A Descriptive Characterization of the Norwegian Purse Seine Fishery

The purpose of this report is to provide a detailed description of data available from annual cost and earnings surveys collected by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries. The cost and earnings surveys are the principal data source characterizing the structure and economics of the Norwegian fishing fleet. Here we focus on the purse seine fleet. The data are set up in a panel framework and provide a detailed economic picture of vessels reporting information on value and quantity of catch by species, inputs used in operation, and characteristics of the vessel. The data set is enriched by linking individual vessels in the profitability survey with information on fishing license holdings and quota size. The survey includes a description of the regulatory structure of the Norwegian purse seine fleet and summary correlations of the major industry variables.