Foreign Fishery Developments

The Market for Eels in theFederal Republic of Germany

INTRODUCTIONThe Federal Republic of Germany

(FRG) has traditionally been the largestEuropean market for the European eel,Anguilla anguilla, and has dependedheavily on imports from northern Euro­pean suppliers, chiefly Denmark. In re­cent years, though, static eel produc­tion in the Baltic Sea has permittedCanada, the United States, and NewZealand to increase their exports ofother eel varieties to the FRG to meetrising demand.

The U.S. share of eel exports to theFRG increased to 8.5 percent of thetotal in 1976, and although the volumewas still under 400 metric tons, thevalue was over $1 million. Despite theintricacies and strict quality require­ments of the international eel trade, cur­rent projections point to rising U.S.sales of the American eel, Anguilla ros­trata, to the FRG and other Europeancountries in the years ahead.

DOMESTIC PRODUCTION

Figures on eel production are impre­cise in most countries, and the FRG isno exception. The FRG eel catch frominland rivers, lakes, and ponds has beenestimated at about 1,000 t annually forsome years. The number of sportfishermen has increased, though, in re­cent years, and since their catches arenot registered, the above figure is atbest only a rough estimate. On the otherhand, the FRG's catch of marine eelshas declined. The marine eels arecaught by fishermen operating trawlersin the estuaries of rivers flowing into theNorth and Baltic Seas. Although therewas some increase in the North Sea eelcatch after the middle 1960's whentrawlers began to be used, this fisheryhas probably stabilized recently. The

34

eel fishery in the Baltic has been declin­ing since the late 1960's. The Food andAgriculture Organization (FAO) of theUnited Nations gives the followingfigures for the FRG's eel catch (in met­ric tons) in the North Sea and the Balticfrom 1970:

FRG eel catch in the North andBaltic Seas.

Year Catch Year Catch1970 SOOt 1973 4001971 500 1974 3511972 400 1975 382

CONSUMPTION AND PRICES

West Germany is the largest marketin Europe for eels and domestic con­sumption is estimated at about 6,000 tannually. Moderate increases in futureeel consumption are probable. Most ofthe eels consumed in the FRG, esti­mated at from 80 to over 90 percent, aresmoked, with the large part of the restprocessed into jellied eels.

Eel prices in the FRG vary widelyaccording to the type of eel, quality,and weight. Generally, they tend to behighest in November and December,resulting from high Christmas seasondemand, and lowest in the summer andfall months. Prices at the retail level forsmoked eels are about $8 .00 per pound,but these are normally the highest qual­ity eels, fairly large in size and withabove-average fat content.

At the ex-vessel level, prices aremuch more difficult to determine,mainly because they differ so much ac­cording to the various types of eels im­ported into the FRG. The average ex­vessel price for eels imported from theUnited States in 1976 was $1.55 perpound for fresh or refrigerated eels, and$1 . 10 per pound for frozen eels. Ac­cording to German sources, current

prices for U. S. eels have not changedmuch from 1976. This price range,however, is for the American eel andthe Australian eel, Anguilla australis.Recent ex-vessel prices in Denmarkand Italy for the preferred European eelsuggest an average range of from $2.00to $2.75 per pound. In addition, amongthe 20 countries which exported freshor refrigerated eels to the FRG in 1976,the average ex-vessel price for U.S.eels ranked 16th, with only New Zea­land, Turkish, Canadian, and Austra­lian eels selling for lower averageprices.

IMPORTS

FRG eel imports have recently in­creased somewhat, and in the last 4years they have slightly exceeded 5,000t annually. Since most of the eels aresmoked, and the German processorsprefer live eels for that purpose, ap­proximately 85 percent of the importedeels are live or refrigerated rather thanfrozen. It is interesting to point out,however, that over half of the U. S. eelexports to the FRG consist of frozeneels.

Figures for 1976 show that importsaccounted for nearly 75 percent of theFRG's total eel supply. More than halfof these imports originated from coun­tries which supply Baltic eels, forwhich there is a pronounced preferencein the FRG. Denmark, which providedabout 40 percent of the FRG's eel im­ports, has been the traditional leader,followed by the Netherlands, New Zea­land, Canada, the United States, Po­land, and Sweden.

The difference in average prices paidto eel suppliers in 1976 was consider­able (Table I). The favorite Baltic eelswere delivered at ex-vessel priceswhich were up to three times greaterthan the less-favored Australian eelsfrom New Zealand.

QUALITY RESTRICTIONS

Sources in the industry emphasizethe complicated nature of the interna­tional eel trade, especially as regardsthe stringent requirements for certainquality characteristics. In the FRG,where most of the eels are smoked, the

Marine Fisheries Review

Table 1.-West German eel Imports, 1976.

'CIF German seaport or border (excluding import duty).2The average conversion rate in 1976 wasUS$1.00 ~ DM2.53. The lale-1977 rale was approximatelyUS$1.00 - DM2.35.

most important quality characteristic isthe fat content. The minimum fat con­tent for smoking is apparently 12 per­cent, although there are reports of eelsbeing marketed with some success withas little as 8 percent fat content. In thisconnection, it should be noted that themature eels, called silver eels, whichare the most highly prized for smoking,have an average fat content of 27 per­cent. The average estimated fat contentof yellow eels, those which have not yetattained sexual maturity, is theminimum 12 percent.

In both the silver and yellowcategories, there is a further breakdownbetween broad-headed and narrow­headed eels. This feature is determinedby the eating habits of the eels. Thebroad-headed eel (an eel turned pred­ator) is lower in fat content than thenarrow-headed eel (an eel feedingmainly on vegetable matter andplankton).

An additional complicating factor isthe classification of eels by weight.

1.336 12.341.154 12.22

producing countries are Denmark andFrance. followed by the Netherlands,West Germany. and Ital y. Europeansupplies have been supplemented in­creasingly in recent years by importsfrom the United States, New Zealand,and Japan. The major marketing cen­ters for the European eel trade areHamburg, Copenhagen, the Ijsselmeerregion in the Netherlands, and Milan.

European supplies appear to havestabilized and, therefore, the marketshould require increasing imports in fu­ture years. In the Baltic Sea there islittle doubt that the eel stock has beendeclining since the early 1960's; simi­lar! y, there is evidence that French,Italian, and Spanish eel catches in theMediterranean Sea are also decreasing.On the other hand, there is reason tobelieve that French and Spanish catchesin the Atlantic Ocean may be increasingsomewhat. Figures collected by theFAO put Europe's annual eel produc­tion between 1970 and 1975 in a narrowrange of 19,000-20,000 t, except for1972 when it dropped to only 17,300 t.It should be kept in mind, however, thatall of these statistics are somewhat un­reliable.

At a 1976 international conference inHelsinki on eel aquaculture and exploi­tation, it was suggested that practicallyall of the wild eels in European watershave been exploited as much as possi­ble and that, until eel farming is furtherdeveloped, supply will be insufficientto meet demand. Some evidence indi­cates that the local increases in eelcatches come primarily from lakes andinland waters rather than from tradi­tional maritime sources. The mostthorough work on inland eel farminghas to date been done by Polish marinebiologists.

In response to the tightening eel sup­ply, the European Economic Commun­ity (EEC) has taken steps recently tofacilitate the importation of eels to themember-states. In 1976, the EEC twiceincreased the quantities of eels whichcould be imported to the Communitywithout having to pay the CommonCustoms Tariff duty of 5 percent. Thequota of imported eels which is cur­rently exempted from the duty is 7,200t. (Source: IFR-77/l81.)

Those eels which are used for cookingor frying rather than smoking are refer­red to as "green" eels and they shouldbe large, usually no less than I pound,while those over 2 pounds are prefer­red. For smoking purposes the verylarge eels are not in great demand be­cause the retail price would be prohibi­tive. Therefore. the weight classes of0.5-1 pound and 1-2 pounds are pre­ferred.

The bulk of eels are marketed live inthe FRG. Dealers and processors aresomewhat reluctant to accept frozeneels. Occasionally eels which were notpromptly sold were frozen after theyhad begun to deteriorate and small­scale smokers were unable to handlethem properly. Live eels have beenflown from the United States to WestGermany in flat waxed cartons. linedwith plastic foil and covered with asmall amount of crushed ice, which,through slow thaw, keep the eels wet.

Frozen eels are usually shipped byocean freighters in waxed cardboardboxes usually containing abou t 50pounds of eels. Within each box, smal­ler blocks of frozen eels are usuallywrapped in plastic foil bags.

In general, industry sources tendedto place American eels in the categoryof second grade quality for which themarket in the FRG is necessarily lim­ited. Several also pointed out that itwould be a good idea for American eelexporters to provide samples in order topromote their product more success­fully. They did mention. though, that ifU.S. eel exporters could improve thequality of the product by offering forsale narrow-headed, silver eels, with ahigh fat content and fine-textured flesh,preferably in the 0.5- to I. 5-poundweight class, the market for U.S. eels inthe FRG could be expanded sig­nificantly.

According to the NMFS Office ofInternational Fisheries, West Germanyis the leading consuming nation in atraditional and fairly steady Europeanmarket for smoked, jellied, and fresheels. European consumption of eels hasprobably been about 20,000 t per yearfor some time, although one observerhas predicted a European market of30,000 t annually by 1985. The major

5.3611.1812.397.356.136035.367.324.00

334216606166

1.2061,559

121437303

4.999

5.055 12.351.460 12.22

334 11.17369 997

27.720 12.772.609 12.83

246 9.35230 14.65462 13.35141 7.62

4.961 12.42266 10.41162 14.46

1,551 6621.153 6.60

675 7.15906 3.91

51.193

Value Avg. Price(1.000 OM') (OM/kg')

Imports(t)

62319.546.922.6

197.12567

22.559775.7

771.1

108.394.4

409.4121.129.9370

2.170.4216.926.315.736.116.5

399.426711.2

179.9169.594.4

2321

14,419.9

FrozenNelherlandsDenmarkGreeceTurkeyUniled StatesCanadaP.A. ChinaAustraliaNew Zealand

Total

Country 01 origin

Fresh orrefrigerated

FranceBelgium/Lux-

embourgNetherlandsItalyGreat BritainIrelandDenmarkSwedenAustruaSpainGreeceTurkeyPolandHungaryTunisiaUnited SialesCanadaAustraliaNew Zealand

Tolal

January 1978 35

Fishery Data Printedfor Chile, Barbadosand Costa Rica

Reports for Barbados, Chile, andCosta Rica, listing government agen­cies and officials responsible forfisheries, fishing companies and com­mercial representatives, fishery tradejournals, and information on seafooddetentions, if any, have been compiledby the Office ofInternational Fisheries,National Marine Fisheries Service,NOAA. The reports may be requested,by number, from NMFS Statistics andMarket News Offices.

Barbados' fishery administration isresponsible to the Ministry of Agricul­ture, Food, and Consumer Affairs.That address is: Permanent Secretary,Ministry of Agricuiture, Food, andConsumer Affairs, Codrington, St.Michael. For the full report, request"IFR-77/182. "

Responsibility for fisheries in Chileis divided between the Ministry of Ag­riculture and the Ministry of Economy.The government is now reportedly con­sidering the establishment of a Ministryof Fisheries to unite all agencies re­sponsible for fisheries into one agency.

Chile's Fisheries Protection Divisionis in charge of imposing fishing restric­tions on species to prevent overfishing.It's address is: Division de ProteccionPesquera, Servicio Agricola y Gan­dero, Ministerio de Agricuitura, Casilla4088, Santiago.

The Fisheries Division providestechnical and economic assistance tofishing ccooperatives. It's address is:Division de Pesca, Instituto de Desar­rollo Agropecuario, Ministerio de Ag­ricultura, Teatinos 40, Santiago. In theMinistry of Economy the Fisheries De­velopment Institute evaluates and im­plements policies concerning the utili­zation of Chile's fishery resources.That address is: Instituto de FomentoPesquero, Ministerio de Economia,Pedro de Valdivia 2633, Santiago. Forthe full report on Chilean governmentand industry fishery organizations, re­quest "IFR-77/ 191."

In Costa Rica, the Ministry of Ag­riculture's responsibility for fisheries isdivided between two agencies. Dealingwith marine fisheries is: Ing. Eduardo

36

Bravo, Director, Deparlmento de Floray Fauna, Ministerio de Agricultura yGanaderia, Apartado 10094, San Jose.Responsible for aquaculture and fresh­water fisheries is: Ing. Herbert Nanne,Jefe, Departmento de Acuacultura,Pesca Continental y Vida Silvestre,Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganaderia,Apartado 10094, San Jose. For the fullCosta Rican report, req uest "IFR-77/195. "

CANADA AMENDSFISHERIES ACT

Canada has amended its FisheriesAct, providing greater protection to theaquatic environment and more severepenalties. The Amendments went intoeffect on I September 1977. Federaland provincial authorities will seek in­dustry and public support because thesechanges cover a broad range of ac­tivities not limited to fishing opera­tions.

Lobster and salmon poachers takeabout $6.5 million annually fromCanadian fishermen. With industry andpublic support, new provisions of therevised Fisheries Act will place the fed­eral and provincial authorities in amuch better position to deal with thepoaching problem. These new provi­sions include:

I) Forfeiture of illegal catch and ofvessels engaged in illegal fishing.

2) Restrictions on activities such aslandfill or construction in coastal areaslikely to harm marine habitats.

3) Broader and more flexible author­ity to regulate against industrial pollu­tion of waterways; more effective regu­lations for the emergency pollutionproblem.

4) Mandatory spill reporting andclean-up.

5) Increased penalties for all pollu­tion offenses.

6) Regulations prohibiting interfer­ence with the east coast seal hunt; ac­cess to the sealing grounds is restrictedto those involved in authorized sealingactivities. This measure will not bar themedia, but will keep away persons in­tent on interfering with sealing opera­tions.

7) An innovative amendment,

termed "ticketing," obviating COUrlappearances for minor offenses, withfines of $100 or less.

8) Granting commercial fishermenthe right to initiate civil actions for lossof income caused by pollution sourcesother than ships.

9) Designation of fishery officers aspeace officers with powers to servesummonses and warrants.

10) A new definition of "fishing" toinclude an attempt to catch fish as wellas the actual capture.

II) Authority to extend, if neces­sary, the restricted area for trawlersbeyond the present limit of 12 milesfrom shore. (Source: IFR-77/194.)

Canada Eyes Power PlantCoolant for Aquaculture

The Government of the Province ofOntario, Canada, has begun to examinethe economic viability of using heatproduced by the electric power generat­ing stations of the provincially-ownedutility, Ontario Hydro, as an alternativeenergy source for greenhouse heatingand the farming of fish. The project,announced by the Provincial EnergyMinistry and Agriculture and Food, andNatural Resources Ministries, involvesspent coolant water from the nucleargenerating station of Ontario Hydro onthe Bruce Peninsula which is now fullyreturned to Lake Huron.

According to Ontario Minister ofEnergy James Taylor, it was hoped thatconstruction of necessary facilitiescould begin in the spring of 1978 afterthe detailed economic and engineeringstudies are completed.

This application of spent coolantfrom industrial plants is apparentlynovel in Ontario, at least in utilizationof the heat currently lost from OntarioHydro generating facilities. However,it must be remembered that the an­nouncement by several Ministers of theCrown was made in the middle of anelection campaign and may have beengiven undue emphasis as a result of thisfact.

Those interested in additional infor­mation on the above project may writeto: Marcia Dorfman, Ministry ofEnergy, Ontario, Canada; Telephone(416) 965-3246. (Source: IFR-77/187.)

Marine Fisheries Review

AFRICAN FISHERY OFFICIALS LISTEDThe Branch of International

Fisheries Analysis has prepared the fol­lowing list of African fishery officials.

The list is accurate as of I July 1977.Sources include U.S. Embassies in therespective countries, files in the NMFS

Branch of International FisheriesAnalysis, and the Office of the Re­gional Fisheries Attache for Africa.

(From: IFR-77/183.)

Afars and Issacs Nature el des Chasses Fisheries Department Caixa Postal 1723 and Natural ResourcesUnknown Direction des Eaux et FOrels Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife Mapulo P.O. Box 336

Ministere de rAgriculture. de P.O. Box 40241 KhartoumAlgeria rElevage. du Genie Rural. el Nairobi NigerZouaoui Reggam des Eaux et Forels Ibrahim Najada SwazilandDirector General Brazzaville Lesotho Directeur L. JoerisOffice Algerien des Peches Alistair Pedder Direction des Eaux at Forets Fisheries OfficerMinistere des Transports Egypt Livestock Division Ministere du Developpement Ministry of AgricultureI, Place de la Pecherie Abdel Aziz Hussein Ministry 01 Agricullure Rural, Niamey P.O. Box 162Algiers Minister of Slate for Agricullure P.O. Box MS 24 Mbabane

and Cooperative Cos., Maseru NigeriaAngola Aquatic Wealth and Sudan B. F. Dada TanzaniaJose Carlos Victor de Carvalho Affairs. Uberia Director G. K. LibabaSecretary of State for Fishing Ministry of AgriCUlture A. Kini-Freeman Federal Department of Fisheries DirectorMinistry of Fisheries Land Reform and Reclamation Director Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries DivisionLuanda Bldg. Bureau of Fisheries Nalural Resources Ministry of Natural Resources

Sharis Wezaret EI Zeraa', Dokki Minislry of Agricullure Victoria Island and TourismBenin Cairo P.O.Box 9010 P.M.B. 12529 P.O. Box 2462Augustin Honvou Monrovia Lagos Dar-es-SalaamDirector des Peches Equatorial GuineaDirection des Peches Unknown Ubya Reunion Unknown TogoMinistry of Rural Development Omar Ahmed AI Mogsi Akwetey V. Kowadah

and Cooperative AC1ion Ethiopia Secretary Rwanda Directeur GeneralB.P.383 Woldemichael Getaneh Secretariat of Nutrition and Sea Joseph Ruremesha Office National des PechesCotonou General Manager Wealth Chef de Division Ministere du Developpement

Fishery Corporalion Shara al-Jumhuriyya. P.O. Box Ministere de rAgriculture RuralBotswana Ministry ot Agriculture and 315 B.P.621 B.P. 1095Kirby Gilmore Selllement Tripoli Kigali LomeFisheries Officer P.O. Box 1232Division of Animal Production Addis Ababa Madagascar St. Helena TunisiaMinislry of Agriculture Andrianirina Ratison Unknown Mohamed Ben KhedderPrivale Bag 33 Gabon Chef Directeur de la PecheGaborone Jean Julien Bignumba Servicede la Peche Maritime Sao Tome and Principe Direction de la Peche

Directeur des Peches Direction de rElevage et de la Unknown Minislere de rAgricullureBurundi Direction des P~ches el Peche Maritime 32 Rue ThiersAudace Cayabanda Chasses Ministere du Developpemenl Senegal KhereddineDirecteur Ministere des Eaux at Forels Rural et de la Reforme Agraire M'Baye BaDepartment des Eaux et Forets B.P.32 B.P.291 Directeur General Mohammed ZaoualiMinistere de rAgriculture et Librevilte Antananarivo P~ches Maritimes President Directeur General

de rElevage Direction de rOceanographie et Office National des PechesB.P. 1850 Gambia Malawi des Peches Maritimes Avenue Habib BourguibaBUjumbura A. Diu Taylor' Thomas A. J. Mathotho Ministere du Developpement prolongee

Director Chief Fisheries Officer Rural et de rHydraulique TunisCameroons Fisheries Division Department of Fisheries B.P.289Theophile Epee·N'Goube Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Agriculture and 1, Rue Joris UgandaDirecteur General Natural Resources Natural Resources Dakar Chief Fisheries OfficerDirection des Peches Maritimes 6 Marina Foreshore P.O. Box 593 Fisheries DepartmentMinistere de rElevage et des Banjul Lilongwe Seychelles Ministry of Agriculture and

Industries Anima/es Maxime Ferrari Animal ResourcesB.P.121 Ghana Maldives Minister of Agriculture P.O. Box 4, EntebbeDouala J. N. N. Adjeley Ahmad Hilmay Didi P.O. Box 54

Directcr Vice President for Fisheries Victoria Upper VoltaCape Verde Fisheries Departmenl Male Julien TiombianoJoao Pereira Silva P.O. Box 830 Sierra Leone Directeur de la Peche et de laMinistro de Desenvolimento Accra Mali T. J. Shorunkeh·Sawyerr Pisciculture

Rural Alassane Konare Chief Fisheries Officer Ministere du Tourism et dePraia Guinea Director Fisheries Division I' Environnement

Louis Holie Operation Peche Ministry of Agriculture and B.P. 7044Central African Empire Ministre Mopti Natural Resources OuagadougouAlphonse Catchy·N'Gakoudou Ministere des Grands Tower HillDirecteur General Amenagements, de la P~che, Mauritania Freetown ZaireDirection des Eaux, Peches et et de rElevage Abdultahi Ould Ismail Lessen,na Kiabe Lema

Pisciculture Conakry Minister Somalia Commissaire d'Elat forMinisMre de I'Agricullure des Minislry 01 Fisheries and Osman Jama Ali Environment, Conservation of

Eaux. For6ls. Chasses, Guinea-Bissau Merchant Marine Minister Nature and TourismPeches. et Tourlsme Joseph Turpin Nouakcholt Ministry of Fisheries and Sea B.P.73

B.P.786 Secrelariado de ESlado das Transport Kinshasa 14Bangui Pescas Mauritius Mogadscio

Bissau Iswardeo Seetaram Kasela Bin KemboloChad Minister of Fisheries South Africa Delegue GeneralLassou Kourdina Ivory Coast Ministry of Fisheries B. V. de Jager Office National de P6cheDirector 0/ Water and Fishing Luc Koffi Port Louis Director of Sea Fisheries B.P.8087Ministry of Tourism. Handicrafts, Directeur General Department of Industries Kinshasa 1

and Natural Resources Plx:hes Maritimes at Lagunaires Morocco Private BagN'Djamena Ministere de la Production Directeur General Sea Point Zambia

Animale Office National des Peches 8060 E. D. MuyangaCornoro Islands B.P.V.19 13015 Rue Chevalier Bayard AC1ing DirectorUnknown Abidjan Casablanca Sudan Department of Fisheries

Yousff Ishag Medani Minislry of Water and NaluralCongo Kenya Mozambique Director ResourcesDirecteur General Norbert Odero Sergio Basulto Fisheries Adminislration P.O. Box 100Service de la Conservation de la Director of Fisheries Direclor Nacional de Pescas Minislry of Agriculture, Food, Chilanga

January 1978 37

An FRG Oyster Market Report

Soviet and U.S., EnglishJoint Ventures Reported

The Soviet Union, Poland, and EastGermany have received permissionfrom the European Economic Com­munity (EEC) and the British Ministryof Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food tooperate a fleet of factory vessels on theCornish mackerel grounds in coopera­tion with Joint Trawlers International, aBritish fishing company. Four factoryvessels from the three East Europeancountries were expected to participateinitially in the cooperative arrangementduring the winter mackerel season. Thefactory vessels purchase mackerelcaught by British fishermen, processthe fish at sea, and either ship the pro­cessed fish to eastern European marketsor sell it internationally. Some of thefish could ultimately be bought back byJoint Trawlers and re-exported to non­EEC countries.

In late July and early August 1977, atrial run was conducted with the Sovietfactory vessel Rybak Latvii (13,500GRT, B-69 class) off Ayr on the westcoast of Scotland. The Rybak Latvii,which was anchored several miles offshore, was buying up mackerel asquickly as it could be caught, accordingto British press reports. In the course ofa few weeks, the Soviets purchasedabout 400 t of mackerel from Scottishfishermen and paid them considerablymore than the prevailing United King­dom ex-vessel price. The joint opera­tion gave a welcome boost to Scottish

The U.S. Consulate General inBremen has prepared a 4-page reporton the market for oysters in the Fed­eral Republic of Germany (FRG).The report is based on FRG Gov­ernment statistical records and con­sultations with several leading firmsin the FRG oyster trade. It discussesin detail FRG oyster production, im­ports, customs duties; it also in­cludes a translation of the FRG lawgoverning quality control standardsfor imported seafood products andtwo tables on FRG oyster imports. In

38

fishermen whose activities have beenrestricted by a ban on herring fishing inthe North Sea and lowered herringquotas off western Scotland and in theIrish Sea. The Rybak Latvii was ex­pected to move on to the Minches, thewaters between the Scottish mainlandand the Outer Hebrides.

The Managing Director of JointTrawlers, Jon Carrol, has indicated thathis firm will be following a policy ofbuying from local Cornish fishermenfirst when the mackerel fishery began.However, because each eastern Euro­pean factory vessel is capable of freez­ing 120 t/day, he said he also expectedto make arrangements with Scottish andHumberside fishing companies and/orfishermen to supply mackerel to theother factory vessels that were to arrive.If this joint mackerel operation provessuccessful, Joint Trawlers may try asimilar one for the sprat fishery off thenortheast coast of Scotland.

According to the NMFS Office ofInternational Fisheries, the SovietUnion has also formed a joint venturewith a U.S. company, the BellinghamCold Storage Company in WashingtonState, to participate in fisheries forPacific hake and Alaska pollock in thenortheast Pacific. In July 1976, the jointventure, called the Marine ResourcesCo., was incorporated in WashingtonState following 3 years of planning anddiscussions between the partners. Thecapital stock in the company is heldequally by Bellingham Cold Storageand SOVRYBFLOT, an organization

addition there is a list of eight FRGfirms with addresses and telephonenumbers interested in importing oys­ters.

U. S. companies wishing to re­ceive a copy of the report shouldsend a preaddressed mailing labelwith their request to: Matteo J.Milazzo, Foreign Affairs Specialist(F411), Office of InternationalFisheries, NMFS, NOAA, U.S.Department of Commerce, Wash­ington, DC 20235. (Source: IFR­77/185.)

under the Soviet Ministry of Fisheriesresponsible for arranging internationaljoint ventures. The Marine ResourcesCo. currently has offices in Seattle andBellingham, Wash. Another office wasto be opened soon in Nakhodka, one ofthe main Soviet fishing ports on theSiberian Pacific coast.

The joint venture corporation willpurchase hake and pollock from U.S.fishermen for delivery to a Soviet vesseland processing at sea. Ownership of thefactory vessel will remain with theSoviet Ministry of Fisheries which willbe responsible for its operation. Thefinished product, which will be ownedby the corporation, will be sold on theinternational market. Besides jointfishing activities, the Marine ResourcesCo. also plans to become involved inarranging the repairs of Soviet vessels,marketing Soviet fishery products, andproviding the Soviet fishing fleet withperishable foodstuffs, water, andfishing gear.

The Soviet Union has alreadyoutfitted a factory vessel, the Sulak(19,000 GRT, SPASSK class), withWest German (Baader 1

) processingequipment for the production of frozenhake and pollock blocks from theU.S .-caught fish. The joint corporationhad planned to process hake aboard theSulak on an experimental basis in thesummer of 1977. However, the Sulakwas not issued a permit to operate in theU.S. 200-mile fisheries zone in con­junction with the joint venture. Thepermit was denied pending the de­velopment of a national joint venturepolicy. It was considered preferable towait for the outcome of NationalMarine Fisheries Service and Congres­sional hearings on joint ventures ratherthan to set a precedent before the fullrange of consequences of decisions onjoint fishing arrangements betweenU.S. and foreign interests had beenexamined. The Marine Resources Co.planned to submit a permit applicationfor the Sulak for the 1978 hake andpollock seasons. (Source: IFR-77/193.)

I Mention of trade names or commercial finnsdoes not imply endorsement by lhe NationalMarine Fisheries Service. NOAA.

Marine Fisheries Review

Canada's Atlantic Coast Fish Landings Drop Off

Gambia Nabs Poachers;Seychelles, MauritiusApprove New EEZ Laws

The Gambian government took ac­tion last year to gain further control ofthe fishing industry and foreign fishingoff its coast. The most significant actionwas an effort to control poaching byfishing vessels of other countries. Theprocurement of the SeaDog, aBritish-made patrol boat, and itsmaiden voyage apprehension of aPolish trawler fishing illegally in Gam­bian waters made great publicity andpaid, in one fell swoop, the cost ofpurchasing the patrol boat. In Sep­tember 1977 theSeaDog again made animpressive haul by nabbing two SouthKorean fishing vessels and bringingthem into harbor, where they lay atanchor for all to see. The crews werearrested, tried, and fined. The crew andthe boats were held until the fine waspaid.

Supplementing the vigorous effortsof the Gambian Navy was the passageof a law in Parliament establishing aFish Marketing Corporation. The cor­poration has sole authority to licensecommercial fishing and permit the ex­port of fish or fishery products. TheGovernment's participation in GambiaFisheries, Ltd., previously owned 80percent by the Japanese and 20 percentby the Gambian Government, has beenincreased to 51 percent. This company,which does not have a fishing fleet, butpurchases from local fishermen forprocessing and resale, becomes theoperating base for the newly createdcorporation.

The Gambians, according to a recentstatement by President Jawara, tookthis step to increase foreign exchangeearnings and gain greater control of re­sources. Given the number of fishingboats from other countries in this part ofthe world and the extent of illegalfishing in Gambian waters, as evi­denced by continued detention offoreign vessels, the sensitivities of theGambians on this subject appear justi­fiable. (Source: U.S. Embassy, Ban­jul.)

The Government of Seychelles

January /978

promulgated a new law redefining thenation's territorial sea and exclusiveeconomic zone last summer. Entitledthe Maritime Zones Act, the law wasapproved by the National Assemblyunder the previous Government. It en­tered into force by Presidential decree IAugust 1977.

Under the terms of the Act, the limitof the territorial waters is fixed as theline every point of which is at a distanceof 12 nautical miles from the nearestpoint of the baseline (determined in ac­cordance with the straight baseline sys­tem). In addition, the exclusiveeconomic zone is defined as the areabeyond and adjacent to the territorialwaters extending to a distance of 200nautical miles from the baseline. TheAct also defines the continental shelfand enumerates SeycheJles' rights withrespect to the eXclusi ve economic zoneand the continental shelf.

With respect to foreign ships, the Actstipulates that all foreign ships (otherthan warships, including submarines)shall enjoy the right of innocent passagethrough the territorial waters. Foreign

Landings in Newfoundland, NewBrunswick, Nova Scotia, and PrinceEdward Island have declined from328,823 metric tons (t), in the first halfof 1976 to 232,438 t during the sameperiod in 1977 or by 29 percent, accord­ing to a report from the U.S. Consulatein Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Newfoundland's landings throughJune 1977 totaled 116,713 t, a declineof 25 percent from the 155,488 t caughtduring the same period in 1976; theywere worth approximately US$24 mil­lion, compared with US$28 million forthe first half of 1976.

Landings in the Maritime Provinces(New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, andPrince Edward Island) totaled 115,725 tthrough June 1977, a decline of 33 per­cent from the 173 ,335 t caught duringthe same period in 1976. There weremarked decreases in landings of bothredfish and herring, which declined by86 and 65 percent respectively. Land­ings in the Maritimes were worth aboutUS$42 million, while landings during

warships, including submarines, mayenter or passthrough territorial watersafter giving notice to the President'soffice. Submarines, however, mustnavigate on the surface and show theirflag while passing through the territo­rial waters.

At the present time there is little or noeconomic activity within the claimedexclusive economic zone. However,the government does plan to make amajor effort, with French, British, andperhaps Soviet assistance to develop afishing industry both to feed the localpopulation and for export. Further­more, the government recently signedan offshore oil exploration agreementwith an international consortium.

The government news agency hasreported that Mauritius simultaneouslypromulgated a similar Maritime ZonesAct. It indicated that both laws hadbeen the subject of negotiation and col­laboration between the two govern­ments intended to avert any problemsarising from overlapping jurisdictions.(Source: U.S. Embassy, Victoria;IFR-77/184.)

the first half of 1976 were valued atUS$54 million.

Decreased landings on Canada's At­lantic coast were due to a variety offactors. In Newfoundland, a strike im­mobilized the trawler fleet from 20 De­cember 1976, until the end of January1977. Redfish stocks were over­exploited during 1976 leading to theimposition of severe quota restrictionson that species for 1977. In theMaritimes, a harsh winter adversely af­fected fishing conditions with resultinglower catches, particularly of herringand mackerel.

According to the NMFS Office ofInternational Fisheries, representativesof Environment Canada's Fisheries andMarine Service (FMS) were apparentlyunconcerned over the decline in land­ings during the first half of 1977. Not­ing that transitory factors such asweather could affect short-term fisherylandings, FMS representatives em­phasized that Canada's 200-milefisheries zone had only recently been

39

EC FISHERY AID TO LDC'S DROPS

Table 2.-Funds allocated for neherles projects by the European Development Fundalnce 1958.'

AmountCountry Title of project EDF in EUA

Benin Conan fishing port EDF II 624,000Siudy of extensions to the Cotonou fish port EDF III 110,000Superstructure for Cotonou fishing EDF III 540,000

Ivory Coast Abidjan fish port EDF I 1,390,000New fish quay at Abidjan EDF II 1,470,000Loan on special terms 1,045.000Fish preservation EDF II 2,000

Congo Study for a tish quay at Point Noire EDF II 88,000Mali Development of fisheries in Mid-Niger EDFI 151,000

(hydrology laboratory)Development of fisheries EDF III 2,126,000

Mauritania Fish port at Port Etienne EDFI 2,876,000Completion of Port Etienne fish port EDF II 1,096,000

Sene9al Fish quay at Dakar EDFI 661,000Somalia Study of lhe development of fisheries EDF III t5O.oooSI. Pierre,

Miquelon Fish port on Saint Pierre EDF I 3,545,000-----

Total 15,874,000

'1 EUA = US$I.13.Source: The Courier, January-February 1977

established and that rebuilding Cana­da's Atlantic fisheries would necessar­ily take many years.

New Fishery LicenseSystem Studied forBritish Columbia

An intensive study of the licensingsystem for the British Columbiafisheries is being made, according toCanadian Fisheries Minister RomeoLeBlanc. The study will provide rec­ommendations for future licensing 3I:!d

fee structures and is expected to becompleted early this year. Sol Sinclairwill direct the study. The object of thestudy is to ensure the optimum resourceutilization of both commercial andsport fisheries for Canadian fishermen.

LeBlanc said that the study is particu­larly necessary in view of both Cana­da's extension of fisheries jurisdictionto 200 miles and the announcement ofthe Salmon Enhancement Program forthe west coast. Also, radical advancesin fishing techniques have led to largerand more efficient vessels, producingdistortions and inadequacies in thepresent licensing system.

While the study is underway, there isa moratorium on all transfers of tonnageto salmon purse-seiners from vesselsusing other types of gear. This measureprevents Canadian fishermen from

Norwegians StudySalmon Cholesterol

A Norwegian research teamhas found that the salmon (Salrnasafar) produces the same type ofcholesterol as humans. In thespring, prior to spawning, thesalmon is saturated with this fattysubstance; however, when thesalmon begins its spawning mi­gration it produces an enzymewhich breaks down the choles­terol and provides the burst ofenergy necessary for the salmonto reach its spawning grounds. Itis this enzyme that the Norwegianteam is trying to identify. If suc­cessful, it is expected that exper­iments with the enzyme will beconducted on humans. (Source:IFR-77/186.)

catching larger amounts of salmon byusing the more efficient purse-seinersand thereby protects the salmon stocksfrom overexploitation.

Sinclair will be consulting with rep­resentatives of fishermen's organiza­tions and other sectors of the fishingindustry through spring) 978 by discus­sing licensing in fishing centers ofBritish Columbia to ensure the broadestpossible communication with industrygroups.

Sinclair has been a member of theFisheries Research Board of Canada for

The European Communities' (EC)aid to Less Developed Countries(LDC's) is granted through the Euro­pean Development Fund (EDF). EC aidfor fisheries development is also ad­ministered by the EDF though to date itrepresents only 0.75 percent of the totalEDF aid to the LDC's (Table I).

Total EDF aid for fisheries has beendeclining steadily since the Fund wasorganized in 1958. The main reason forthis decline during the three EDF pro­gram periods has been the LDC's lackof interest in fisheries development.

Teble I.-Percentege of flsherlee eld to developingcountries from EOF funde through 1976'.

Projectslunded EDF 1 EDF 11 EDF 111 Total

Total 522589 727.939 870.387 2,120.915Fish- 8.623 4.325 2.926 15.874

aries%of 1.65 0.59 0.34 0.75

lotal

'In European units 01 account (EUA). 1 EUA = US$1.13.Source: The Courier, January·February 1977.

10 years and a member of the CanadianFisheries Advisory Council under bothRomeo LeBlanc and his predecessor,Jack Davis. Sinclair has conducted athorough study on salmon and halibutlicensing for the Pacific region in 1958and he has also worked in an advisorycapacity for the Manitoba governmentconcerning the commercial fishing in­dustry in Lake Winnipeg. For the past 8years, he has been chairman of the Ad­visory Committee to the FreshwaterFish Marketing Corporation. (Source:IFR-77/169.)

Most fishery aid projects have con­centrated on creating infrastructure inthe recipient countries (Table 2). Inkeeping with this trend, a number offishery development projects plannedfor the fourth EDF program period willbe geared towards improving fishtransportation and processing tech­niques, a major obstacle to fisheries de­velopment in the LDC's. Projects willbe undertaken in Gambia, Guinea­Conakry, and Ethiopia. In Ugandaand Guyana efforts will be made tobegin fish meal production.

Additionally, aquaculture projectswill be initiated in Benin, Kenya,Lesotho, Swaziland, and Zaire. Em­phasis has been placed on developing acountry's artisanal sector rather than itsdeep-sea fishery. For development ofthe latter, EDF planners prefer to relyon joint ventures between the LDC'sand more developed countries,(Source: IFR-77/179,)

40 Marine Fisheries Review