The licensed fleet in 2023 (3,728 fishing vessels, 147 less than in 2022) represented, relatively to the registered fleet, 54.4% in total number of vessels, 85.7% in capacity (GT) and 81.8% in power engine.

There were 788 vessels which left the fleet (+795.5%, vis-a-vis 2022), mainly due to the administrative withdrawal of 704 vessels, who had not worked for more than 30 years.

In 2023 total catches of the Portuguese fleet led to 171,235 tonnes, an increase of 3.3% of the national fishery production. Fresh and chilled fishery caught in 2023 represented 339,794 thousand Euros, reflecting an increase of 1.3% relative to the year 2022.

The annual price of fish landed at national level dropped by 6.6% in 2023, from 2.65 €/kg in 2022 to 2.47 €/kg.

In 2023, the deficit in the international trade balance of the fishery activity reduced by 105.4 million euros (-8.2%) to 1,176.2 million euros. This growth resulted from an increase in exports and a reduction in imports of this type of products, increasing the coverage rate to 53.7% (+3.2 p.p. compared to 2022).

Fishery operational program, Mar2020 (2014-2020) showed, at the end of 2023, an execution rate of 98% of the EMFF allocation programmed for this period.

Fishing quota for Portugal in 2023 increased by 14%, when compared with the previous year, with a total of 198 thousand tonnes. Of the relevant species subject to catch limitations in 2023, the most significant increases occurred in the quotas for horse mackerel, megrim, monkfish, hake and cod in the traditional NAFO 3M fishing area.

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