The history of Polish high sea fleet contains all stages of its development–

phase of rapid grow between 1950-77, period of stabilization between 1978-

1989 and time of reduction and restructurization after 1990.

Poland, not being the maritime country such as Spain, Denmark or Britain,

became the global fishing power in 70’and 80.

Decreasing fishing opportunities and changes of the international law of the

sea in 1970s, followed by political and economic transition of 1989 led to an

elsewhere unparalleled reduction of the Polish fleet and its fishing capacity -

even by 95 percent!

No other country of the European Union restructured its high sea fleet to

equal extend and none did it with such low level of public aid as Poland.

The most important facts and figures of these processes– in terms of catches

volume, fishing effort, social costs and reduced impact on environment are

presented below.

NORTH ATLANTIC

PRODUCERS

ORGANIZATION

OVERVIEW

IMPORTANT:

In the period 1945-2012

total Polish high sea

catches are about 13.7

Mt.

In late 70’ Polish high

sea fleet consisted of 130

-140 trawlers with a ca-

pacity of more than 230

k GT and 220 k kW.

In the period 1976-2004

Polish high sea fleet was

reduced by 95% in terms

of number of vessels, GT

and kW.

Today, Polish high sea

fleet consists of 3 traw-

lers with total capacity of

17,5 thousand GT and

15 thousand kW.

Polish high sea fleet–

development and restructurization

OVERVIEW OF POLISH HIGH SEA FLEET CAPACITY 1950-2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

19

51

19

54

19

57

19

60

19

63

19

66

19

69

19

72

19

75

19

78

19

81

19

84

19

87

19

90

19

93

19

96

19

99

20

02

20

05

20

08

20

11

no of vessels

GT (in thousand)

EEZ establishment

End of communism

Polish accession to EU

NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION PAGE 2

First vessels for deep- sea fleet

after war, came to Poland thanks to

UNRRA supplies or were pur-

chased in Denmark.

From 1950s, the Polish shipyards

started to construct Poland’s own

vessels.

Rapid grow of high sea fisheries

demanded development of effec-

tive system of maritime education

on technical and academic level.

The high sea fisheries expansion

was supported by the achievements

of maritime science.

Sea Fisheries Institute (SFI) was

established in 1921. In 1949 SFI

became supervised by Polish state.

Before the II World War, Polish

high sea fisheries (outside the

Baltic Sea) concentrated in the

North Sea and Barents Sea.

In 1938 Polish high sea fleet con-

sisted of 8 trawlers and 20 dri-

fters. Yearly catches were around

4-5 thousand tonnes. Main spe-

cies was herring.

After 1945, rebuilding and deve-

lopment of high sea fisheries be-

came one of the Polish state prio-

rity.

In 1946-57, 3 state-owned deep-

sea enterprises were established:

PPDiUR Dalmor in Gdynia,

PPDiUR Gryf in Szczecin, and

PPDiUR Odra in Świnoujście.

After 1945, Polish authorities

treated deep-sea fisheries as a key

point in its propaganda.

Strong and modern fleet explor-

ing seas and oceans of the world

proved Poland’s rank on the inter-

national stage and strengthen the

authority of communist state

among Polish nation.

Products of high sea fisheries

were a key source of valuable

proteins cheaper than proteins

derived from animal meat.

This is why the fish price was

subsidized directly from state

budget. The average subsidy was

about 50 percent of the real price.

In the centrally-steered economy,

the state financed ship building in

domestic shipyards.

Between 1950-70 Polish ship-

yards supplied every year Polish

deep sea fleet by over a dozen of

well adapted and equipped trawl-

ers.

Development of ancillary indus-

tries for the deep-sea fishing sec-

tor– such as cold stores, process-

ing factories, transhipment ves-

sels was also subsidized from the

state budget.

Thanks to the export of fish Po-

land received foreign currencies

which at that time were a very

valuable and rare instrument.

In the socialist economy, com-

mercial trade with the Western

countries was limited for political

reasons.

Export of high sea fisheries prod-

ucts was an exception and for a

very long time, ranked the top

third export item in terms of

value.

Total high sea fisheries sector

with all ancillary industries em-

ployed during the peak period 50-

70 thousand of people, mainly on

the coast.

BEGINNINGS

HIGH SEA FISHERIES IN THE COMMUNIST TIME

In its beginning Polish high

sea fisheries was based on

foreign experienced crew,

mainly from Netherlands and

Denmark. Foreign specialists

trained Polish fishermen and

processors.

