Gitnux/Report 2026

Fishing Boat Industry Statistics

The global fishing-vessel market is projected at $2.71B in 2026, explore the figures behind growth, shipbuilders, and AIS-driven technology trends.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Fishing Boat Industry Statistics
Nathan CaldwellWritten by Nathan Caldwell·Edited by Nikolas Papadopoulos·Fact-checked by Katherine Brennan
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

Agents search the published record and log every extracted figure back to the passage it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The fishing boat industry at a glance

The global fishing boat industry supports an estimated 4.7 million-vessel fleet in 2024, while the fishing-vessel market is forecast to reach $2.71 billion in 2026 as fleets modernize and safety requirements tighten.

$2.71B[72]
Market size, 2026
10.78%[72]
Forecast CAGR, 2026–2034
4.7M[45]
Global fishing vessels, 2024
77,434[40]
U.S. fishing boats sold, 2025
Market size
The global fishing-vessel market was valued at $2.38 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $2.71 billion in 2026. The estimate covers commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing vessels.[72]
Forecast & CAGR
The market is forecast to grow from $2.71 billion in 2026 to $6.14 billion in 2034, representing a 10.78% compound annual growth rate. Growth is linked to fleet renewal, higher demand for seafood and vessel modernization.[72][45]
Market share & regions
Asia accounted for 72% of the estimated 4.7 million-vessel global fishing fleet in 2024, with about 3.4 million vessels. Africa represented approximately 18%, while Latin America and the Caribbean accounted for about 6%; Northern America and Europe each represented about 2%.[45][73]
Segmentation
Fishing vessels are segmented by deck size, including small, medium and large decks; by vessel type, including freezer, wet-fish, side, outrigger, factory and stern trawlers; and by engine capacity, including below 200 horsepower, 200–300 horsepower and above 300 horsepower. The market also distinguishes commercial, artisanal and recreational applications.[72]
Key players & concentration
The industry is structurally fragmented across thousands of small-scale operators and shipyards, but the large-vessel segment is more concentrated: the IMO GISIS database included 32,784 fishing vessels in service, commissioned or launched in November 2024, while vessels above 100 gross tons numbered 23,003 and averaged 21 years of age.[74]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Fleet renewal is being driven by seafood demand, safety upgrades and sustainability requirements, while climate change and stock pressure create operational risks. FAO reported record global fisheries and aquaculture production of 235 million tonnes in 2024, but projected that exploitable fish biomass could decline by more than 10% by 2050 in several regions under high-emissions scenarios.[45]
Consumer behavior & competition
In the U.S. recreational market, 77,434 fishing boats were sold in 2025, making fishing boats the leading new-powerboat category. Overall U.S. new-boat retail sales fell 8.8% year over year to 215,237 units in 2025, while freshwater fishing-boat sales declined only 1.5%, indicating comparatively resilient demand.[40]
Regulation
The IMO’s Cape Town Agreement will enter into force in February 2027 after Argentina’s accession completed the required conditions in February 2026. It establishes mandatory safety standards for more than 45,000 fishing vessels of at least 24 metres, while revised STCW-F requirements for fishing-vessel personnel entered into force on January 1, 2026.[51]
Latest news
The most significant recent regulatory development is the scheduled February 2027 entry into force of the Cape Town Agreement, which will expand internationally binding safety requirements to fishing vessels of at least 24 metres. Separately, 2025 U.S. data showed fishing boats led new powerboat sales with 77,434 units.[51][40]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Fishing Boat Industry

The leading companies in the fishing boat industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Damen Shipyards Group stands out for fishing-vessel builds because it develops and produces shrimp trawlers, wet-fish trawlers, longliners and pot fishers, while VARD focuses on specialized fishing and offshore vessels since it has major specialized shipbuilder roots in Norway’s fishing-vessel industry.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in fishing vessel newbuilds

    Damen Shipyards Group

    NL

    Ranked #1 · 9.2 · Fishing vessel newbuilds

    Why we picked it: It builds shrimp trawlers, wet-fish trawlers, longliners and pot fishers across fishing-boat segments.

    See in ranking ↓Visit damen.com ↗

  2. #2 overall

    VARD

    NO

    Ranked #2 · 9.0 · Fishing vessel newbuilds

    Why we picked it: Its specialized shipbuilding focus ties to fishing-vessel construction experience originating in Norway.

