V. fflGH-SEAS FISHERY CATCH 



VI. HIGH-SEAS nSHING COMPANIES 



The Estonian high-seas fishing fleet landed 

 only an estimated 110,000 tons in 1992, less 

 than a half of the 1991 catch and less than a 

 third of what was landed in the peak year of 

 1988 (appendix 6). 



The high-seas catch remained fairly steady 

 until 1989 (figure 1) at about 350,000 t per 

 year, but it began to decline in 1990 (by 10 

 percent) and in 1991 (by 15 percent). In 

 1992, it decreased by 42 percent to only 

 110,100 t; the decline was caused by the 

 political and economic turmoil that followed 

 the country's declaration of independence in 

 March 1990'\ and which was exacerbated by 

 the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in 

 December 1991. 



1 ,000 metric tons 



□ Baltic Sea catch 



□ High-seas catch 



^^ '^ '^ '^ '^ '^ '^ '^o '^o 



The largest Estonian distant-water fishing 

 company is OOKEAN which owns the 

 OOKEAN Trawler and Refrigeration Fleet, 

 located in Tallinn. In August 1991, the 

 company owned 57 fishing and fishery 

 support vessels. By August 1993, the 

 OOKEAN high-seas fleet had been reduced 

 by 7 vessels; its current strength is thus 50 

 units with a total gross tonnage of 177,000 

 tons (appendix 3). Despite the Estonian 

 Government's drive to privatize state-owned 

 companies, OOKEAN is still formally 

 Government-owned although its management 

 is operating increasingly as a profit-making 

 venture. 



In 1992, OOKEAN's catch was 90,904 

 tons, of which 80 percent was exported. 

 These exports were worth US$9.8 

 million; another US$2.5 milion 

 was sold on the domestic market. 

 The largest percentage of exports 

 was sold to West African countries 

 off whose coasts the company 

 conducts fishing operations. About 

 15 percent of the exports were sold 

 to CIS countries of which Russia 

 took the largest amount, about 7 

 percent. This figure does not 

 include exports to Latvia which 

 equalled 0.2 percent of the total. 

 For additional details on export 

 sales, see figure 2. 



Figure 1. -Estonia. Baltic Sea and high-seas fisheries catch 

 by quantity; 1975-92. 



Estonia's four former fishery 

 kolkhozes, Majak, Saars Kalur, 

 Parnu Kalur, and Hiiu Kalur 

 annually contribute about 60,000 

 tons to the total catch. They fished in the 

 Baltic and expanded into high-seas fisheries. 



27 