FACTSHEET:

The average

consumption of

fishery products

in EU is 20kg. 5,5 5,8 6,3

8,1 7,86,1

5,4

7,6

10,211,7

13,8

0

5

10

15

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Consumption of fishery products in Poland

kg per capita

P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION PAGE 3

fishing effort) and biological data

(size, age, maturity and feeding),

monitoring activities were aimed

at investigating fishing tools, tech-

nologies and mechanisation of

fish processing.

International research cooperation

consisting of joint surveys on

board of Polish and foreign re-

search vessels, the exchange of

scientists, research materials and

findings, and joint publications.

Membership in international sci-

entific organisations established

under fisheries conventions such

as NEAFC, NAFO, CCAMLR,

CECAF, CBSPC and ICES.

Scientific cooperation under bilat-

eral agreements with coastal

states, including the United

Stated, Canada and Russia.

Research and monitoring activities

were followed up by voyage reports,

scientific studies and expert opin-

ions on stock levels and possibilities

of their exploitation by the Polish

fleet.

The expansion of Polish high sea

fisheries was supported and based

on well developed research activi-

ties of Polish marine science centre

– Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia.

Its activities were always closely

related to deep-sea fishing opera-

tions.

Their primary purpose was to ex-

plore new fisheries, estimate

stocks and, at the phase of indus-

trial exploitation, monitor and en-

sure sustainable exploitation of

stocks.

Research was conducted under the

responsibility of the Sea Fisheries

Institute (SFI) in Gdynia. The

SFI’s activities at the time were

mainly aimed at addressing the

needs of the industry.

Polish deep-sea research activities

were conducted in a variety of

ways including :

Reconnaissance voyages preced-

ing industrial fisheries, organ-

ised by the SFI and fishing en-

terprises to shelf waters and in-

ternational wa ters with the aim

of exploring stocks and the pos-

sibilities of their exploitation.

Scientific expeditions on board

of the SFI’s research vessels

Profesor Siedlecki, Profesor

Bogucki and Wieczno, the aim

of which was to estimate the

stock size, and to conduct bio-

logical surveys of fish, squids

and krill, environmental surveys,

processing technology surveys

and fishing technique surveys.

Stocks were monitored by the

SFI in all of the fisheries under

exploitation. In addition to col-

lecting fisheries data (catches,

THE SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT

OF POLISH HIGH SEA FISHERIES

Polish science has a huge contribu-

tion to worldwide knowledge of

maritime resources, its conservation

and management.

Nowadays the main SFI partner in

researches concerning high sea

fisheries is North Atlantic Produc-

ers Organization (NAPO).

On the basis of the partnership

agreement between NAPO and SFI,

in last ten years, the researches of

the following species in the follow-

ing areas were conducted :

Cod and greenland halibut in

Svalbard;

Redfish in the international wa-

ters of the Norwegian Sea;

Saithe in the North Sea;

Jack mackerel in the SPRFMO;

Pelagic species in Mauretania.

Below the r/v Profesor Siedlecki,

SFI.

NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION PAGE 4

of 44 thousand tonnes and total

power of 49 thousand kW.

Development of fish processing

technology and introduction of new

trawlers equipped with processing

facilities, allowed high sea fleet to

expand its activities to Barents Sea,

where cod, redfish and greenland

halibut were caught.

The record-breaking years of Polish

fisheries in North East Atlantic were

1964-65 and 1974-77, were over

100 thousand tonnes of herring were

being caught annually.

In 1977, the European Community

and Norway introduced its EEZ.

The total output volume in this re-

gion fell abruptly and in 1980s and

later remained on a level of a few

dozens tonnes annually only.

After Poland’s accession to the

European Union, being a member of

NEAFC and a signatory of the Sval-

bard Treaty of Paris (1920) Poland

gained the right to fish minor vol-

umes of herring, mackerel, redfish,

deep-sea species, and cod in North

East Atlantic.

In the period 1920-2012, total Polish

high sea fisheries reached 13.7 ton-

nes.

Almost 80% of catches took place

the period 1950-1989.

In 1950-59, the Polish deep-sea fleet

operated only in North East Atlan-

tic only (FAO 27). The main species

caught in Skagerrak, Norwegian Sea,

Shetlands, Hybrid Islands and La

Manche were herring and mackerel.

