million during 1991-93. NFB investment grants are 

 also available for the financing of coastal fishing 

 vessels in regions where fishing is the main activity. 



The modernization program appears to be very 

 effective. The high-seas fleet increased from 72 

 vessels in 1975 to 143 vessels in 1990, before 

 decreasing to 139 vessels in 1992. 



4. Decommissioning Programs 



Norway has a long history of supporting efforts 

 to decommission old and ineffective fishing vessels. 

 One of the programs was initiated in 1979 and ended 

 with the scrapping of 124 vessels." Another 

 program ended in 1982 with 140 vessels over 15 

 meters in length being decommissioned.'* Most of 

 these early programs were aimed at the large number 

 of small vessels which dominated the Norwegian 

 fishing fleet. During the last 3-4 years, these 

 programs have been increased. Recent initiatives 

 include: 



Financial support for the scrapping of old vessels 

 (mostly coastal vessels). Since 1978, the 

 Government has spent approximately $148 

 million on the scrapping of 950 vessels. 



Financial support for the sale of larger, offshore 

 vessels to other nations, leading to the permanent 

 withdrawal of the vessels from Norwegian 

 fisheries. 



Financial support for the laying-up of vessels for 

 a limited period. 



Reduction in the financial support for operational 

 costs in Norwegian fisheries. 



In addition to these financial programs, the 

 Government of Norway has also initiated 

 administrative programs limiting the growth of the 

 Norwegian fishing fleet. These programs include: 



Restrictions on loans for investment in vessels, 

 gear, and other equipment and reduction in 

 investment subsidies. 



Strict limitations on the granting of new licenses 

 for replacement of licensed vessels. 



Regulations on the rate of replacement in the 



fishing fleet. 



Possibilities for the merging of quotas of licensed 

 vessels in the Norwegian cod fishery. This 

 allows one vessel to benefit from another vessel's 

 cod quota, provided the second vessel is 

 withdrawn from the cod fishery on a permanent 

 basis. 



The program to reduce the fishing fleet appears 

 to be less effective than the program to modernize the 

 fleet in recent years. In 1992, 34 vessels were 

 withdrawn. 



5. Shipyards 



Norwegian shipyards rank among the best in the 

 world. Ten Norwegian shipyards reported building 

 19 new fishing vessels in 1992." These vessels 

 ranged in size from the 24-GRT Hans Robert built by 

 Arctic Boat A/S in Guasvik for Hans Karisari of 

 Vadso to the 2,700-GRT Northern Osprey built for 

 M.V. Osprey Ltd., of Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 

 Canada by the Mjellum & Karlsen Verft A/S of 

 Bergen. The Sterkoder A/S shipyards were also 

 active in the construction of six 1,900-GRT factory 

 stem trawlers for the Rider Shipping Corporation of 

 Monrovia, Liberia. Four of these stem trawlers were 

 delivered: Peter, Iljin,'^ Admiral Nevelskoj, and 

 Victoria.^^ One ship, the Mikhail Levashov was not 

 delivered due to lack of funding. The last vessel, the 

 Amaltal Colombia, was sold to the Amatal Fishing 

 Company, Ltd. of Auckland, New Zealand. 

 Norwegian shipyards also built fishing vessels for 

 customers in France (Ligrunn, 768-GRT ), Iceland 

 (Vigri, 1,217-GRT, Amar [no GRT reported], 

 Tjaldur and Tjaldur II, 688-GRT), and Poland {John 

 Erik, 492-GRT and Baldvin Torsteinsson [no GRT 

 reported]). On April 29, 1993, the Norwegian 

 shipyard Soviknes Verft AS delivered an ultra- 

 modem autoliner to Nichimo Co. Ltd. of Japan with 

 the unusual name oiKapitan Kartashov ( 1 ,079-GRT) . 

 The vessel will operate out of Vladivostok for a 

 Russian company affiliated with Nichimo and will 

 fish for Pacific cod, halibut, and rockfish. This is 

 the first of two identical vessels for Nichimo; the 

 second vessel, the Kapitan Samoilenko, was 

 delivered on June 11, 1993.^° Norwegian shipyards 

 are able to produce highly efficient fishing vessels 

 and are an important source of new vessels for 

 fishermen aroimd the world. 



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