ABSTRACT
The coastal fleet (seiners and trawlers excluded) operating in Portuguese continental waters is a multi-gear, multi-species fleet, accounting for a considerable amount of the Portuguese mainland landings. In 2018, they accounted for 45.0% of the total fish landed weight (INE, 2018). This study presents the results obtained from applying non-hierarchical classification techniques to the 2012–2016 daily trips per vessel to define landing profiles (LP), i.e., groups of trips that are relatively homogeneous concerning species composition. A total of 14 different LPs, each defined by the relative importance of target and secondary species, emerged from the analysis. A correspondence between some of these LPs and specific vessels could be established, thus evidencing the existence of well-defined “métiers”, or groups of vessels displaying a consistent activity over time. A clear correspondence could not be found between the remaining LP and individual vessels, where specific fisheries are not attributable to a group of vessels, the prevailing situation corresponding to vessel engagement in different types of LP targeting different species.
