seas vessels during 1983-86 as fishermen added 

 3 new vessels for a total of 630 vessels by 1986. 



1987-91: West European countries in 1987 

 began rapidly expanding their high-seas fleet, 

 from 630 in 1986 to 684 in 1987; this amounted 

 to 54 new ships in one year! The fleet increase 

 continued during the next few years reaching 857 

 vessels in 1991 (Appendix 1 and Figure 3), or by 

 25 percent. The increase can be seen in both the 

 EC fleet and non-EC fleet. The increase can be 

 partially attributed to EC funding programs 

 designed to modernize the fishing fleets of the 

 member countries. 



1992: The West European high-seas fleet in 

 1992 included 804 high-seas vessels, including 

 591 registered with the EC and 213 registered in 

 non-EC countries. The 1992 total was below the 

 peak of 857 vessels reported in 1991 and was the 

 first decline since 1986. The authors do not yet 

 know if this represents the beginning of an 

 overall decline or simply a pause in the long- 

 term increase reponed since 1987. 



Most West European high-seas fleets are owned 

 and operated by fishing firms in EC-member 

 countries. The EC high-seas fleet is one of the 

 largest in the world. EC officials believe that the 

 fleet is overcapitalized and that the overall fleet 

 capacity significantly exceeds the potential of 

 available fishing grounds."" EC officials believe that 

 the high-seas fleet must be reduced, or deployed to 

 distant-water grounds, to bring fleet capacity in line 

 with available coastal resources. Despite EC fleet 

 reduction programs, the number of EC vessels is 

 little changed from 1975; the 1991 capacity was 

 718,000-GRT, only slightly below the 740,000 GRT 

 reported in 1975. Despite the investment in modem, 

 high-seas vessels by EC fishermen, the fisheries catch 

 has slowly decreased from 6.7 million metric tons 

 (tons) in 1980 to 6.5 million tons in 1990 before 

 increasing to 6.9 million tons in 1992. 



The decline in the EC fisheries catch through 

 1990 was also matched by a decline in groundfish 

 stocks, caused by overfishing and biological 

 fluctuations. The decline in groundfish harvests is 

 particularly important, because these species 

 command high prices in Western Europe and are vital 

 to profitable operations of the fishing fleet. 



Table l.-EC. Fisheries catch, 1980, 1985, and 1992. 



Of particular concern to the EC has been the 

 gradual reduction in the catch of Atlantic cod (Gadus 

 morhua), in recent years. Atlantic cod is highly 

 prized in European markets and commands high 

 prices. The decline in its catch from 463,000 tons in 

 1985 to 333,000 tons in 1990, has significantly 

 reduced fishermen's profits. 



Source: FAO, Yearbook of Fishery Statistics, 1991 

 Rome, 1993. 



The EC catch of Atlantic cod reportedly will decline 

 further in 1992 and 1993. Poor recruitment, 

 fluctuating oceanographic conditions, and overfishing 

 makes it difficult to predict when the cod population 

 will recover. It is expected to take several years 

 under the most optimistic conditions. 



