the Falklands. United States fishermen have reduced 

 effort in recent years and currently conduct only 

 limited longlining in the Caribbean, shrimp trawling 

 off Guyana, various fisheries off Colombia, and 

 scattered operations off other countries. 



Latin American countries pursued highly 

 restrictive policies toward foreign fishermen during 

 the 1970s-80s. Most countries (especially Brazil, 

 Chile, and Mexico) are likely to continue pursuing 

 such policies during the 1990s, but other countries 

 are providing access for foreign fishermen to generate 

 revenue and/or acquire modem fishing vessels and 

 technology. Argentina began to license foreign 

 fishermen from non-communist countries (Japan and 

 Taiwan) in 1992 under a new vessel charter 

 arrangement and has signed an agreement with the 

 EC that may provide access for up to 70 vessels and 

 allocations of up to 250,000 tons. As part of the 

 access arrangements most of the vessels would be 

 eventually transferred to Argentine owners. The EC 

 agreement and vessel chartering arrangement has yet 

 to be fully tested in Argentina and it is unclear if 

 eitlier will become a long-term policy. Argentine 

 officials are constrained by Falkland policies because 

 both are granting licenses to fish shared stocks. 

 Colombia licenses about 150 foreign vessels, but is 

 unlikely to increase catch allocations because of 

 resource limitations. Ecuador has since 1985 

 permitted 18-32 foreign vessels to operate in 

 association or under licensing arrangements with 

 domestic companies. The Government sharply 

 reduced the number of licenses in late 1 992 because 

 of concern over squid stocks. The Falkland Islands 

 has, since 1987, licensed (mostly 4-6-montli periods) 

 about 300 foreign vessels annually. The income 

 generated has become a major revenue source for the 

 Falklands Island Government. Falkland officials may 

 have to curtail future allocations because Argentina in 

 1992 also began to approve charters for foreign 

 fishermen. Guyana issued over 100 fishing licenses 

 to foreign fishennen in 1992. Tlie Govenunent is 

 unlikely to increase the number of liceases issued and 

 has been gradually reducing the number in recent 

 years due to resource problems. Panama liceases 

 foreign tuna vessels and issued about 30 licenses in 

 1993. Peru has provided access to foreign fishermen 

 in the past, but domestic fishermen have sharply 

 criticized such arrangements. Tlie Fujimori 

 Administration has reported significant income from 

 the sale of about 50 (3-4 month periods) licenses 



annually for surplus stocks of squid. The licenses are 

 offered through competitive bidding. The Fujimori 

 Administration is unlikely to increase license sales 

 until more is known about squid stocks. The 

 Administration also faces criticism from industry 

 groups opposed to foreign fishing. Suriname has 

 since 1985 annually issued 120-180 licenses to 

 foreign fishermen (mostly Japan, Korea, and 

 Venezuela), but in 1992 issued more than 220 

 licenses. Trinidad licenses a small number of 

 foreign fishermen annually. Since 1991 the number 

 has varied from two to six. 



Many foreign owners have registered their 

 fishing vessels in Latin American countries to obtain 

 flag-of-convenience registrations. Such registrations 

 are complicating both national and international 

 fishery management efforts. The authors have only 

 limited data on the extent and motivation for this 

 acfivity. The number of vessels and capacity 

 involved, however, is significant. Tlie foreign 

 distant-water effort is especially dismrbing because 

 the fishermen are concentrating their effort on a 

 relatively small number of high-value species 

 (billfish, cod, salmon, squid, swordfish, tunas, and 

 others). Most of these species are already heavily 

 utilized by coastal countries and the growing distant- 

 water effort on the high seas thus represents a 

 potentially serious threat to both national and 

 international management efforts. 



Concentration in Latin America: Many foreign 

 vessel owners seeking flag-of-convenience 

 registrations appear to have selected Latin American 

 countries. The authors camiot fully explain why so 

 many foreign owners have chosen to obtain the 

 registrations in Latin America. Otlier countries 

 (Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, Mauritius, Sierra Leone, 

 Singapore, etc.) also register foreign-owned vessels. 

 It may be tliat tlie Latin American countries offer 

 more secure communication, better established 

 bureaucratic systems, and superior financial services 

 than the African countries and are more distant from 

 the country of origin than countries like Cyprus, 

 Malta, and Singapore. Another key factor is that two 

 of tlie most important Latin American countries 

 making flag-of-convenience registrations (Panama and 

 Honduras) still maintain diplomatic relations witli 

 Taiwan rather than China. Such relations permit 

 Taiwan fishermen seeking flag-of-convenience 