    See in ranking ↓Visit vard.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    Zamakona Yards

    ES

    Ranked #3 · 8.6 · Fishing vessel newbuilds

    Why we picked it: Its portfolio covers tuna seiners, trawlers and live-fish carriers, spanning active fishing and handling needs.

    See in ranking ↓Visit zamakonayards.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. No other segment places in the top 5, so picks 2 and 3 follow rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the fishing boat industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Damen Shipyards Group

Fishing vessel newbuilds · NL

9.2
2

VARD

Fishing vessel newbuilds · NO

9.0
3

Zamakona Yards

Fishing vessel newbuilds · ES

8.6
4

Astilleros Armon

Fishing vessel newbuilds · ES

8.5
5

Cemre Shipyard

Fishing vessel newbuilds · TR

8.5
6

Tersan Shipyard

Fishing vessel newbuilds · TR

8.5
7

Piriou

Fishing vessel newbuilds · FR

8.5
8

Master Boat Builders

Fishing vessel newbuilds · US

8.0
9

Blount Boats

Fishing vessel newbuilds · US

8.0
10

Eastern Shipbuilding Group

Fishing vessel newbuilds · US

8.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the fishing boat industry. In Fishing Boat Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fishing-boat-industry-statistics/#top-companies

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

AIS-based datasets show scale for monitoring work: 190,000+ unique AIS devices on fishing vessels cover 2012–2024. Korean operations report low “smartized” shares, while machinery use is much higher in 2024.

AI in the fishing boat industry

  • 190,000+ unique AIS devices on fishing vessels were included in Global Fishing Watch’s machine-learning-based apparent fishing-effort dataset, covering 2012–2024 globally.[1]
  • Machine-learning models classified fishing-vessel behavior at individual AIS positions in a global dataset covering 2012–2024.[1]
  • Deep-learning models classified satellite-radar detections as fishing or non-fishing vessels in a global study covering 2017–2021.[2]
  • Up to approximately 96,000 fishing-vessel AIS devices were active in a given year in Global Fishing Watch’s 2012–2024 dataset.[1]

Automation in the fishing boat industry

  • 0.1% of South Korean fishing-vessel operations were classified as smartized in 2024.[3]
  • 86.9% of South Korean fishing-vessel operators used machinery to retrieve fishing gear in 2024.[3]
  • 3.7% of South Korean fishing-vessel operations were classified as automated in 2024.[3]
  • 78.6% of South Korean fishing-vessel operators used machinery when installing fishing gear in 2024.[3]
  • 67.6% of South Korean fishing-vessel operators used auxiliary equipment or exploration devices in 2024.[3]
  • 77.8% of South Korean fishing-vessel operators used machinery in operations in 2024.[3]

Digital Transformation in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 49% had digitized 50% or fewer of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[4]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 69% expected digitalization to improve efficiency in 2025.[5]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 51% identified high costs as a challenge to digitalizing logistics operations in 2025.[5]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 63% expected digitalization to enhance customer experience in 2025.[5]
  • Across surveyed freight forwarders and logistics providers, 23% had digitized more than 75% of business processes or transactions in November 2024.[4]

Technology Adoption in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying AI to reduce workloads in 2024.[6]
  • Across transportation and logistics executives surveyed in Europe and North America, 44% were using AI for transportation planning and optimization in 2025.[7]
  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 15% of logistics service providers reported using AI at scale.[6]
  • Among 2026 transportation-management survey respondents, 19% of shippers reported using AI at scale.[6]
  • Across transportation and logistics organizations, 53% were partially or fully deploying automated real-time shipment tracking to address knowledge-worker shortages in 2024.[6]

Cloud Computing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 75% said cloud was crucial to their organization’s future in 2023.[8]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 89% planned to increase AI and machine-learning investment during the following one to two years.[8]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 85% said leadership viewed cloud as a long-term investment in 2023.[8]
  • Across travel, transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 84% had increased AI and machine-learning investment during the preceding one to two years.[8]

Big Data in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 45% of surveyed multinational logistics and supply-chain organizations said in 2024 that they were using logistics data to its full potential, according to a survey of 60 organizations.[9]
  • 9.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used big-data analytics alone in the OECD’s 2026 cross-sector comparison, based on the latest available enterprise data.[10]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 49% expected digitalization to improve data visibility in 2025.[5]
  • Among global logistics decision-makers, 34% identified data analytics, including cloud platforms and AI-powered solutions, as the most critical technology in 2025.[5]
  • 12.5% of transportation and storage enterprises used both cloud computing and big-data analytics, according to the OECD’s 2026 sectoral comparison of enterprise technology adoption.[10]
  • 38% of surveyed GCC logistics organizations used structured data, while 20% recognized a systematic link between data and business insights, according to a 2023 study.[11]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Supply-chain reporting and governance show up as decision constraints: 33% of logistics organizations cite data quality as a barrier to scaling AI in 2026. Fleet KPI dashboards can track fuel, emissions, engine performance, and voyage activity in 2026.