At that time, Polish fleet grew to

over 100 ships with a gross tonnage

DEVELOPMENT OF POLISH HIGH SEA FLEET AND

FISHERIES 1950-1989

North East Atlantic

P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION P AGE 5

In 1959, Polish high sea fleet be-

gan fisheries in the waters of West

Africa: Morocco, Mauretania,

Spanish Sahara and Senegal.

In early 1960’ a new type of freez-

ing trawlers were sent to Africa.

New trawlers B-23 had freezing

capacity up to 50 tonnes per day.

In 1967 Polish high sea fleet intro-

duced a new fishing method- the

pelagic trawl net.

When the coastal states established

its EEZ, Poland signed with Mau-

ritania and Morocco the fisheries

agreements and gain the licence

for Polish vessels to fish in its EEZ

until early 1980s.

Between 1975-77 Polish catches in

Mauritania were the highest (92,

129 and 203 thousand tonnes of

pelagic species annually, respec-

tively).

After that period, Polish catches

decreased significantly in West Af-

rica, and operations ended there in

1982.

Polish high sea fleet returned to

Mauretanian waters for three-year-

long periods in 1995-97 and then in

2000-01.

Polish high sea fleet returned there in

1997. Poland as a NAFO member has

quotas of cod, shrimp and squid.

In the first half of 1970s, Poland

started fishing and buying up of pol-

lock and hake in North East Atlantic,

Canada and USA (Washington, Ore-

gon, California WOC).

Polish vessels operations were based

on a bilateral treaty with USA and

Canada thanks to which Poland was

licensed annually to catch pollock and

hake. From 1983 Poland also bought

up fish from American and Canadian

fishermen.

Between 1980-86 yearly catches

amounted about 100 thousand tonnes,

except for 1982-83 when martial law

was proclaimed in Poland and US

president Roland Reagan banned Pol-

Together with the exploitation of

West Africa, the Polish fleet

started fishing in North West At-

lantic around Labrador, New-

foundland and Greenland.

The prevailing species included

cod, redfish, herring and mack-

erel.

Between 1968-74, an average an-

nual catches reached about 200

thousand tonnes, in 1971-72 even

above 260 thousand tonnes.

Poland signed with USA a profit-

able agreement for export of fro-

zen codfish fillets.

When USA and Canada estab-

lished its own EEZ, the output of

the Polish fleet fell drastically and

in 1980-90 amounted to mere few

thousand tonnes annually.

Polish fishing acticity in Africa

ish vessels from fishing in the wa-

ters of USA. Fishing operations in

WOC ended in 1991, although fish

was bought up until 2001.

After Poland joined the European

Union, Poland gained access to fish-

eries in Morocco and Mauretania as

on basis of EU– Mauretania and EU-

Morocco fisheries partnership agre-

ements.

In 1972 Poland started exploiting the

waters of North East Atlantic,

mainly EEZ of Namibia.

Poland signed fishing agreement

with Namibia which allowed the

Polish fleet to catch 1.35 million

tonnes in 1972-86.

Between 1976-83 the average annual

catches reached above 100 thousand

The high quality of fillets

(skinless, V cut) produced by the

Polish vessels was appreciated

very much on the North

American market. Shortly the

Polish standard became a trade

mark of Polish fillets- setting the

world’s top fish standard, and

even McDonald’s introduced fish

burgers based on Polish fillets.

Polish fisheries in North West Atlantic and North East Pacific

NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION P AGE 6

fleet. Poland was one of the first

countries which started fishing and

processing krill on an industrial

scale. Krill exploitation has been-

continued from 1975 until 2011.

Polish vessels were present in

Falklands between 1976-95.

Polish fleet specialized in squid

fishery. In 1976-86, Poland was

world’s number two (after Japan)

fleet in squid fishing.

In 1983 Polish high sea fleet catched

348 thousand tonnes of squid. It was

65 percent of the entire Polish high sea

fleet catches.

In these times about 50 percent of

Polish fleet capacity was engaged in

fisheries in Falklands.

The high performance in Falkland

compensated the bans in WOC.

Polish high sea fleet started its

activities in Antarctic Atlantic and

around Falklands in mid 1970’

after majority of the coastal states

from Europe, Africa and North

America established their EEZ.

