This summary presents an outline of the analysis of European catch and aquaculture statistics from 1984 to 1996. It updates document EIFAC/XIX/96/Inf.5 presented to the Nineteenth Session of EIFAC through the addition of two further years data.

In the Review of the Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture sectors of Europe the Eighteenth Session adopted a division of the Continent into four sub-regions. Because North and South Europe did not differ significantly from Western Europe in the behaviour of their inland fisheries and aquaculture these three regions have been combined in this analysis and contrast with Eastern Europe. This classification also conforms to that adopted by FAO for its biennial State of Fisheries Review. The classification of countries is as follows: