Fisheries
2. What is the situation of fishers, fish farmers and the fishing fleet?
2.1 How many people are working as fishers and fish farmers?
2.1.1 Number of fisheries workers
The source document for this Digest states:
In 2002, fishery and aquaculture production activities provided direct employment and revenue to an estimated 38 million people (Table 7
), a marginal increase compared with the previous year. The world number of fishers and fish farmers has been growing at an average rate of 2.6 percent per year since 1990. Table 7: World Fishers and Fish Farmers by Continent
Fishers and aquaculture workers represented 2.8 percent of the 1.33 billion people economically active in agriculture worldwide in 2002, compared with 2.3 percent in 1990. Most continents are close to the world average; exceptions are Africa, where the percentage of fishers and aquaculture workers is lower, at 1.3 percent of the total agricultural labour force, and North and Central America, where the share is 1 percent above the world average. Fishing in marine and inland water accounted for 75 percent of the total number of workers, while aquaculture production provided employment for the remaining 25 percent. These figures are only indicative, as some countries do not yet collect employment data separately for the two sectors and some other countries’ national systems do not yet account for fish farming.
The highest numbers of fishers and aquaculture workers are in Asia (87 percent of the world total) followed by Africa (7 percent), Europe, North and Central America and South America, (about 2 percent each) and Oceania (0.2 percent). These shares closely reflect the population shares of the different continents, the share of the population economically active in agriculture and the relative predominance of labour-intensive fisheries in some economies in Africa and Asia.
Fishing in marine and inland waters is often a part-time occupation (almost 60 percent of the total), as a result of the variations in seasonal resource availability and also because fishing is generally regulated through a series of measures that limit year-round activity (e.g. closures of selected fisheries at certain times of the year, limits on total annual catches of selected species so that commercial fishers may fish for only a few days of each month until the quota is reached) or limit the number of commercial licences and the number of fish caught per trip. Increasingly, operators have to turn to other activities for supplementary income.
Source & ©: FAO "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2004"
Part 1: World review of fisheries and aquaculture, Fishers and fish farmers
2.1.2 Change in the number of fisheries workers
The source document for this Digest states:
Although the national statistics available to FAO are often too irregular and lacking in detail to permit a more in-depth analysis of the employment structure at world level, it is apparent that, in most important fishing nations that systematically provide this information, the share of employment in capture fisheries is stagnating and increased opportunities are being provided by aquaculture.
In China, where the combined numbers of fishers and fish farmers (12.3 million) represent nearly one-third of the world total, in 2002, 8.4 million people worked in capture fisheries and 3.9 million in aquaculture. However, existing fleet-size reduction programmes in China, aimed at reducing overfishing, are reducing the number of full-time and part-time fishers. The latter have decreased by almost 2 percent from two years before and there are plans to move 4 percent of the total number of fishers to other jobs by 2007. The policy tools to accomplish this include, among others, scrapping vessels and training redundant fishers in fish farming, where employment in 2002 increased by 6 percent compared with 2000 levels. A similar trend of increased employment opportunities in professions associated with culture practices is also evident in other countries.
In many industrialized countries, notably Japan and European countries, employment in fishing – and, as a consequence, in associated land-based professions – has been declining for several years. This is the result of several factors combined, including lower catches, programmes to reduce fishing capacity and the increased productivity brought about by technical progress. In the European Union (EU-15) the decline in the number of fishers in recent years averaged about 2 percent per year.
In Norway, employment in fishing has been decreasing for several years (Table 8
). In 2002, about 18 650 people were employed in fishing (excluding fish farming), representing a decline of 8 percent compared with 2000 and almost 20 percent compared with five years before. The largest decline has occurred in fishing as a main occupation, which accounts for more than 75 percent of the total. In Iceland, average employment in fisheries was fairly stable in the five years to 2002, although there were seasonal variations; however, the share of fishing and fish processing – where the majority of workers are women – as a source of employment, dropped to 8 percent in 2002 from 10 percent five years earlier. In Japan, the numbers of marine fishery workers has been falling yearly since 1991, reaching a low of 243 320 people in 2002. The vast majority (72 percent) of these fishers were self-employed workers, as is commonly the case in the fishery profession. Table 8: Number of Fishers and Fish Farmers in Selected Countries
The fishing workforce in most developed economies is advancing in age, mainly because of the profession’s decreasing attractiveness to younger generations. For instance, in Japan, 95 750 male fishers (or 47.2 percent of the total) were 60 years of age or older in 2002. The share of this age class has recently been increasing at a rate of 1 percent per year and in 2002 was nearly 25 percent above the figure of 20 years previously. By comparison, the younger group of workers (under 40 years of age), which represented one-quarter of the total number of marine fishery workers in 1982, had decreased to 12.1 percent of the 243 320 people engaged in marine fishery by 2002.
Complete data on the numbers of aquaculture workers worldwide are not available. The partial statistics that are available indicate an increase of about 8 percent per year since 1990, with part of the increase accounted for by improved reporting by countries. Since 2000, however, in many developed countries, figures on employment in aquaculture indicate that a levelling-off has started to occur, owing to a parallel slowdown of the rate of growth of farmed fish and shellfish production. After peaking in 1995, then decreasing for several years, employment in fish farming in Norway has been stable since 1998. In 2002, 3 457 people were employed, one-third of whom worked in hatcheries; men (accounting for 90 percent of the total) are employed mainly in salmon and trout production, while female workers, whose employment has been stable for many years, are largely employed in the production of fry and fingerlings rather than fish for consumption.
