D. FLEET TRENDS, 1990-92 



The EC Council of Ministers met on June 27, 

 1990, in Luxembourg. EC officials presented 

 graphic evidence that the program to limit the size of 

 the EC fishing fleet was not working. EC Minister 

 Marin aimounced that a reduction of between 30- and 

 40-percent of EC fishing capacity would be necessary 

 to reduce pressure on fishery resources.'* This was 

 in contrast to the EC's established program to reduce 

 the size of the fleet by 3 percent in tonnage and 2 

 percent in engine power between 1987 and 1991." 

 As a result of the discussions, the EC Council voted 

 that all grants to build new fishing vessels be 

 temporarily stopped. EC financial support for 

 continued building of new vessels was clearly 

 undermining efforts to reduce the size of the fishing 

 fleet and to protect fishery stocks. It was apparent 

 that the MAGP was not keeping pace with fleet 

 expansion. In 1990, for example, the EC provided 

 vessel modernization grants for 230 projects, with 

 Spain receiving funding for 98 projects.^" The EC 

 Council approved a new program to include small 

 vessels under 12 meters (m) in length or 9 m between 

 perpendiculars, under the decommissioning program. 

 The legislation also amended Regulation (EEC) No. 

 4028/86 to promote further exploratory fishing 

 voyages, redeployment operations, joint ventures, and 

 joint enterprises. Financial assistance to firms 

 interested in taking advantage of fishing operations, 

 including those in distant-waters, was promoted under 

 this amended program.^' 



EC fishery officials still face the daimting task of 

 reducing the existing fleet to a more realistic level 

 reflecting the availability of exploitable stocks. The 

 EC high-seas fleet increased from 623 vessels 

 (670,000-GRT) in 1990 to 648 (718,000-GRT) 

 vessels in 1991, but the impact of EC fishing fleet 

 reduction programs was only felt in 1992 when the 

 fleet declined to 591 vessels (estimated 646,000- 

 GRT, Appendices 1 and 2). The entire fleet declined 

 from an estimated 91,200 vessels to an estimated 

 90,000 vessels in the same period. EC fishermen 

 continue to experience declining catches of many 

 traditional species as a result of steady expansion of 

 the Community fleet during the late 1980s. Further, 

 EC officials noted that 90 percent of North Atlantic 

 stocks of cod, haddock, saithe, etc. were overfished. 

 The resulting lower yields, as well as rising consumer 

 demand, had combined to make the EC the world's 

 largest importer of fishery products. The declining 



catch in EC waters meant that EC fishermen had to 

 turn increasingly to the high-seas and other distant- 

 water grounds. 



E. OUTLOOK, 1993-96 



EC scientists and administrators are convinced 

 that a major reduction in the fishing fleet is needed. 

 EC scientists recommended a 30- to 40-percent 

 reduction" in fleet capacity if fishing capacity is to 

 match resources. A fleet reduction of such 

 magnitude, however, would result in severe financial 

 and social dislocation, especially in coastal 

 commimities. EC Ministers, faced with political 

 pressures from fishery constituencies, agreed to cut 

 the plaimed reduction of demersal fleets by only 20- 

 percent and bottom/beam trawlers by only 15-percent 

 under a compromise reached on November 23, 

 1992." The reductions, part of the 1993-96 MAGP, 

 will not require all such vessels to be withdrawn from 

 the fleet; some reductions will take the form of effort 

 restrictions (i.e., tie-up programs or increased mesh 

 sizes). Biologists are concerned, however, that such 

 half measures may not reduce effort sufficiently to 

 allow depleted stocks to recover. Because fishing 

 vessels may not be withdrawn from the fleet, the 

 planned restrictions will probably not reverse the 

 declining earnings trend. The 1991 Report from the 

 Commission to the Council and the European 

 Parliament on the Common Fisheries Policy 

 recognized the importance of declining earnings as a 

 key item affecting EC fisheries in the Executive 

 Summary.^'' Restrictions on effort increase operating 

 costs and may have a serious impact on earnings 

 unless the management programs results in the 

 recovery of depleted stocks. 



Almost all EC countries will have to reduce the 

 size of their fishing fleets in the next few years if 

 they are to meet EC 1996 fleet level targets. Such 

 reductions are likely to occur even if management 

 programs restricting effort (tie-up programs or 

 increased mesh size regulations) are used. Two 

 countries (Greece and the U.K.) report notable 

 failures to meet 1991 targets (Appendix 28). Several 

 other countries will have to withdraw substantial 

 numbers of vessels from their fleet to meet future 

 targets. 



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