In Antarctic Atlantic, the output

was never as high as elsewhere,

however the activity of Polish sci-

entists and fishermen in those dif-

ficult regions proved the techno-

logical advancement of the Polish

Polish fisheries in Antarctica and around Falklands

P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION P AGE 7

Between 1950-1977, the size of

the fleet (by number of vessels)

and its capacity was increasing

gradually by over ten percent

every year.

In 1977 Polish fleet reached 129

trawlers with a total gross tonnage

of 241.3thousand GT (increased by

30 times in comparison to 1950)

and a total power of 229.8 thou-

sand kW (increased by 20 times).

In the second half of 1970s the

Polish deep-sea fleet was modern-

ized, rejuvenated and adapted to

the actual fishing possibilities.

The total number of vessels fell

from 129 down to 80 ships (by

40%) in 1977-86.

Part of the fleet was substituted by

new trawlers.

The fishing capacity did not fall as

much as the number of vessels: only

by 25 percent from 241 down to 185

thousand GT, and by 10 percent from

229 down to 186 thousand kW.

During 1980s the fishing capacity of

the Polish fleet remained on a level of

180 thousand GT and kW.

Polish high sea fleet 1950-89

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Polish fleet capacity 1950-89

number of vessels

GT (in thousand)

kW ( in Thousand)

NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION P AGE 8

After the political and economic

change of 1989, the significance of

the deep-sea fisheries decreased.

The state was not able to finance very

high costs of high sea fleet activities.

The previous subsidies and fixed

prices for fishery products were aban-

doned.

Decreasing catches and no alternative

solutions available caused financial

problems for state-owned enterprises.

All restructuring attempts did not

helped out, neither the fleet nor on-

shore industry.

The social cost of high sea fleet finan-

cial problems was very high.

Thousands of people lost their jobs.

Taking into account the fact, that in

1987-1999 EEC was paying compen-

sation

After 1985, the high sea operations

of the Polish fleet focused on three

fishing grounds: Falklands, WOC

and newly-discovered and abun-

dant fisheries of Bering Sea.

Donut Hole in Bering Sea was the

key fishery in 1985-90: over 60

percent of the Polish fishing fleet

operated there.

During that period, the average

yearly catches of pollock reached

250-290 tonnes.

The pollock resources were deplet-

ing quickly in Bering Sea and ves-

sels were forced to move in 1990

to the open waters of Sea of Okhotsk

(Peanut Hole).

Between 1990-95 even 300 thousand

tonnes were caught annually. At that

time, 70 percent of the Polish fleet

operated in this region.

Russia was very unwelcome to see

Poland exploiting Sea of Okhotsk. In

1995, Poland was pressured to sign a

disadvantageous fisheries agreement

with Russia. and .

On the basis of the agreement the

Polish fleet left the international wa-

ters and moved to Russian EEZ.

caught.

Between 1995-2001 Polish catches

of pollock decreased from 270 to 20

thousand tonnes.

Pollock fisheries in the Russian EEZ

ended in 2001.

The Pollock fisheries was the last

phase of Polish high sea expansion

and record high catches.

The failure of the Pollock fisheries

in Russian EEZ decided about rapid

reduction of the Polish high sea fleet.

End of communism, reduction and restructurisation of the high sea fleet.

Pollock fisheries in the Berins Sea, Okhotsk Sea and in the Russian EEZ

for vessels scrapping and layoffs

(over 1.3 bn ECU), the Polish deep-

sea fleet was restructured without any

financial compensation from the state

budget.

As long as the pollock catches were

carried out, the restructuring activities

undertaken by the enterprises allowed

them to survive.

In this period 57 vessels were de-

commissioned or sold and reflagged.

After the end of the pollock catches,

two enterprises– Odra and Gryf went

bankrupt and were liquidated.

Their fleet– 11 vessels were

scrapped, sold for a penny or simply

left in faraway ports to decay.

To sum up– in the period 1989-2004

Polish deep sea fleet underwent the

significant reduction and reconstruc-

tion.

Number of vessels was reduced

from 81 to 7 ( by 90%).

Total fishing capacity was redu-

ced:

from 180 thousand GT to 13 thou-

sand GT;

from 186 thousand kW to 16 thou-

sand GT.

No other Member State in EU unde-

rwent such restructurisation.

P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION P AGE 9

in EU register is 21,810 GT and 22,143

kW.

The entire fishing capacity of Poland is

in hands of private enterprises today.

The last vessel of a state-owned enter-

prise was deleted from the vessel regis-

ter in 2011 without any EU subsidies - it

thus remains in the fishing capacity of

Poland.

