Fishing effort is a measure of the fishing activity of vessels including the time spent travelling to fishing grounds as well as the time spent fishing.

Effort data covers voyages by UK over 10 metre vessels only.

Data are provided according to the grid classification system of ICES (The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) rectangles.

Effort data are shown for rectangles where five or more UK over 10 metre vessels undertook fishing activity in a given year. Rectangles in which fewer than five over 10 metre vessels undertook fishing activity are identified but as the data are disclosive they are not shown. The absence of an ICES rectangle from each dataset indicates that no UK over 10 metre vessel undertook fishing activity in the given rectangle in the given year.

Final statistics are published in September of the year after which the statistics relate. Final statistics are considered complete and have undergone stringent quality assurance. Provisional statistics are published to provide access to data as soon as possible, typically in April or May of the year after which the statistics relate. Due to time lags, provisional statistics may not be complete.

Please note this data is restricted to ICES areas 27.4.a , 27.4.b , 27.6.a , 27.6.b , 27.2.a and 27.7.a and further to those ICES rectangles within EU waters.