but is closed for squid fishing. Nevertheless, 

 the Bulgarian fishermen landed almost the 

 same amount of fish as the previous year 

 (appendix 6). 



In 1992, only 7 Bulgarian trawlers were 

 granted licenses by the Falkland Islands 

 Government. It is not known how many 

 fishing days they spent on the grounds, but 

 their catch was dismal; less than 9,000 tons. 



In 1993, the catch may be even smaller, 

 as only 2 vessels have been issued licenses for 

 the squid fisheries. Bulgarians have not 

 fished for squid in the past (except for a small 

 amount in 1990) and the entry into this fishery 

 is probably an indication of their desire to 

 earn foreign currencies. It is believed that for 

 the second season of 1993, the Falklands may 

 authorize 5 trawlers to fish for finfish, the 

 same number as in 1992. 



Southeastern Atlantic (FAO area 47): The 

 fishing grounds off Angola, Namibia, and the 

 Republic of South Africa have been the most 

 important fishing area of the Bulgarian 

 industry from 1985 to 1989. The traditional 

 catch of Bulgarian fishermen in that area 

 amounted to about 43,000-45,000 tons per 

 year, or more than one half of the total high- 

 seas catch (appendix 5). In 1990 and 1991, 

 however, this catch decreased sharply (by 80 

 percent) to only 8,500 t following the 

 independence of Namibia and the subsequent 

 moratorium on foreign fishing in its newly 

 declared 200-mile zone. Fishing in this area 

 is regulated by the International Commission 

 for the Southeastern Atlantic Fisheries 

 (ICSEAF), of which Bulgaria is a member. 



Southwest Pacific: In the early 1980s, the 

 Bulgarians also fished off the coasts of Chile 

 and Peru. The catch peaked at 25,000 tons in 

 1984, but was discontinued by 1986. Limited 



fishing was resumed in 1990 and 1991, 

 yielding a small amount (1,700 t) of fish to 

 what appears to be one stern factory trawler. 



rV. INLAND & BLACK SEA FISHERIES 



Inland fisheries catch (appendix 5) comes 

 mostly from fish farming and reservoirs. 

 River fishing is negligible. The fishery 

 increased somewhat in the middle of the 

 1980s, peaking in 1986 at 14,100 tons, but 

 has lately decreased to about 9,000 tons. It is 

 one of the major providers of fresh fish to the 

 population. 



The resources of the Black Sea (FAO 

 statistical area 37) are extremely depleted and 

 increasingly polluted; Bulgaria's recent levels 

 of fisheries catch from these waters are less 

 than a third of those harvested in the early 

 1980s and amounted to less than 3,000 tons in 

 1990/1991 (appendix 5). In recent years, the 

 sprat fishery and trials of mussel culture could 

 not be sustained because of pollution. In the 

 absence of improvement of the Black Sea 

 marine environment, the prospects for 

 increased production in this fishery are 

 unpromising. Serious measures must be 

 implemented, both nationally and regionally, 

 to manage Black Sea fisheries and to protect 

 the stocks from further degradation, especially 

 by working to reduce the discharge of 

 pollutants into the Black Sea.'^ 



Along with the 10 trawlers of over 100 

 CRT mentioned in table 1 on page 2, a 

 number of other, even smaller Bulgarian 

 vessels also fish in the Black Sea from the 

 ports of Varna, Nesebur, Sozopol and Burgas. 



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