2.4 



GERMANY 



The Federal Republic of Germany's (FRG) high-seas fleet declined from 230 vessels in 1950 to only 16 vessels 

 in 1990.' In 1989, a massive 5,845-GRT pelagic stem trawler, the Jan Maria, was launched in Bremerhaven, 

 Germany.' The Jan Maria, and her sister ships, the Dirk Dirk, and the Gerda Maria, are able to fish anywhere 

 in the world and pose significant competition to fishermen operating on the high-seas. Some observers felt that 

 the vessels might stimulate a rebirth in the FRG fishing fleet. The union of the FRG with the German Democratic 

 Republic (GDR) on October 3, 1990, temporarily increased the FRG fishing fleet, but most of the former GDR 

 vessels have since been sold and the FRG is again reducing its role as a high-seas fishing state. 



CONTENTS 



!. General Background 81 



2. Fleet Background 82 



3. Modernization Programs 83 



4. Decommissioning Programs 83 



5. Shipyards 83 



6. International Agreements 84 



7. Fleet Dispersal Plans 84 



Sources 84 



Endnotes 88 



1. General Background 



The FRG has a coastline of only 570 kilometers.' 

 This limits the country's ability to fish and forces 

 Germans to seek fish from distant fishing grounds. 

 There are nearly 84 million consumers in the unified 

 Federal Republic and these consumers enjoy seafood. 

 Fisheries plays a minuscule role in the nation's 

 economy despite landings of about 265,000 tons in 

 1 992 ."* Affluent , quality -conscious German consumers 

 purchase large quantities of traditional fish, such as 

 herring, cod, saithe, salmon, and shellfish from 

 overseas suppliers. Despite increased landings 

 (thanks in part to the addition of the former GDR's 



fisheries catch). West Germany is the seventh largest 

 importer of edible fishery products in the world.' 

 FRG imports of edible fishery products in 1992 were 

 683,000 tons, worth slightly over $2 billion.' 

 Germany now imports significant quantities of 

 unprocessed fish which is used to produced finished, 

 high-value fishery products suited to Germany tastes. 

 German importers also purchase finished seafood 

 products for sale in Germany; much of this comes 

 from Denmark and Holland. Germany is also an 

 important market for fresh fish and shellfish, such as 

 farmed Atlantic salmon from Norway. 



