Blue Fishing Index (BFI)

The Blue Fishing Index (BFI) is a tool developed by AZTI in collaboration with the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC) to objectively and comparatively measure the environmental, economic, and social contribution of each fishing segment or cluster. Its purpose is to provide a scientific basis to support continuous improvement in the sustainability of European fleets and to anticipate risks of imbalance in their overall performance.

What is it?

El BFI es un sistema de evaluación a partir del cual estimar en qué grado cada segmento de pesca contribuye a un crecimiento sostenible, es decir, un crecimiento económico que respeta el medioambiente, y las condiciones sociales de los pescadores en un entorno de cambio climático.  Se trata de una evaluación en términos relativos que permite conocer cómo evoluciona cada segmento de pesca a lo largo del tiempo, pero también su situación relativa respecto al resto de clústers en términos de crecimiento sostenible. .

The BFI is an assessment system used to estimate the extent to which each fishing segment contributes to sustainable growth — that is, economic growth that respects the environment and the social conditions of fishers in a context of climate change. It is a relative assessment, allowing users to: Track how each fishing segment evolves over time; Compare its position relative to other clusters in terms of sustainable growth

Its structure is based on a clearly defined framework composed of:

• Dimensions (environmental, economic, social)
• Indicators
• Sub-indicators
• Variables

Through this architecture, the BFI provides a balanced and detailed view of fisheries performance, showing how each component — from stock status to working conditions or energy efficiency — contributes to overall sustainability.

What challenges does it address?

• Lack of comparable metrics integrating multiple sustainability dimensions in a coherent and transparent way.
• Need for accessible tools to assess fleet performance at different scales: vessel, fishing segment, or cluster.
• Absence of early-warning systems capable of detecting deviations in any sustainability dimension before they translate into major impacts.
• Difficulty in justifying management decisions or investments (e.g., energy efficiency, selectivity improvements, social measures) based on integrated data.

How does it work?

The BFI applies normalization and weighting methods to build a robust composite index that simultaneously integrates multiple dimensions, each broken down into indicators and variables within a coherent conceptual framework.

It is built around three main pillars:

1. Structured methodological framework

Constructed from dimensions, indicators, sub-indicators, and variables covering:

• Stock status and abundance
• Fishing pressure and exploitation
• Habitat impacts
• Economic viability and energy costs
• Gross value added
• Occupational safety, health, and job quality
• Economic dependency
• Carbon neutrality
• Social value and generational renewal

2. Weighting and sensitivity analysis

The tool allows comparison of different methodological scenarios:

• Scenario 0: all variables equally weighted across dimensions
• Scenarios 1, 2, and 3: reduced variable selection (by dimension, indicator, or sub-indicator)
• Alternative weightings: increased environmental, social, or economic weight depending on analytical needs

This enables users to test the robustness of results and understand how scores vary under different management assumptions. Stakeholders themselves can decide which scenario or weighting scheme to apply.

3. Relative positioning through percentiles

Each cluster receives a relative score reflecting its position compared to all evaluated fleets.

This approach helps identify:

• Balanced dimensions
• Critical areas
• Opportunities for improvement
• Significant deviations under different scenarios

Results can be visualized interactively, enabling fleet comparisons, scenario exploration, and sustainability trend analysis.

Key Benefits

• Provides a comprehensive sustainability diagnosis of fisheries performance, integrating environmental, economic, and social factors.
• Anticipates risks and guides improvements, acting as an early-warning system.
• Supports informed decision-making for administrations, fishers’ associations, and producer organizations.
• Delivers strong technical evidence to justify investments, management measures, or sustainable transition projects.
• Enhances transparency and governance, aligning with principles of shared responsibility and sector participation.
• Enables adaptive analysis through alternative scenarios and comparative assessments.
• Transferable across regions and scales, adaptable to different European fishing segments.

Applications

• Comparative assessment of European fishing clusters under different sustainability and weighting scenarios.
• Identification of imbalances between environmental, economic, and social dimensions across fleets with diverse operational profiles.
• Use of the BFI as a technical benchmark in sector planning and internal evaluation processes within producer organizations.
• Support tool to demonstrate progressive improvements to public administrations, certification bodies, or responsible market initiatives.
• Simulation of potential policy impacts, including technical reflections related to Article 17 of the Common Fisheries Policy.