Business intelligence in the fishing boat industry

  • 60 vessels were included in the Belgian fleet infrastructure targeted by a business-intelligence tool for processed fishing data, graphs and maps; 2022, Belgium.[12]
  • Business-intelligence dashboards for maritime fleets can report procurement, maintenance, breakdowns, downtime, incidents, inspections, fuel, emissions and voyage activity; 2026, maritime industry.[13]

Data analytics in the fishing boat industry

  • More than 190,000 unique AIS devices on fishing vessels supported Global Fishing Watch’s apparent-fishing-activity dataset; 2012–2024, global.[14]
  • More than 192,000 unique maritime mobile service identity numbers were represented in the complete Global Fishing Watch fishing-activity dataset; 2012–2024, global.[14]
  • AIS-equipped fishing vessels accounted for over half of fishing effort beyond 100 nautical miles from shore; 2024, global.[14]
  • AIS-equipped fishing vessels accounted for as much as 80% of fishing on the high seas; 2024, global.[14]
  • The complete Global Fishing Watch dataset contained approximately 695 million fishing hours; 2012–2024, global.[14]
  • Up to approximately 96,000 AIS-identified fishing vessels were active in a given year in the Global Fishing Watch dataset; 2012–2024, global.[14]

Data Quality in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations, 49% rated their data quality as good or excellent in 2024.[15]
  • Across transportation and logistics shippers, 33% identified data quality as a top barrier to scaling artificial intelligence in 2026.[6]
  • Across supply management organizations, 33% rated their data-security ability as very high for assuring data quality in 2024.[15]
  • Across supply management organizations, 67% said their data quality was better or significantly better than two years earlier in 2024.[15]

Data Governance in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance program, 81% found the program useful in 2024.[15]
  • Across supply management organizations, 61% had a dedicated data-governance function in 2024.[15]
  • Across supply management organizations with a data-governance function, 47% housed it in a center of excellence in 2024.[15]
  • 19% of shipper respondents said their supply chain governance maturity was running ahead, meaning proactive and predictable, in the 2024 global survey.[16]
  • 32% of transport and logistics respondents said data governance or security was a primary challenge when preparing data for artificial intelligence in 2024.[17]
  • 42.8% of airlines surveyed worldwide considered themselves to be in the early stages of data-strategy implementation in the IATA 2024 survey.[18]

KPIs in the fishing boat industry

  • Dutch small-scale coastal fishing landings reached 2.6 tonnes per vessel in 2023, the highest level since 2017; 2023, Netherlands.[19]
  • Fishing-fleet KPI dashboards can track fuel consumption, emissions, engine performance, vessel activity and voyage analysis; 2026, maritime industry.[13]
  • EU fishing-fleet fuel consumption was 462 litres per tonne of fish in 2023, a fleet-efficiency KPI; 2023, European Union.[19]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Fleet and capacity shifts continue: the UK fishing fleet fell 52% from 10,827 vessels in 1994 to 5,232 in 2024, and the EU fishing fleet declined 13.6% from 2014 to 2024.

Growth in the fishing boat industry

  • The UK fishing fleet fell 52% from 10,827 vessels in 1994 to 5,232 vessels in 2024.[20]
  • MasterCraft completed its acquisition of Marine Products through a two-step merger on May 15, 2026, expanding its marine-brand portfolio.[21]
  • The power of the UK fishing fleet decreased by 40% over the three decades to 2024, equivalent to approximately 476 thousand kilowatts.[20]
  • Calcutta Marine International acquired Andros Boatworks in April 2026 to combine two Sarasota boat manufacturers and pursue growth in the marine industry.[22]
  • The EU fishing fleet declined by 13.6% from 2014 to 2024, while its combined capacity declined by 14.9%.[23]

Differentiation in the fishing boat industry

  • Marine Products’ boat brands had received more than 70 product-excellence and customer-service awards by 2026.[24]
  • Marine Products offered 41 boat models across its Chaparral and Robalo brands in 2026, including sport-fishing models.[24]

