1951o Increased landings by western European countries, amounting 

 to 11 ol percent of the world catch; have enabled them to supply the 

 large Italian market for canned tuna, Turkey was ailso an important 

 producer (3«4 percent), but actual landings have declined to approxi- 

 mately one-fourth of the prewar landings « Norwegian landings of tuna 

 have increased from an insignificant eumount to slightly over one per- 

 cent of the world totals Although many other countries have shown 

 an interest in producing tuna (primarily for export to the United 

 States), their tuna fisheries have not been expanded. In table 16, 

 landings of tuna and tunalike fishes are given for those countries 

 for which data are available. These data are illustrated graphically 

 in figures 12 and 13, It is believed that the total landing figures 

 approximate the actual total world landings^, since those countries 

 omitted conduct exceedingly small tuna fisheries, if any at all. 



Gradual expansion of the tuna fisheries appears probable by 

 those countries which are now the largest producers and by other 

 countries located near extensive but little utilized tuna resources. 

 The main obstacle to development in countries without progressive 

 modern fishing industries is lack of capital for building vessels 

 needed for high-seas operations and for establishing shore-based fac- 

 ilities to can or freeze the catch. For some countries tuna has be- 

 come too high priced for local consuiaption, mainly because operating 

 costs for high-seas vessels are high. Therefore, a large part of 

 the world's increased production has been channeled into the more 

 favorably priced United States market. Significantly, as Japanese 

 production costs and exports have increased, the price of tuna on 

 the local market has risen and consumption has dropped. The United 

 States undoubtedly is the target for much of the increased produc- 

 tion of tanas contemplated by many countries, 



Peru, with large quantities of bonito available in its coastal 

 waters, can be expected to increase production of this species even 

 though its fishing fleet is primarily composed of comparatively small 

 vessels, Chile and Ecuador are capable of increasing their tuna land- 

 ings, but lack experience and capital. Along the east coast of South 

 America tuna and tunalike fishes are now taken in small amounts. Dev- 

 elopment awodts exploratory fishing to determine the size and avail- 

 ability of the stocks in offshore waters. Furthermore, countries such 

 as Venezuela and Brazil would be faced with the problem of marketing 

 comparatively high priced tuna locally (in competition with salted 

 cod) or developing export markets, 



114 



