have been dispatched to Panama, Costa Rica, 

 Honduras, and the Dominican Republic in 1993.'- 



Falkland Islands: During the years 1987-1990, 

 between 13 and 30 Taiwan jiggers were licensed to fish 

 in Falkland Islands waters. Since 1990, the number of 

 Taiwan jiggers has increased rapidly to 39 vessels in 

 1991, 51 vessels in 1992, and 71 vessels in 1993." 

 Tliis increase in vessel deployment is primarily the 

 result of a recently signed fisheries cooperation 

 agreement with the United Kingdom which grants 

 Taiwan's squid jiggers greater access to the Falkland 

 Islands' 150-mile EEZ.'^ 



VII. Outlook 



The distant-water fisheries are the most profitable 

 sector of Taiwan's fisheries. Tlie advent of 200-mile 

 EEZs, the driftnet moratorium, depleted high-seas 

 fishery resources, and a zero-growth official policy for 

 the distant-water fleet, however, mean that the 

 prospects for expansion in this sector are limited. 

 Fewer Taiwan residents are interested in commercial 

 fishing, preferring more lucrative on-shore activities. 

 Although Taiwan officials will invest $717 million in 

 the fisheries industry under the current Six -Year Plan 

 (1990-96), the bulk of the funds will be spent on 

 improved fisheries management, cooperation with 

 international fishery organizations, implementation of 

 fisheries conservation measures, and harbor 

 construction. 



A. Trawlers 



Taiwan's distant-water trawler fleet owners have 

 reported decreasing catch in 1990 and 1991, and there 

 is no evidence to suggest that this trend will change. 

 Access to coastal fisheries is limited primarily to India 

 and Indonesia, and most of the catch is sold on the 

 domestic Taiwan market. For the foreseeable future, 

 no significant change in areas of deployment are 

 expected. As the trawler fleet ages and old vessels are 

 retired or scrapped, they will not be replaced. The 

 catch should continue to decrease as the fleet is being 

 reduced. 



B. Squid Jiggers 



Taiwan's squid jigging fleet will probably continue 

 to grow in the short-tenn as fonner driftnet vessels 

 convert to this method. In the long-term, however, 

 growth in this fleet will be constrained by the 

 economics of the squid market which can only absorb 

 limited additional supplies. The Taiwan fleet will 

 probably follow in the footsteps of its Japanese and 

 ROK competitors and increase its effort in coastal areas 

 of Argentina and Peru. Unlike its Japanese and ROK 

 competitors, however, the Taiwan jigging fleet will 

 probably continue to increase effort off the Falkland 

 Islands where the recent bilateral agreement permits 

 access to more Taiwan jiggers. There is no evidence 

 that Taiwan vessels are engaged in squid jigging off 

 Ecuador or Brazil, but if ROK and Japanese vessels are 

 successful in these new grounds, Taiwan jiggers will 

 probably follow. 



C. Driftnet Vessels 



Older Taiwan driftnet vessels have been purchased 

 by Taiwan officials under its buy-back program; they 

 are now used as artificial reefs. Newer driftnet vessels 

 will probably be converted for fishing in two distant- 

 water fisheries: 1 ) squid jigging in the southwest 

 Atlantic and off Peru, and 2) tuna longlining in the 

 Indian Ocean. 



D. Distant-water Tuna Vessels 



Longliners: The Taiwan distant-water tuna 

 longliner fleet in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans has 

 probably reached its limit, in tenns of being able to 

 profitably catch tuna for the Japanese sashimi market. 

 Effort in the Indian Ocean longliner fishery will 

 probably increase slightly, however, as former driftnet 

 vessels operating on this ground convert to the 

 longlining method. In the Pacific Ocean, the most 

 probable future scenario is a pan-Asian network where 

 Taiwan companies provide financing and technical 

 expertise for Chinese and Indonesian longliners which 

 can catch sashimi-grade tuna in Pacific fisheries at a 

 much lower cost than Taiwan vessels. 



Purse Seiners: The Taiwan distant-water tuna 

 purse seine fleet will probably continue to grow in the 

 number of vessels. It will focus its effort on the 

 central south Pacific fishery. Tliis growth will be 

 constrained, however, by increasingly stringent access 



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