Mergers and acquisitions in the fishing boat industry

  • Calcutta Marine International acquired Andros Boatworks on April 9, 2026, preserving the acquired brand and retaining team continuity.[22]
  • MasterCraft completed its acquisition of Marine Products on May 15, 2026, through two successive mergers.[21]
  • Twin Vee PowerCats announced the acquisition of Bahama Boat Works in 2025, bringing the offshore-fishing brand into its marine portfolio.[25]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce pipelines and retention pressures persist, including 43% of New England and Mid-Atlantic crew considering leaving in 2023. Great Lakes hiring needs show processing as the greatest workforce need for 44% of businesses.

Hiring in the fishing boat industry

  • 1,555 people were employed in British Columbia’s aquaculture sector in 2022.[26]
  • 4,522 people were employed in British Columbia’s commercial-fishing harvesting sector in 2022.[26]
  • 44% of Great Lakes commercial-fishing and seafood-processing businesses identified processing as their greatest workforce need.[27]
  • 92% of Great Lakes commercial-fishing and seafood-processing workforce respondents had prior exposure or engagement that led to entering the industry.[27]
  • 2,360 people were employed in British Columbia’s seafood-processing sector in 2022.[26]

Employee retention in the fishing boat industry

  • 79% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew disagreed or strongly disagreed that fishing was merely a job in 2023.[28]
  • Nearly 25% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew had more than 30 years of industry experience in 2023.[28]
  • 70% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew had family in the industry in 2023.[28]
  • 64% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew were second-generation or later commercial fishermen in 2023.[28]
  • 43% of New England and Mid-Atlantic commercial fishing crew had considered leaving the industry in 2023.[28]

Remote Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities, 20.3% of workers could work from home in 2024–2025, while 18.6% actually did so, according to annual averages.[29]
  • Among U.S. transportation, logistics, supply-chain and storage hires, 17.0% of hires at small companies were remote during the year ending September 2024.[30]
  • Across U.S. transportation and utilities occupations, about 11% of workers worked remotely at least sometimes from October 2023 through September 2024.[31]
  • In the U.S. transportation and warehousing industry, 13.9% of wage and salary employees worked from home in January 2025.[32]

Hybrid Work in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among U.S. remote-capable employees, 54% worked hybrid schedules in August 2026.[33]
  • Among transportation employers surveyed for the U.S. Job Outlook, 33.3% reported fully hybrid work arrangements in 2024.[34]
  • Globally, 25% of engaged employees were working in hybrid arrangements in 2025, compared with 30% of exclusively remote employees and 17% of on-site, non-remote-capable employees.[33]
  • Across transportation and logistics companies surveyed globally, 42% reported a hybrid work arrangement in 2025.[35]

Upskilling in the fishing boat industry

  • 55% of Great Lakes commercial-fishing and seafood-processing businesses said educational background was unimportant when hiring.[27]
  • 39% of Great Lakes commercial-fishing and seafood-processing businesses required at least a high-school diploma or GED when hiring.[27]
  • 5,700 employees were supported by the Massachusetts fishing and seafood-processing industries covered by a young-fishermen training framework.[36]
  • $647 million in ex-vessel value was associated with the Massachusetts fishing industry covered by a young-fishermen training framework.[36]
  • 20 young people attended a two-day Washington commercial-fishing newcomers’ training course in 2025.[37]

Employee Engagement in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • In U.S. logistics, more than 60% of frontline workers considered their roles long-term career commitments in 2024.[38]
  • Across Asia-Pacific transport and logistics organizations, 62% of employees were actively engaged, based on feedback from 30,116 employees in 24 surveys.[39]
  • In U.S. logistics, 71% of frontline workers reported workplace stress in 2024.[38]
  • Globally, 20% of employees were engaged at work in 2025, while 16% were actively disengaged.[33]
  • In U.S. logistics, 40% of frontline workers wanted to quit in 2024, according to a survey of 500 logistics employees.[38]

DEI in the fishing boat industry

  • 23% of British Columbia’s commercial-fishing harvesting workforce were women in 2019.[26]
  • 36.4% of British Columbia’s waged commercial-fishing harvesting positions were held by women in 2019.[26]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

U.S. buying activity remains measurable through new-powerboat sales: 77,434 fishing boats were sold in 2025. Retail unit sales fell 8.8% overall in 2025, while freshwater fishing-boat sales declined only 1.5%.

