The sample size that was finally obtained was 332 questionnaires
with a response rate (completed/people contacted questionnaires)
of 67% and a statistical significance by 10%. The
significance is lower in the more coastal segments than in those
more industrial, and then the results must be taken with caution.
The sample's average fisherman is 37 years old, and most of them
(by 80%) are crewmembers including those owners who work as
skipper on board the vessel (the total number of owners represents
by 56% of the sample eowners of vessels shall be granted the
fishing rights according to the latest CFP reform). The average
number of crewmembers per vessel is 10.23; the average vessel
length is 23.68 m, and its capacity is 158.31 gross tonnages. The
disaggregated analysis of demographic factors and vessel characteristics
in terms of fleet segment (Table 2) reflects that the purse
seine segment shows the youngest average age per fisherman (33
years old) and a relatively low average of crewman per vessel (9),only above the artisanal segment (two per vessel). On the contrary,
the highest average ages correspond to the artisanal and trawl
segments, standing at 40 years of age. On other hand, Table 3 shows
the value of landings per vessel and the productive structure by
fleet segment in 2013 estimated from the survey and the economic
survey carried out by Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Environment for that year. Economic performance is defined here
as the ratio of the net profit to the value of landings (expressed as a
percentage). As shown in Table 3, the more industrial is the fleet
segment, greater is the average value of landings. Artisanal segment
has the highest return as a percentage of value of landings and
operating costs relatively low; and purse seining has the lowest
return and labour costs relatively high.