• General prosperity of Spain during those 

 years, 



• opportunities in the Falklands, 



• opportunities off Namibia, and, 



• a new law in Spain favoring construction of 

 new vessels. 



It might also be added that new EC funding also 

 favored the construction of new vessels during those 

 years. The result was significant growth in the size 

 of the high-seas fleet (Table 1). 



This process has continued through the 1990s, but at 

 more modest levels. In 1991 the Pasajes-based Guria 

 yard built the Txori Berri (81 meters) to fish for tuna 

 in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.'* In 1992 the 

 Russian Federation placed an order for twenty tuna 

 freezer vessels with the Astilleros de Heulva worth 

 $200 million.-" Among the vessels built was the 

 Radios, a 69 meter, 1,520-GRT vessel.'^ Naval 

 Guijon also received an order for 15 factory trawlers 

 which will join the Russian Far East fleet.'" In 1993, 

 the shipyards of Factorias Vulcano and Naval Gijon 

 were busy completing construction on two 105-meter 

 factory stem trawlers for delivery to Russian owners. 

 The Vladimir Stanhinsky and Gijon were ready for 

 delivery in June 1993. The Mikhail Drozdov is 

 scheduled for delivery in August 1993 along with the 

 Kapitan Nazin. Two more ships will be delivered to 

 Russian fishermen in January 1994 and two final 

 ships in June 1994. This was part of a 15-ship 

 construction program for Russian buyers at Spanish 

 shipyards."- The Russian order was worth $540 

 million and reportedly is the world's biggest fishing 

 vessel contract.''^ 



The agreement provides access for 600 Spanish 

 vessels (mostly in the 100-GRT range) to fish on a 

 daily basis. These are smaller vessels that deliver 

 fresh fish to markets in Spain on a daily basis; fresh 

 fish and shellfish command premium prices in Spain. 

 The EC agreement with Morocco was renewed on 

 May 13, 1992. The new accord imposed a two- 

 month annual fishing ban on coastal and high-seas 

 fisheries. The number of vessels permitted to fish in 

 Moroccan waters was limited to only 600 vessels, 

 including 143 high-seas vessels for Spanish fishing. 

 There is also a quota for 28 licenses for tuna 

 vessels."* The importance of Morocco to Spain's 

 fisheries can be seen in the price tag paid by the EC 

 for access: $341 million per year. The EC-Morocco 

 agreement and the agreement with Mauritania allows 

 Spanish fleets operating from Las Palmas in the 

 Canary Islands to fish for a variety of fish and 

 cephalopodes; most of the catch is frozen and shipped 

 to the mainland or exported to markets in the Orient. 

 Spanish fishermen take advantage of the EC's 

 agreement with various West African countries to fish 

 for shrimp, finfish and tuna. Spanish vessels also 

 fish for tuna in the Indian Ocean thanks to EC 

 agreements in that area. Spanish vessels began 

 fishing in the prolific squid fishery off the Falkland 

 Islands following the conflict between the United 

 Kingdom and Argentina over these remote islands. 

 The Spanish catch off the Falkland was minor until 

 1986 when it nearly reached 60,000 tons. Since 

 then, Spanish fishermen have caught between 65,000 

 tons and 85,000 tons annually under license."^ The 

 Spanish catch, which consists mostly of squid, hakes, 

 and blue whiting, reached 88,000 tons in 1992 (see 

 appendix 29-30 for details on the Spanish catch in the 

 Falkland's EEZ). Thirty-four Spanish fishing 

 companies received licenses to fish off the Falkland 

 Islands in 1993 (table 5)."' 



6. International Agreements 



Before accession to the European Community, 

 Spain maintained numerous bilateral agreements with 

 the EC itself (signed in April, 1980),"" the United 

 States, Canada, and a host of African countries. In 

 1986, the EC assumed responsibility for these 

 agreements, although a Spain-South Africa agreement 

 remained in effect as of 1991."^ 



The EC agreement with Morocco allows Spain 

 access to its single most important fishing ground. 



The Spanish fishing fleet suffered some setbacks 

 when many nations established 200-mile EEZs. The 

 Spanish fishing fleet was slowly replaced from waters 

 off New England as U.S. fishermen gained 

 experience in catching squid once caught by Spanish 

 vessels."' Charges of overfishing cod stocks in 

 waters off Canada led to diplomatic confrontations 

 between the EC and Canada and ultimately to a 

 reduction in cod quotas for EC vessels fishing in the 

 Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) 

 area.'" The reduction of cod quotas in the NAFO 

 area was strongly resisted by Spanish fishermen until 

 the stock nearly collapsed. '' 



144 