Customer experience in the fishing boat industry

  • 63 boat and engine manufacturers received the 2024 Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index Award for customer satisfaction in the United States.[40]
  • More than 275,000 boat and engine buyers were surveyed on product, sales, delivery, service and product quality in the 2024 customer-satisfaction program.[40]
  • 90% or higher customer satisfaction was the 2024 threshold for Marine Industry Customer Satisfaction Index award recipients across boat and engine manufacturers in the United States.[40]
  • 35.7% of Lake Erie boaters were very satisfied with their ability to find information on the Ohio Department of Natural Resources boating website in Ohio.[41]
  • 32.4% of Lake Erie boaters were somewhat satisfied with their ability to find information on the Ohio boating website in Ohio.[41]

Customer retention in the fishing boat industry

  • 31.3% of boat owners analyzed in Ohio were repeat owners associated with two or more boats.[22]
  • Approximately 637,000 owners across Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Texas were associated with two or more boats.[22]
  • 18.0% of boat owners analyzed in Texas were repeat owners associated with two or more boats.[22]
  • 20.6% of boat owners analyzed in Virginia were repeat owners associated with two or more boats.[22]
  • 25.6% of boat owners analyzed in Florida were repeat owners associated with two or more boats.[22]

Customer acquisition in the fishing boat industry

  • 38% of visitors to DiscoverBoating.ca were female in the 2024 fiscal year in Canada.[40]
  • 6.5 million people visited Discover Boating websites in the United States and Canada during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 33% of visitors to DiscoverBoating.com were female in the 2024 fiscal year in the United States.[40]
  • 1.6 million introductions to boat manufacturers and dealers were generated through website referrals, boat shows and leads in the United States and Canada.[40]
  • 91 million people were identified in Discover Boating research as potentially interested in boating across the United States and Canada.[40]

Customer loyalty in the fishing boat industry

  • Approximately 60% of paired personal-watercraft and jet-boat purchases occurred on the same day in the analyzed ownership records.[22]
  • 6% to 13% of repeat boat buyers stayed with the same manufacturer for their next boat across Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Texas.[22]

Lead generation in the fishing boat industry

  • 16% of surveyed North American marine dealers reported annual online marketing budgets of at least $100,000.[42]
  • 18% of surveyed marine businesses reported that they did not measure online marketing success in the Marine Retailers Association’s survey.[42]
  • 8% of surveyed North American marine dealers committed $5,000 or less annually to online marketing.[42]
  • 1.6 million introductions to manufacturers and dealers were generated through website referrals, boat shows and leads during Discover Boating’s 2024 fiscal year.[42]
  • More than 25% of surveyed North American marine dealers reported annual online marketing budgets of at least $50,000.[42]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Discover Boating’s 2024 activity provides volume indicators: 7.3 billion media impressions and more than 10 million YouTube views. Measurement gaps also appear, with 18% of surveyed marine businesses reporting they did not measure online marketing success.

Marketing in the fishing boat industry

  • $10.4 million in media value was generated by Discover Boating public-relations efforts in the United States and Canada.[40]
  • Nearly 24,000 positive news stories about boating were generated by Discover Boating marketing in the United States and Canada.[40]
  • 10 Discover Boating boat shows were held in key markets during the 2024 fiscal year.[42]
  • More than 5,000 boating-related content pieces were shared by Discover Boating during the 2024 fiscal year.[42]
  • 7.3 billion media impressions were generated by Discover Boating marketing in the United States and Canada during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]

Digital marketing in the fishing boat industry

  • More than 10 million YouTube views were generated by targeted Discover Boating videos during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 18% of surveyed North American marine businesses reported that they did not measure online marketing success.[42]
  • 23% year-over-year growth was recorded in visits to Discover Boating websites during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 5% above plan were Discover Boating website visits during the 2024 fiscal year in the United States and Canada.[40]

Branding in the fishing boat industry

  • 951,000 followers were reached across Discover Boating social-media platforms during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 12.5 million interactions, including engagements and views, resulted from Discover Boating content-creator activity during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 1,261% year-over-year growth was recorded across Discover Boating social platforms compared with 2023.[40]
  • 25 million impressions were generated by Discover Boating content creators during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 140 influential content creators partnered with Discover Boating to share boating experiences during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]

