Fish Population Dynamic and Stock Assessment

10.5.1. Introduction

All coastal countries now have a recognized right to use and regulate the fishing in their coastal zones.  The new Law of the Sea created a massive reallocation among nations of the right to fish. The 200-mi zone along coasts and around islands contains about 99% of the world’s land. Much of the catches from these stocks had been taken by the distant-water fishing fleets of about two dozen countries that traditionally had fished in many areas without restraint and without even maintaining the records of catch and effort that are essential for tracking the condition of the stocks. Particularly damaging had been the practice of “pulse” fishing, in which some fleets fished an area intensively until the fishing became unprofitable and then moved to another area.

            Now coastal countries have the resources allocated to them. They have the opportunities to obtain optimum yield, to allow their citizens to fish the coastal waters, to lease any part of the fishing rights to foreign fishermen, and to use access to the resources as part of a bargain, such as a joint venture in which the country receives a fish processing facility and part of the catch in return for the fishing rights.

            Along with the opportunities come obligations. The law requires control of fishing to ensure conservation, which requires scientific knowledge of the resources and statistical information on the fishing. The law also requires granting of access to foreign fishermen if the coastal state does not harvest the optimum catch.

            Taking advantage of the opportunities and complying with the obligations will require most countries to form new or enlarged fishery regulatory and development organizations. Regulatory organizations will need competence to perform research, collect statistics on the fishing, negotiate with foreign countries about fishing and fishing boundary zones, make decisions about regulations, and enforce regulations. Development organizations will need competence to perform economic, social, and organizational planning, as well as knowledge of the business of fishing processing, and marketing. All countries will have boundary problems with their neighbours and will probably join regional fishery organizations. Implementation will be a long and continuing process.