OVERVIEW 



West European fishing fleets harvest approximately 12-percent of the world's fish and shellfish. This 

 harvest is usually sold fresh or is processed into high-value seafood items generating billions of dollars in world 

 markets. European fishermen operate a range of fishing vessels, from small coastal vessels to super-factory ships. 

 Unlike fishermen from some Asian countries, the West Europeans tend to fish close to home - in the North Atlantic 

 and Mediterranean. The European Commimity (EC), however, has worked assiduously to negotiate a network of 

 fishery agreements on behalf of its member states and over 800 EC-flag fishing vessels currently fish from various 

 ports along the coast of Africa and into the Indian Ocean. The EC is now attempting to open access to Latin 

 American waters for their fishing vessels because several important stocks of North Atlantic fish, such as Atlantic 

 cod, have collapsed in recent years. This has placed a tremendous financial burden on the fishing industries of 

 many EC countries dependent upon fishing in the North Atlantic region. In 1993, 100-1- West European vessels 

 were reflagged to foreign registry. This number could double if EC negotiators are unable to negotiate access to 

 Namibia in 1994 or if the Argentines fail to ratify an agreement allowing EC vessels to fish in their waters in 1994. 



CONTENTS 



I. Overview 1 



II. Introduction 4 



Highlights 4 



Growth of the high-seas fleets 4 



European Community 6 



Non-EC Europe 8 



Canada 8 



Summary 8 



Sources 10 



Endnotes 11 



I. OVERVIEW 



There are several important points about West 

 European and Canadian fisheries that will assist the 

 reader in comprehending the status of these diverse 

 fisheries and fleets in 1993: 



 100-1- reflagged vessels (from Western Europe) are 

 believed to be fishing in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean 

 in 1993. 



 7 to 8 West European-flag vessels are believed to 

 be fishing on the high-seas in the South Atlantic or 

 Pacific Ocean in 1993.' 



 800-1- West European vessels fish in the North 

 Atlantic and Mediterranean or in coastal waters of 

 other countries under bi-lateral fishery agreements 

 negotiated by the European Community (EC). 



 300 + West European high-seas fishing vessels will 

 be redeployed, sold, scrapped, or otherwise 

 decommissioned between 1993 and 1995.^ 