Social media in the fishing boat industry

  • 140 influential content creators shared personal boating experiences with their followers during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 951,000 followers were held across Discover Boating’s Instagram, TikTok, Meta and X audiences during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]
  • 25 million social-influencer impressions were recorded by Discover Boating during the 2024 fiscal year.[42]
  • 12.5 million interactions, including engagements and views, resulted from Discover Boating content creators during the 2024 fiscal year.[40]

Influencer Marketing in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • 43% of worldwide B2B marketers who achieved positive results said micro-influencers generated the most success in 2024.[43]
  • 53% of U.S. B2B marketers reported a growing dedicated influencer-marketing budget in 2024 survey data.[43]
  • 29% of B2B companies planned to adopt influencer marketing within the following year in 2025, globally.[44]
  • 49% of B2B marketers selected industry relevance as a criterion for choosing influencers in 2025, globally.[44]
  • 55% of B2B companies used influencers in 2025, according to a global survey of marketing decision-makers.[44]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational efficiency links to pattern changes and speed: 6% lower speed can produce approximately 11% fuel savings for small fishing boats. EU fleets logged 5.25 million days at sea in 2023.

Process optimization in the fishing boat industry

  • Up to 50% lower fuel cost per kilogram of fish caught can result from optimizing a small fishing vessel’s operating pattern.[45]
  • 5.1 million days at sea were recorded by EU fishing vessels in 2022.[46]
  • 460 litres of fuel were used on average by EU fishing vessels to land one tonne of fish in 2023.[47]
  • 6% lower vessel speed, from 9 to 8.5 knots, produces approximately 11% fuel savings for small fishing boats.[45]
  • 26% higher fishing time per vessel was recorded in the EU fleet in 2023 compared with 2013.[47]

Operational efficiency in the fishing boat industry

  • 69% of EU fishing-fleet fuel use came from larger trawlers in 2023.[47]
  • 5.25 million days at sea were completed by EU fishing vessels in 2023, 3.4% more than in 2022.[47]
  • EUR 30,277 was the average annual wage per full-time equivalent in the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[46]
  • 29,370 litres was the average annual fuel consumption per EU fishing vessel in 2023.[47]
  • 75,816 full-time equivalents were supported by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[46]

Supply chain in the fishing boat industry

  • 97% of EU fishing-fleet revenue came from fish sales in 2022, while non-fishing income contributed EUR 209 million.[19]
  • EUR 524 million was spent on other non-variable costs by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]
  • EUR 540 million was spent on repair and maintenance by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]
  • EUR 25 million in income came from leasing quotas and other fishing rights for the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]
  • Product freight and storage represented 10% of average annual expenses in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands groundfish fleet time series.[28]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the transportation and logistics sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 57% planned outsourcing projects in warehousing in 2026.[48]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, about 60% had fully outsourced transportation services in 2026.[48]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 25% had fully outsourced warehouse operations in 2026.[48]
  • Across surveyed logistics companies in Germany, the rest of Europe and Latin America, 65% expected outsourcing to continue increasing in 2026.[48]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Fuel and cost structure remains central: EU fishing vessels used 460 litres of fuel to land one tonne of fish in 2023. For 2022, EU fish sales generated EUR 6.4 billion, with EUR 6 billion total cost equaling 91% of revenue.

Pricing strategy in the fishing boat industry

  • EUR 6.4 billion was generated from fish sales by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]
  • 68% was the increase in EU fishing-fleet operating subsidies between 2021 and 2022.[19]
  • EUR 1.2 per litre was the peak fuel price faced by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[47]
  • 6% of EU fishing-fleet revenue came from non-fishing income, subsidies and leased fishing rights combined in 2022.[19]
  • EUR 0.8–0.9 per litre was the EU fishing-fleet fuel-price range in the first quarter of 2024.[47]

Cost reduction in the fishing boat industry

  • LKR 1.5 million per vessel per year was the estimated fuel-cost saving for an average Sri Lankan longline vessel.[45]
  • 27% of operating costs were labour costs for average Sri Lankan longline fishing vessels in 2023.[45]
  • 1,150 litres per fishing trip was the estimated annual fuel saving for an average Sri Lankan longline vessel using the discussed design intervention.[45]
  • 55% of operating costs were running costs for average Sri Lankan longline fishing vessels in 2023.[45]
  • 15% lower fuel consumption per vessel was recorded in the EU fleet in 2023 than in 2013.[47]

