2.10 



SPAIN 



The Spanish 1992 high-seas fleet of 204 vessels (235,000-Gross Registered Tons, GRT) is the largest in 

 Western Europe.' Many of these vessels were excluded from Namibia's lucrative hake fisheries when Namibia 

 gained independence in 1990 and extended its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to 200-miles. Some Spanish vessels 

 were shifted to fishing off the Falkland Islands, but most were left idling in their home port of Vigo, Spain. The 

 EC agreement with Argentina will allow some of these vessels to shift to South American waters. Many, however, 

 will remain unemployed. Most Spanish vessel owners hope that the EC will resume negotiations with Namibia and 

 reach an agreement permitting Spanish vessels to begin fishing in these waters in the near future. Some Spanish 

 vessel owners have grown increasingly desperate; one company reflagged its vessels as a Congolese ship and 

 attempted to fish in Namibia's waters. The vessel was caught. It is likely that a number of Spanish vessels will 

 be sold in the next few years, especially if the EC is unable to negotiate a fishing agreement with Namibia. 

 Alternatively, there will be increasing pressure on the EC to negotiate additional fishing agreements in Latin 

 America where Spanish fishermen have the advantage of a common language. The long-term outlook for more 

 Spanish vessels to fish off South America is good. Spanish tuna seiners currently fish off the coast of West Africa 

 and in the Indian Ocean. These modem tuna seiners could easily move into the Pacific Ocean if catches in 

 traditional waters begin to decline. One Spanish purse seiner, the Montedaro, sank in the Eastern Tropical Pacific 

 on July 14, 1993 and several Spanish tuna vessels were reflagged in Panama in 1993. Spain remains Western 

 Europe's single, largest potential source of vessel displacement. 



CONTENTS 



1. General Background 141 



2. Fleet Background 142 



3. Modernization Programs 143 



4. Decommissioning Programs 143 



5. Shipyards 143 



6. International Agreements 144 



7. Fleet Dispersal Plans 145 



Sources 146 



Endnotes 152 



1. General Background any other European country. The Spanish have a 



love of seafood and the average Spaniard consumes 



Spain is the second largest fishing nation (after 30 kilograms of seafood products annually.^ Spain's 



Denmark) in the European Community, with a 1992 access to the Atlantic and Mediterranean, has 



catch of 1.4 million tons. Fisheries play a key role contributed to the growth of a large fishing industry 



in the Spanish economy, accounting for 1% of total and fleet.'' Spain dominates the world hake and 



Gross Domestic Product.^ This is more than that of squid markets.* The Spanish have the largest distant- 



141 



