular for employment and wealth creation in the fish processing sector. This contribution amounted to NOK 18 billion. In 2021, the marine fishing fleet contributed NOK 21.4 billion to total wealth creation both up- and downstream along the fisheries value chain, employing 16,500 FTEs. Thus, the total for the entire value chain was NOK 32.8 billion and 21,000 FTEs.
Each FTE in the marine fleet catch component generates three to five additional FTEs along the value chain. In total, this component contributes approximately two kroner in wealth creation, in addition to each krone generated by the sector itself.
As part of this analysis, SINTEF has made modifications to the group categories for marine and coastal fishery vessels. In its analysis, the marine fleet category includes both Vessel Group 4 (conventional fishing vessels of authorised length 21 metres or more) and Vessel Group 11 (coastal seine vessels, including purse seine vessels without licence/SUK category of authorised length 21.36 metres or more). This modification diverges from the group categorisation of marine and coastal fishing fleet vessels as issued by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, which places both groups in the coastal fleet category.
The reason for this modification of the group categorisation is that SINTEF’s analysis focuses on the contribution to wealth creation made by the marine fishing fleet based on the actual membership of the Fiskebåt organisation.
- You can read more about wealth creation generated by the Norwegian marine fishing fleet here.
