Relevance
Data on the quantity of
aquaculture production is collected according to Regulation (EC) No. 762/2008
of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 9 July 2008 on the submission
by member states of statistics on aquaculture and repealing Council Regulation
(EC) No. 788/96.
Main users of data on aquaculture
include the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA) within the Ministry
of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Change (MSDEC); Eurostat;
and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
Methodological
description of survey
The data is collected on an annual basis by means of an exhaustive
survey where all the fish farms are obliged to submit information on their
structures and economic activity. The
data requested are:
- the number, surface area and volume of cages
utilised;
- purchases and sales of fish in weight and in
value;
- opening and closing valuation of stocks at the
beginning and end of reference year;
- the expenses incurred in the production of
farmed fish; and
- the number of employees
A detailed
questionnaire is sent electronically to all fish farms during the second
quarter of each year, referring to the preceding year.
Accuracy and
reliability of data
Data regarding imports and
exports of tuna, sea bream and sea bass is compared to the data registered in
the Intrastat system for collecting data on the trade in goods between the
countries of the European Union. In case
discrepancies emerge, the fish farm is contacted again to update or verify the
figures. These measures ensure that the overall accuracy of aquaculture data is
high.
Timeliness and
punctuality of data
One news release on aquaculture and tuna farming is published
annually on the NSO’s website as scheduled in the Advance Release Calendar.
Data is collected and transmitted to Eurostat
within 11 months after the end of the reference year.
Accessibility and
clarity of data
Tables on aquaculture and tuna
farming are also included in the annual publication ‘Agriculture and Fisheries’
which is available on the NSO’s website.
The publication was last published in 2016 for reference year 2014.
A quality report of the data collection
is compiled according to an established structure and is sent to Eurostat
together with the yearly data transmission.
A similar report is produced at a national
level and made available on the NSO’s metadata website.
Coherence and comparability
/ consistency of data
The data collected on aquaculture
and tuna farming can be compared with the data of other European Union member
states since all the countries follow the established guidelines of the
Regulation (EC) No. 762/2008. Such data
is also comparable from reference year 2005, that is, from the first time this
data started being collected.
Data collected regarding the
imports and exports of tuna, sea bream, and sea bass is comparable to data
available in the Intrastat system available within the International Trade
Statistics Unit. The National Accounts Unit
makes use of the same data; therefore aquaculture
statistics is completely reconcilable with National Accounts.
Questionnaire | Metadata