PREFACE 



This report provides an analysis of the trends in the world's fishing fleet operations using information 

 obtained and verified from a variety of soiu-ces, such as Lloyd's Register of Shipping, die Food and 

 Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) of die United 

 States Navy, and U.S. Diplomatic Missions overseas. Several recent developments have focused 

 considerable attention on global high-seas fishing fleet activity because of Uieir potential impact on the 

 world's living marine resources. In particular, the over-capitalization of the world's fishing fleets (Appendix 

 1) and subsidies to portions of diat fleet, have caused the world's annual catch to reach approximately 100 

 million metric tons in 1989, which is generally diought to be a level which reaches or exceeds the annual 

 maximum sustainable yield. In addition, within the last ten years, the sustained and rapid construction of 

 technologically advanced high-seas fishing vessels capable of efficiently harvesting vast quantities of fish in 

 short periods of time has placed stress on some stocks. The United Nations moratorium on high-seas large- 

 scale pelagic driftnet fishing has caused some of the affected vessels to target odier fishery stocks using 

 different fishing mediods. The straddling stock issue presently being addressed by a variety of international 

 organizations has provided some unique and difficult challenges. The illegal fishing widiin certain countries' 

 200-niile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and die reflagging of vessels to avoid regulations designed to 

 effectively manage and conserve fisheries resources are significant issues. These issues are rooted in die 

 world's demand for die relatively inexpensive protein provided by diese fisheries resources and die potential 

 economic gain that can be obtained by fidfilling that demand. 



In preparing this report, the audiors had substantial leeway in conducting the analysis for their particular 

 region since considerable differences exist in the type of fisheries, such as coastal or high-seas, employed 

 by die countries of these regions. To assine as much accuracy as possible, applicable portions of each 

 regional draft analysis were provided for review and comment to U.S. Embassies, Department of State, 

 odier U.S. government agencies, and foreign government and diplomatic officials. Considerable difficulty 

 was experienced in developing the analyses for die former Soviet Union republics primarily because much 

 of die data was either non-existent or not available for dissemination. A few similar situations were 

 encountered widi data in other parts of the world and die audiors noted this problem in dieir analyses. 



With respect to diis valuable and renewable resource, the worid catch peaked at 100 million metric tons 

 in 1989 and has since declined to 97 million tons. Most experts agree diat there is a sustainable harvest 

 ceiling to what was once diought to be a limidess resource. This fact poses some cridcal challenges for die 

 world community. Some observers believe diat die fishing industry has die potential to expand catches 

 dirough the use of more efficient fishing vessels, gear, or mediods. Odiers desire to develop fisheries for 

 underutilized species while some individuals or countries view aquaculture as a major soince of 

 supplementing wild stock catches from die sea. However, no matter what dieir beliefs, most of die world 

 community now concedes diat overfishing, biological fluctuations, variable physical oceanographic 

 conditions, increasing pollution, loss of marine habitat, expanding harvesfing efficiency, and other factors 

 can have a major impact on world stocks of marine fish and shellfish. 



In some cases, brand and company names have been included in this report. It is not die policy of the 

 U.S. Department of Commerce to endorse any product or company. The inclusion or omission of any 

 product or company does not reflect any view by the U.S. Department of Commerce. 



The regional analyses provided by diis document will rapidly lose dieir relevancy as die world fishing 

 fleets change their operations in response to ever-changing political and economic conditions, and resource 

 availability. The audiors thus anticipate diat diis document will require substandal updafing widiin die next 

 two to diree years to reflect diese changes and thus maintain its viability as a useful reference. 



vni 



