3.8 



SWEDEN 



The Swedish high-seas fleet grew from 3 vessels in 1988 to 8 vessels in 1992 before declining to 7 vessels in 

 1993. All of these vessels are under 1,000-Gross Registered Tons (GRT). Sweden's coastal fishing vessels tend 

 to be heavier than coastal vessels in warmer climates in order to operate savely in the harsh northern weather. It 

 is unlikely that Sweden's vessels will move to distant fishing grounds in the near future. 



CONTENTS 



1. General Background 241 



2. Fleet Background 242 



3 . Modernization Programs 242 



4. Decommissioning Programs 242 



5. Shipyards 242 



6. International Agreements 243 



7. Fleet Dispersal Plans 243 



Sources 243 



Endnotes 248 



1. General Background 



Fishing is not a significant industry in Sweden. 

 It is, however, of importance to many coastal 

 communities. Sweden's catch peaked at around 

 400,000 tons in 1964 when nearly 200,000 tons of 

 Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) were landed. The 

 collapse of the North Sea herring stock, however, 

 signaled a contraction of Sweden's fisheries which 

 declined by half and never fully recovered.' Swedish 

 fisheries were impacted again in the 1970s, when 

 many nations extended their exclusive fishery zones 

 to 200 miles, excluding Swedish fishermen from their 

 traditional fishing grounds.' Many fishermen sold 



their vessels and sought other occupations during this 

 time.' Sweden's landings have fluctuated near the 

 250,000 ton level for the past two decades, but the 

 catch totaled 320,000 tons in 1992." Swedish high- 

 seas vessels traditionally fish for herring and 

 mackerel in the North Sea and other species in the 

 Baltic,' the Skagerrak, and the Kattegat. With the 

 decline in Swedish fisheries, seafood processors have 

 turned to foreign suppliers to meet the growing 

 demand for seafood in Sweden and Europe. In 1992, 

 Sweden imported 100,000 tons of fish and shellfish 

 valued at approximately $437 million.* Processing 



241 



