MANAGEMENT OF FISIIERY RESOURCES
15
There remain large stocks of fish which are still substantially
unexploited, not only in under-developed areas, such as the oil-sardines
(Xardinella spp.) and Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger spp.) in the Arabian
Sea, but even in centres of intense fishing, such as the blue whiting
(Hicromesistius poutassou (Risso)) off the west coast of the British
Isles. However, despite the continuing improvement in fishing methods,
the fishing gears in use now are fundamentally the same as those in use
fifty years ago-the seines, trawls and hooks and lines. Similarly the
types of fish being caught are the same, being those in which the
diffused production of the sea has been concentrated either in large
shoals, such as anchovies or sardines; on the bottom, such as the cods
and flounders; or in large animals, such as tuna and whales, for which a
single vessel can catch the animals from a very wide area (for instance
one vessel long-lining for tuna can shoot 50 miles of line each day).
Thus, despite the vast expanse of the open oceans in relation to the
areas a t present exploited, the number of unexploited but practicably
exploitable stocks of fish is not large, and unless there is a technical
breakthrough which would make the harvesting of new types of
resources economically feasible, e.g. the direct harvesting of krill
(Euphausia superba Dana) in the Antarctic instead of indirectly via
whales (Burukovskii and Iarogov, 1965 ; Stasenko, 1965 ; Osochenko,
1965), or of small oceanic fish, the present rate of expansion of the world
fish production cannot be maintained indefinitely, possibly for no more
than ten or fifteen years. Thus the proportion of the total world catch
which comes from heavily exploited stocks needing proper management
will rapidly increase, and it will become increasingly difficult to avoid
the problems of proper management of an overfished stock by turning
to other, less heavily exploited stocks. The need for proper management
policies is therefore becoming rapidly more urgent.
I n fact, the frequent failure to achieve proper management in the
heavily exploited stocks is having immediate effects in several ways on
the catches of lightly fished stocks. Most obviously, much more fishing
effort in terms of ships, men and other resources is involved in the overexploited fisheries than would be needed under proper management,
and these resources could well be directed to other stocks. Thus, for
example, it has been estimated that the total effort spent on some of
the major stocks of cod and haddock in the north-east Atlantic has
increased so far that substantially the same (or possibly slightly greater)
catch could be taken with half to two-thirds of the present level of
fishing. If the resources, whether of ships, men or capital, represented by
the excess half to one-third of the present effort, could be diverted to
other less heavily fished stocks, e.g. in the central and south Atlantic,
15
There remain large stocks of fish which are still substantially
unexploited, not only in under-developed areas, such as the oil-sardines
(Xardinella spp.) and Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger spp.) in the Arabian
Sea, but even in centres of intense fishing, such as the blue whiting
(Hicromesistius poutassou (Risso)) off the west coast of the British
Isles. However, despite the continuing improvement in fishing methods,
the fishing gears in use now are fundamentally the same as those in use
fifty years ago-the seines, trawls and hooks and lines. Similarly the
types of fish being caught are the same, being those in which the
diffused production of the sea has been concentrated either in large
shoals, such as anchovies or sardines; on the bottom, such as the cods
and flounders; or in large animals, such as tuna and whales, for which a
single vessel can catch the animals from a very wide area (for instance
one vessel long-lining for tuna can shoot 50 miles of line each day).
Thus, despite the vast expanse of the open oceans in relation to the
areas a t present exploited, the number of unexploited but practicably
exploitable stocks of fish is not large, and unless there is a technical
breakthrough which would make the harvesting of new types of
resources economically feasible, e.g. the direct harvesting of krill
(Euphausia superba Dana) in the Antarctic instead of indirectly via
whales (Burukovskii and Iarogov, 1965 ; Stasenko, 1965 ; Osochenko,
1965), or of small oceanic fish, the present rate of expansion of the world
fish production cannot be maintained indefinitely, possibly for no more
than ten or fifteen years. Thus the proportion of the total world catch
which comes from heavily exploited stocks needing proper management
will rapidly increase, and it will become increasingly difficult to avoid
the problems of proper management of an overfished stock by turning
to other, less heavily exploited stocks. The need for proper management
policies is therefore becoming rapidly more urgent.
I n fact, the frequent failure to achieve proper management in the
heavily exploited stocks is having immediate effects in several ways on
the catches of lightly fished stocks. Most obviously, much more fishing
effort in terms of ships, men and other resources is involved in the overexploited fisheries than would be needed under proper management,
and these resources could well be directed to other stocks. Thus, for
example, it has been estimated that the total effort spent on some of
the major stocks of cod and haddock in the north-east Atlantic has
increased so far that substantially the same (or possibly slightly greater)
catch could be taken with half to two-thirds of the present level of
fishing. If the resources, whether of ships, men or capital, represented by
the excess half to one-third of the present effort, could be diverted to
other less heavily fished stocks, e.g. in the central and south Atlantic,