coefficient to be 7-8, we find that they consume approximately 80 to 90 

 million tons of planktonophages and about 10 million tons of 

 benthophages . Thus, the total volume of planktonophagous fish removed 

 each year by fishing and by the inroads of predators amounts to 120-130 

 million tons, the total quantity of benthophages lost in these two ways 

 is about 12 million tons. 



The relationship of the production of zooplankton and benthos 

 available for utilization by fish and other larger animals within the 

 limits of the peripheral zones of the ocean is about 15:1 (zooplankton 

 15 billion tons, benthos 1 billion tons). The catch of 

 zooplanktonophages (including 2 million tons of whales and 1 million 

 tons of squid) is also at present approximately 15 times greater than 

 the catch of benthophages. It seems likely that the intensity of 

 fishing of demersal fish (benthophages) has reached its limit or is 

 close to it, but there is some possibility for an increase in the catch 

 of planktonophages, by increasing the catch of the inhabitants of the 

 pelagic zone of the open ocean, where approximately the same quantity 

 (15-20 billion tons) of zooplankton is produced as in the peripheral 

 zones. Analysis of the volume and composition of the world fish catch 

 confirms this conclusion. 



In spite of the great variety of species of fish which are utilized 

 by the fishing industry, the fate of world fishing is determined by an 

 extremely limited number of families and species of fish, which have 

 large populations. Representatives of seven fami 1 ies--the inhabitants 

 of the continental shelf and the neritic areas of the ocean (the 

 Engraulidae, Clupeidae, Gadidae, Carangidae, Thunnidae, Pleuronectidae 

 and Scombridae) provide about 7U% of the world catch of sea fish (Table 

 7). 



The most numerous species, such as the Peruvian anchovy, the 

 pollock, Atlantic cod an oceanic herring, the Caspian hake, the capelin 

 and a few species of sardines, yield about 25 million tons in certain 

 years, which is the majority of the catch of sea fish. The Peruvian 

 anchovy alone in some years has yielded over 18% of the world catch, and 

 about 25% of the catch of sea fish. 



It is characteristic that in recent years, the catch of many 

 important commercial fish, in spite of more intensive fishing, has 

 significantly decreased. Many traditional fishes, which have long been 

 greatly used as commercial fish, specifically the ocean herring, 

 Atlantic cod, plaice, and Peruvian anchovy, have shown clear signs of 

 depression of their reserves, which has directly influenced the volume 

 of fishing and led to a reduction in the total volume of the world 

 catch. 



Before 1972, the anchovies held first place in the world fish 

 catch, their 1970 yield reaching 14.6 million t (Table 8). In 1973, 

 anchovy catch dropped to 4.0 million t. 



the 



Most of the anchovy catch is represented by the Peruvian anchovy. 

 In recent years, the catch of cape anchovy and northern Pacific anchovy 



368 



