The MEP said 'Europe' but the available evidence supports EU-wide leadership specifically; non-EU European nations such as Norway, Iceland, and the United Kingdom are not included in EU-only rankings and may lead on different metrics (e.g., Norway on total catch volume including aquaculture).
'Fishing power' (potencia pesquera) is a broad term not tied to a single metric; the claim is best supported by fleet capacity (gross tonnage) and catch volume within the EU, but could be measured differently.
The most recent Eurostat data (2024 fleet statistics, published February 2026) was not directly accessible; verification relies on secondary sources and search-result metadata from that Eurostat publication.
Data on catch volume refers to 2023; more recent 2024 or 2025 catch data was not located within the search limit.
Sources
PrimaryEurostat – Key figures on food chain: EU's fishing fleetIn 2024, the EU's fishing fleet counted 68,863 catching vessels, with a gross tonnage of 1.2 million tonnes. When measured by fleet capacity (gross tonnage), Spain had by far the largest fishing fleet among EU Member States.
PrimaryEUMOFA – Spain in the World and in the EU: Fishing FleetIn 2025, total first sales amounted to 368,447 tonnes and 1.43 billion euros. Spain has one of the largest fishing fleets in the EU, with vessels operating in both national and international waters.