In 2023, 3,728 vessels were licensed, 147 fewer than in the previous year, with the licensed fleet equivalent to 54.4% of the total number of vessels, 85.7% of the total gross tonnage, and 81.8% of the total fleet power registered that year, says the National Statistics Institute (INE) in a statement.

According to “Fisheries Statistics - 2023”, the average annual price of unloaded fresh or chilled fish registered a year-on-year decrease of 6.6%, going from 2.65 euros per kilogram in 2022 to 2.47 euros/kilogram in the year past.

In terms of international trade, in 2023, the trade balance deficit for fishing products or those related to this activity improved by 105.4 million euros (-8.2%), reaching 1,176.2 million euros.

This evolution resulted from an increase in exports and a reduction in imports of that type of product, increasing the coverage rate to 53.7% (+3.2 percentage points compared to 2022).

INE also pointed out that the Operational Program that manages the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) had, at the end of 2023, an execution rate of 98% of the allocation programmed for the period.

Last year, Portuguese quotas increased by around 14%, accounting for 198,000 tonnes.

Of the relevant species subject to catch limitations in 2023, the most significant increases occurred, once again, in quotas for horse mackerel, megrim, monkfish, hake and cod in the traditional NAFO 3M fishery.