n. INTRODUCTION 



A. IDGHLIGHTS 



West European countries deploy some of the 

 world's most modem and efficient fishing vessels, 

 which include both coastal and high-seas fleets. 



Coastal fleets: West European countries 

 currently deploy primarily coastal fishing fleets. 

 The West European coastal fleet in 1992, totaled 

 nearly 1 10,000 vessels, or about 99 percent of 

 the total number of fishing vessels deployed by 

 West European countries (see Appendix 1).'^ 

 This focus on coastal fisheries reflects many 

 factors including restrictions on access by foreign 

 countries, lower fuel consumption and operating 

 costs, and crew work preferences. The portion 

 of the fleet devoted to coastal fisheries has 

 remained constant in recent years. West 

 European fishermen operated about 110,000 

 vessels in 1975 and while the number declined 

 during the 1970s and early 1980s, the fleet by 

 1992 had recovered to about that same number 

 of vessels. The difference between the West 

 European fishing fleet in 1975 and the fleet in 

 1990 is that the EC now controls the bulk of the 

 fleet (Appendix 1)." 



High-seas fleets: West European countries also 

 deploy high-seas'* fishing fleets. The 1992 West 

 European high-seas fleet was composed of 653 

 vessels, '"* a small fraction of the number of 

 coastal vessels (Appendix 1). While this is less 

 than 1 percent of the number of vessels in all 

 size categories, the high-seas vessels (those over 

 500-Gross Registered Tons, or CRT) account for 

 about 37 percent of the total fleet in terms of 

 capacity. 



The European fishing fleets have undergone 

 major changes during the 1970s and 1980s). The 

 overall number of vessels has not changed, but the 

 capacity has expanded as the fishermen purchased 

 larger, more efficient vessels (Figure 1). 



 Medium-to-large: 



There has been a gradual reduction in the 

 number of vessels in the 500- to 999-GRT class 



as larger ships have been added to the fleet 

 (Appendix 10 and Figure 2). 



 Large-to-super: 



The number of vessels in the 1 ,000- to 1 , 999- 

 GRT class increased modestly from 243 vessels 

 in 1975 to 273 vessels in 1992. The growth in 

 this class reflects, to a certain extent, the 

 construction of tuna purse seiners by French and 

 Spanish fishing companies. These vessels are 

 currently deployed in the Eastern Atlantic, Gulf 

 of Guinea, and Indian Ocean. 



 Super-class: 



The number of vessels over 2,000-GRT 

 increased from 55 in 1975 to 79 vessels in 1992 

 (Appendix 10 and Figure 2). The increase is due 

 to the construction of "super trawlers and 

 seiners." Dutch, German, and Irish fishermen 

 are deploying these super trawlers or seiners for 

 pelagic and demersal species in the North and 

 South Atlantic. The vessels are equipped with 

 processing facilities (producing fishmeal, canned 

 packs, fillets, other frozen products, and surimi). 



B. GROWTH OF THE HIGH-SEAS FLEETS 



West European fleets declined during the late 

 1970s and early 1980s as many older vessels were 

 withdrawn. The fleet began expanding in 1987 until 

 overfishing resulted in management demands to trim 

 the size of the fleet in 1991. While the current 

 number of high-seas vessels is little changed from 

 1975, the fleet capacity set an all-time record in 1991 

 (Appendix 2 and Figure 3). This is significant as the 

 fleet capacity is a much better indicator of fishing 

 potential than the number of vessels. 



The 3 periods in the growth of the West 

 European high-seas fishing fleets are shown below: 



1975-86: Most West European countries 

 reported substantial declines in their high-seas 

 fleets beginning in 1976 after many countries 

 declared 200-mile EEZs limiting or ending 

 foreign fishing. The high-seas fleet declined 

 from 806 vessels in 1976 to 627 vessels in 1983, 

 or by 22 percent (Appendix 1 and Figure 3). 

 There was a slight increase in numbers of high- 



