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Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles The Kingdom of Belgium

 

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• United Nations Geospatial Information Section http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
• Imagery for continents and oceans reproduced from GEBCO, www.gebco.net

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement.

Part I Statistics and main indicators

1. Country brief
2. General geographic and economic indicators
3. FAO Fisheries statistics

The Profile (2019)

Additional information

2. FAO Thematic data bases
3. Publications
4. Meetings & News archive

⇧Part I Statistics and main indicators

Part I of the Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile is compiled using the most up-to-date information available from the FAO Country briefs and Statistics programmes at the time of publication. The Country Brief and the FAO Fisheries Statistics provided in Part I may, however, have been prepared at different times, which would explain any inconsistencies.

Country briefPrepared: August 2019

Belgium’s varied landscape includes 67 km of sea coast and flat coastal plains along the North Sea, a central plateau, and the rolling hills and forests of the Ardennes region in the south, where the majority of the lakes are situated.

The main fisheries port is Zeebrugge, followed by Ostend. Though Fisheries can play an important role for some communities, the sector contribution to the national economy is small, contributing less than 0.1 % to the national gross domestic product (GDP).

Fish consumption in Belgium is significant (23.0 kg per capita in 2017), however based largely on imports valued at USD 2 306 million compared to exports valued at USD 1 263 million in 2017. Annual marine and inland water capture production are both very stable, with a total of almost 24700 tonnes in 2017. (mainly plaice, sole and cod). In 2017, there were 73 fishing vessels, and 316 fishers employed in the marine sector in 2017. Aquaculture production (mainly rainbow trout) reached a peak at 1 871 tonnes in 2000 and then significantly declined. In 2017 aquaculture production was 75 tonnes. The Belgian aquaculture sector is very small, there is however a long tradition of small-scale aquaculture in Wallonia region.

 

Membership in Regional Fishery Bodies

1. Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
2. European Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Advisory Commission (EIFAAC)
3. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
4. International Whaling Commission (IWC)

Updated 2019⇧The Profile

This country profile provides statistics and indicators produced through FAO’s Statistics programmes, supplemented with information derived from national and other sources and valid at the time of compilation.

⇧Additional information

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