Profitability in the fishing boat industry

  • 88% of surveyed fishing-fleet segments reported positive returns on fixed tangible assets between 2016 and 2019.[45]
  • 73% of surveyed fishing-fleet segments achieved net profit margins of at least 10% in surveyed years between 2016 and 2019.[45]
  • 22% was the estimated return on investment for the average Sri Lankan longline vessel in 2023.[45]
  • 61% of surveyed fishing-fleet segments achieved returns on investment of at least 10% between 2016 and 2019.[45]
  • EUR 1.1 billion was the estimated gross profit of the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[46]

Financial planning in the fishing boat industry

  • EUR 6.6 billion was the total revenue of the EU fishing fleet in 2022, excluding Greece.[19]
  • EUR 2 billion in personnel costs was reported by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]
  • EUR 6 billion was the total cost of the EU fishing fleet in 2022, equal to 91% of revenue.[19]
  • EUR 865 million in other variable costs was reported by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]
  • EUR 216 million in unpaid labour costs was reported by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[19]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Electronic monitoring and installed-base gaps show up as product-development constraints. The U.S. reported 14 electronic-monitoring programs in 2026, and fishing vessels averaged 242 operational days annually in a maintenance-reliability study.

Product development in the fishing boat industry

  • 14 electronic-monitoring programs had been implemented in the United States, creating a product-development market for cameras, sensors and reporting systems; 2026, United States.[28]
  • 4.6 million fishing vessels were recorded worldwide, defining the global installed base for fishing-vessel product development; 2025, global.[45]
  • 2% of the world’s roughly 2.9 million fishing vessels were equipped with AIS, highlighting a major connected-vessel product-development gap; 2024, global.[14]

Product lifecycle in the fishing boat industry

  • Modern fishing vessels in the study used computerised maintenance-management systems, but failure-rate, repair-time and downtime data were often unavailable; 2019, study sample.[49]
  • Fishing vessels averaged 242 operational days annually in a maintenance-reliability study, indicating the operating intensity relevant to lifecycle planning; 2019, study sample.[49]

After-sales in the fishing boat industry

  • Fishing-vessel machinery was assumed to operate at 80% of operational days, while equipment operated at 70%, providing service-planning utilization measures; 2019, study sample.[49]
  • 242 operational days per year were reported for fishing vessels, leaving the remaining time for port, maintenance and service activity; 2019, study sample.[49]

Value proposition in the fishing boat industry

  • 60,000-plus fishing boats represented an estimated US$1.3 billion United States installed-base sales opportunity in Pure Watercraft’s analysis; 2019, United States.[50]
  • “Catch more fish” was identified as the primary customer priority for fishing boats in Pure Watercraft’s segmentation; 2019, United States.[50]
  • Fishing-boat customers were associated with three stated benefits: painless operation, reduced noise or emissions, and high performance; 2019, United States.[50]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Traceability and governance matter: 20.6% of global wild marine catch was engaged with the MSC system in 2025. The IMO notes IUU effects, with 20% of global fish yields affected by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Sustainability in the fishing boat industry

  • About 24,000 fishing, fishery-support, fish-carrier, fish-factory and fish-farm vessels were recorded in IMO’s vessel-identification database.[51]
  • 20.6% of global wild marine catch was engaged with the MSC system in 2025, including certified, assessed, suspended and improvement-program fisheries.[52]
  • 4.05 million tonnes of fish were landed by the EU fishing fleet in 2020.[53]
  • 20% of global fish yields are affected by illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, according to IMO.[51]
  • €6.3 billion was the first-sale value of fish landed by the EU fishing fleet in 2020.[53]

ESG in the fishing boat industry

  • 5.2 million tonnes of direct CO2 emissions were generated by the EU fishing fleet’s fuel consumption in 2020.[53]
  • 281 fishing units of certification were MSC-certified as of February 2026, according to an industry review of MSC data.[54]
  • 21 countries had ratified the ILO Work in Fishing Convention No. 188 when Walk Free reported the figure.[55]
  • 13% of EU fisheries revenues were spent on energy costs on average before the 2022 fuel-price shock.[53]
  • More than one quarter of revenues went to energy expenses in some EU trawler segments in 2019.[53]

Ethics in the fishing boat industry

  • 90% of 93 fatalities in Oregon and Washington commercial-fishing incidents from 2000 to 2018 were caused by drowning.[56]
  • 193 reported forced-labour cases involving specific fishing or refrigerated-fish-cargo vessels were included in a global vessel database.[49]
  • 12 Chinese tuna long-liners operating in the southwest Indian Ocean were identified in a report as using North Korean workers in breach of UN sanctions.[57]
  • 3% of workers on short-haul Thai fishing vessels were identified as experiencing forced labour in the same ILO survey.[58]
  • 16% of workers on long-haul Thai fishing vessels were identified as experiencing forced labour in an ILO survey.[58]

