The Footprint of Distant Water Fleets on World Fisheries
Download the Entire Report in Adobe Acrobat(.PDF) Format
Threats
Overview
Distant water fleets, fishing vessels which operate outside their own national waters, are by no means a new phenomenon. For centuries fishermen have travelled to remote waters in pursuit of their livelihood. However, the size and catching power of distant water fleets has grown considerably since the Second World war. The depletion of fish stocks in home waters and the development and growth of new markets for fish products has led to the migration of fishing vessels to more productive waters. This trend contributed to overfishing and the depletion of fisheries worldwide.
Coastal Nations Respond
Twenty years ago, coastal nations affected by the activities of distant water fleets responded by establishing exclusive economic zones (EEZ's) around their shores under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. They effectively took legal control over their coastal fisheries, which collectively constitute about 90 per cent of the world's fish resources. Since then, distant water vessels have had to scramble for access to these rich, productive, coastal waters.
Distant Water Fishing Nations React
Distant water fishing nations have reacted to these measures over the past two decades by using their economic strength to secure fishing opportunities for their fleets. This has included negotiating fishing access agreements with coastal states, sometimes using threats of market access restrictions to obtain more favourable terms.
The Question of Subsidies
Distant water fishing nations have also created a whole range of subsidies for their ailing fishing industries. These include explicit and implicit subsidies that maintain many fleets at levels which result in overfishing and make little economic sense. In the case of straddling and migratory fish stocks, some states have also reacted to political pressure from their fleets, engaging in shortsighted conflicts over the allocation of dwindling high seas fisheries.