As we present the fishing-economy characteristics of the most 

 significant regions of the World Ocean, we shall use these generally 

 accepted divisions (Table 16). 



Fishing is conducted with the highest yields in 4 regions of the 

 World Ocean: the North Atlantic, North, West-central and Southeastern 

 Pacific, the total area of which represents some 26% of the total water 

 area of the oceans, but yields some 80% of the total world catch. 



The Atlantic Ocean is the most productive of the 3 oceans. In 

 1970, the catch taken from the Atlantic Ocean totalled 26 million tons, 

 for a fish productivity of 260 kg/km^, significantly higher than the 

 productivity of the Pacific Ocean (170 kg/km^) or Indian Ocean (40 

 kg/km^). 



The Northeastern Atlantic, including the North Sea, Baltic Sea, Sea 

 of Norway, Barents Sea and White Sea is a traditional, exceptionally 

 productive fishing region in the World Ocean. About 60% of the water 

 area here covers depths of less than 1,000 m. The total catch here 

 exceeded 11 million tons, doubling since the war, and now represents 20% 

 of the world catch. This region is particularly important for the 

 fishing industry of the USSR (Table 17). 



The catch in this region increased until 1966. In subsequent 

 years, as a result of the great decrease in the reserves of herring and 

 cod, the total catch of all countries has stabilized. The intensity of 

 fishing for most species has reached the saturation point and only the 

 poutassou, Scombridae, Arctic cod, capelin and certain other fish can 

 increase. The total catch of the Soviet fishing industry in this region 

 in 1974 reached 2 million tons. 



North Sea--one of the most productive regions of the World Ocean. 

 The high biomass of the benthos and zooplankton, consisting primarily of 

 edible species, and the predominance in the composition of the 

 ichthyofauna of rapidly growing planktonophages and benthophages, with 

 the limited population of predators, assure high fish productivity 

 which, in combination with other favorable conditions, allows the 

 fishermen of many countries to achieve high and comparatively stable 

 catches and to increase the yield of fish products per unit area to a 

 very high level (5.5 t/km^), approaching the first productivity of the 

 Azov Sea prior to the regulation of the runoff of the Don and Kuban' 

 Rivers (8.2 t/km^). Of all commercially fished seafood, the pelagic 

 planktonophagous fish, primarily herring, sprat, and mackerel, occupy 

 the leading position. Among the benthic, primarily benthophagous fish, 

 the plaice and Gadidae (cod, haddock, whiting, saithe, tresochka 

 esmarka) and others are most numerous. Most fish caught in the North 

 Sea are permanent inhabitants of the Sea, but a certain small quantity 

 enters the Sea through La Manche (mackerel ) and from the Sea of Norway 

 (herring of the Norway stock). 



Fishermen of many nations fish the North Sea, including those of 

 the USSR. The Soviet catch in some years approaches 500,000 t (1973-- 

 230,000 t). It consists primarily of herring, sprat and haddock. The 



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