CSR in the fishing boat industry

  • 4.05 million tonnes of fish were landed by EU fishing vessels in 2020, supporting food supply and related coastal-sector activity.[53]
  • The EU fishing fleet landed fish worth €6.3 billion at first sale in 2020, indicating the sector’s economic contribution to coastal communities.[53]
  • 157 million tonnes was global fish consumption in 2020, supporting the fishing sector’s broad food-security and livelihood role.[58]
  • Global fish consumption is projected to reach 182 million tonnes by 2032, increasing the social responsibility demands placed on fishing supply chains.[58]

Carbon footprint in the fishing boat industry

  • 7.6 kilograms of CO2 were generated per kilogram of fish landed in the same Mediterranean trawl-fishery study.[59]
  • 69 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted by fishing and fish-factory vessels above 100 tonnes in 2001.[45]
  • 2.9 litres of fuel were used per kilogram of landed fish across three Mediterranean trawl fisheries studied in 2022.[59]
  • 134 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted by all fishing vessels in the same 2001 estimate.[45]
  • 130 million tonnes of CO2 were generated annually by the global fishing fleet in the same FAO-cited estimate.[45]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Regional vessel baselines help contextualize demand: Asia accounted for 72% of the 4.7 million-vessel fleet in 2024. In the UK, 5,232 vessels operated in 2024, including about 4,140 under 10 metres.

Globalization in the fishing boat industry

  • 5,232 UK-registered fishing vessels operated in 2024, including approximately 4,140 vessels under 10 metres in length.[69]
  • 68,863 catching vessels formed the EU fishing fleet in 2024, with combined gross tonnage of 1.2 million tonnes and engine power of 5.0 million kilowatts.[23]
  • The UK exported 380 thousand tonnes of fish and fish preparations worth £2.0 billion in 2024.[69]
  • UK vessels landed 745 thousand tonnes of sea fish worth £1.16 billion in 2024.[69]
  • The UK imported 633 thousand tonnes of fish and fish preparations worth £3.5 billion in 2024.[69]

Stakeholder management in the fishing boat industry

  • 119,702 fishers were directly employed by the EU fishing fleet in 2022.[70]
  • The FAO Global Record reports annual losses of US$10 billion to US$23 billion from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, a major governance concern for fishing-vessel stakeholders.[45]

Distribution channels in the fishing boat industry

  • Fishing boats represented 37% of OneWater Marine’s new-boat revenue in fiscal 2025.[71]
  • 124 domestic dealers operating across 180 locations served MasterCraft’s Recreation and Sport Fishing segment in 2025.[21]
  • Marine Products reported more than 290 global dealers across its boat brands in 2026.[24]

Key questions about the Fishing Boat Industry

What is the 2026 market size for fishing vessels?
The global fishing-vessel market is projected to reach $2.71 billion in 2026, as fleets modernize and safety requirements tighten.
How fast is the fishing-vessel market expected to grow after 2026?
From $2.71 billion in 2026 to $6.14 billion in 2034, the forecast implies a 10.78% compound annual growth rate.
Which companies lead the fishing boat industry?
Damen Shipyards Group stands out for fishing-vessel builds because it develops and produces shrimp trawlers, wet-fish trawlers, longliners and pot fishers, while VARD focuses on specialized fishing and offshore vessels since it has major specialized shipbuilder roots in Norway’s fishing-vessel industry.
What technology shifts are measurable on fishing vessels?
Global Fishing Watch’s machine-learning apparent-fishing dataset includes 190,000+ unique AIS devices on fishing vessels covering 2012–2024, with up to approximately 96,000 AIS-identified devices active in a given year.
How is the industry structured for shipbuilding and operations?
The industry is structurally fragmented across thousands of small-scale operators and shipyards, while larger segments show more concentration in IMO GISIS vessel counts.
What regulations change the compliance workload for operators in this period?
Revised STCW-F requirements for fishing-vessel personnel entered into force on January 1, 2026, and the Cape Town Agreement is scheduled to enter into force in February 2027.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Fishing Boat Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fishing-boat-industry-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Fishing Boat Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/fishing-boat-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Fishing Boat Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/fishing-boat-industry-statistics.

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