In late 1990s private shipowners associ-

ated in the North Atlantic Producers

Organisation consolidated the frag-

mented fishing possibilities held by

many individual shipowners and restruc-

tured the high sea fishing fleet.

Until 2006, NAPO reduced the number

of vessels operating in North Atlantic

from five down to three.

In 2008, the North Atlantic Producers

Organisation accomplished the second

stage of the fleet restructuring pro-

gramme and left only one vessel in

North Atlantic.

The changes were implemented without

any public support, at the sole cost of

the shipowners.

Today, the Polish fishing fleet in North

Atlantic is 1,805 GT and 3,375 kW .

At the same time, after correcting the

Polish fishing capacity in the vessel

register in 2008, two big trawlers could

be introduced, each 7,805 GT and 5,900

kW.

The vessels were sent to Mauretania and

Morocco where Poland regained the

access to pelagic resources thanks to

agreements signed by the European

Commission with Mauretania and Mo-

rocco in 2008.

Polish accession to EU has stabilized the

allocation of fishing rights for Polish

high sea sector.

The principle of relative stability and the

possibility of coordinating the fishing

plans with other Member States are

crucial in process of rational manage-

ment of the fleet.

At the time of Poland’s accession to

the European Union Polish high sea

fleet was very fragmented.

In 2004 there were only 7 high sea

vessels registered in Poland– 2 belong-

ing to Dalmor and the other 5 owned

by private companies associated in the

North Atlantic Producers Organisation

(NAPO). The total capacity of the

Polish high sea fleet in this time was

13 thousand GT and 16 thousand kW.

After the scrapping of one Polish

trawler Acamar in 2005– Polish fish-

ing capacity decreased to 10 thousand

GT and 13 thousand kW and was the

same as a capacity in early 1950’s.

In 2007/2008 the Polish authorities

managed to correct the fishing capac-

ity of the high sea fleet registered in

the European ship records by adding

three vessels of Gryf (11,548 GT and

8,071 kW).

Those three vessels were illegally

auctioned by an official receiver be-

fore Poland’s accession to EU but

were never deleted from the Polish

shipping registry.

A court decided that on the day of

Poland’s accession to EU those ves-

sels constitute a part of the Polish fish-

ing capacity. Once corrected in 2008,

the factual fishing capacity of Poland

Polish accession to the European Union

The only ship scrapped with the

help of FIFG funds was

Acamar, a trawler belonging to

Dalmor - it was scrapped in

2004 for a compensation of

EUR 6 million .

NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION PAGE 10

fishing operation in West Africa,

over ten trawlers from Poland op-

erated in the region.

Together they spent 4,700 fishing

days in the area and caught

203,428 tonnes.

The average fuel consumption on

one catched tonne of fish was

0,277. The total fuel consumption in

Africa was 56,400 tonnes

In 2011, two Polish trawlers caught

59752 tonnes of fish during 515

fishing days.

The average fuel consumption on

one catched tonne of fish is 0,166.

The total fuel consumption in Africa

is 9913,75 tonnes..

Regardless of the accusations that

Poland has excessive fishing capac-

ity in West Africa, when compared

to the old Polish fleet in Africa the

actual operational parameters of the

Polish vessels today show clearly

that Polish fishing capacity in Africa

decreased.

In 1977, the peak year for the Polish

Restructurisation of Polish high

sea fleet had a significant impact

on reduction of negative environ-

mental effects caused by the ves-

sels activities.

Since 1979 the total fuel consump-

tion of Polish high sea fleet was

reduced by 92 %.

Thanks to adjustment of the fis-

hing effort to the fishing opportu-

nities, Polish high sea fleet fuel

consumption per catched tonne in

2011 was the lowest in history.

One tonne of caught fish required

approx. 0.186 tonnes of fuel, whe-

reas in 1979 it was 0,382 and in

1996– 0,502.

Total fuel consumption in last 6

years was reduced thrice.

The average fuel consumption on

Since 2004, Polish high sea fleet

reduced its fishing capacity from 5

to 1 vessel.

one catched tonne was also re-

duced– from 0,413 in 2006 to 0,38

in 2011.

Restructurisation of the Polish high sea fleet–

environmental impact

POLISH HIGH SEA FLEET NOWADAYS

Alina Gdy-46 Gdy-46

Sirius Gdy-43

Polonus GDY-36