Source & ©: FAO "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2004"
Part 1: World review of fisheries and aquaculture, Fishers and fish farmers
2.1.3 Gaps in information
The source document for this Digest states:
In countries where fishing and aquaculture are less prominent in the economy, comparative employment and income statistics at this level of detail are often not easily available. In many developing countries, which have the largest number of fishers, the spouses and families of fishers are occupied in coastal artisanal fisheries and associated activities. Reliable estimates of the number of people engaging in fishing on a part-time or occasional basis, or undertaking rural aquaculture as unpaid family workers, are difficult to obtain. As a consequence, the socio-economic importance of these activities is more difficult to measure, although their contribution to production and income, and to food security for coastal and rural communities, is substantial.
In the absence of other economic data, it is not possible to draw firm global conclusions on current trends from these numbers. Economics still makes fishing an attractive profession for many people in some areas. In China, where it is estimated that 25 million people work in the fish capture industry, in fish farming and in associated processing industries, the economic attraction is demonstrated by the fact that a large percentage of fishers are not local people but migrant workers from inland areas or neighbouring provinces. Part-time fishers might work seasonally in fishing and return to their village during the summer, or undertake a mix of agriculture and fish farming. The average earnings from fishing can offer higher incomes than those from agricultural farming, although jobs in manufacturing and other economic sectors, generally offer higher compensation than those in agriculture and fishing.
Source & ©: FAO "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2004"
Part 1: World review of fisheries and aquaculture, Fishers and fish farmers
2.2 How are fishing communities affected by emergencies?
The source document for this Digest states:
Natural hazards such as cyclones, floods, typhoons, sea surges, tidal waves, earthquakes and landslides can have a devastating effect on fishing communities, destroying fishing boats and equipment, or sweeping away their houses. A compelling example is the 1996 cyclone in the Bay of Bengal in which 1 435 fishers were reported as dead or missing and thousands of fishing crafts and other equipment were estimated to be lost or damaged.
When, following a disaster, fishing communities are no longer able to meet their basic survival needs and/or when there is a threat to their life and well-being, as in the case of armed conflicts, they face an emergency situation. Developing countries, especially the poorest, suffer disproportionately from emergencies because they lack the means to prepare for them and to deal with their aftermath. In view of the importance of fisheries in developing states (in terms of production, protein intake, employment and foreign exchange), there is a need to review the role that fisheries interventions can play in emergency relief operations.
In situations of emergency, fisheries interventions may be critical to help restore production and/or as a source of immediate income and food. Data gathered in the Sudan (northern sector) over a one-year cycle have shown that whatever the season and the location, fish commodities (mainly sun-dried fish) form the cheapest and most accessible source of animal proteins for the displaced and poor sections of the communities. Furthermore, sun-dried fish plays a crucial role in ensuring people’s food security during the period between the first rains and first harvest (the “hunger gap”) and during the active agricultural planting season, when it is used to supplement wild indigenous foods.
A distinction between aquaculture and capture fisheries should be made here. The raising of fish through aquaculture requires both time and money. As a consequence, relief efforts should focus on restarting production where aquaculture operations had already been established and where the necessary skills are available. By contrast, the capture of wild fish can provide immediate income and food (animal proteins) as soon as the means of production are renewed. This can be crucial in times of conflict or acute crises. Furthermore, in the case of capture fisheries, entrance into the sector and access to the fishing ground are generally non-discriminatory. Fishing equipment such as nets and hooks are easy to transport, unlike livestock. Some fishing activities, such as the use of hooks and lines, do not require high levels of skills to be developed, and can thus provide children and women, who are the most vulnerable, with proteins soon after displacement.
Moreover, fisheries interventions offer multiple side activities and job opportunities such as net repair, boatbuilding, fish processing, trade and basket-making. Fisheries interventions can contribute to promoting the role of women through training in improved fish-processing and preservation techniques.
In spite of the significant role fisheries can and should play in relief and rehabilitation efforts, fisheries interventions do not always receive adequate attention in emergency operations. Until this situation is addressed and the potential impact of fisheries interventions is realized, the costs will continue to be borne by fishers and their communities.
Source & ©: FAO "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2004"
Part 1: World review of fisheries and aquaculture, Fishers and fish farmers. Box 2
2.3 What is the current status of the fishing fleet?
The source document for this Digest states:
After years of expansion of the world fishing fleet until the late 1980s and early 1990s, the number of decked vessels worldwide has remained fairly stable at around 1.3 million. In addition, the world fleet engaged in fishing in marine and inland water comprised about 2.8 million undecked vessels, 65 percent of which were not powered. About 85 percent of total decked vessels, 50 percent of powered undecked vessels and 83 percent of total non-powered boats were concentrated in Asia. The remaining 15 percent of the world’s total decked fishing vessels were accounted for by Europe (8.9 percent), North and Central America (4.5 percent), Africa (1 percent), South America (0.6 percent) and Oceania (0.2 percent) (Figure 14
). Countries in North and Central America had 21 percent of the open fishing vessels with engines; Africa had 16 percent, South America 6 percent, and Oceania 3 percent.
Figure 14:Decked Fishing vessels by continent
Figure 15:Global Large Vessels Fleet
Figure 16:Fleet Age The aggregate gross tonnage (GT) of large marine fishing vessels (considered to be those above 100 gross tons) increased to a peak of 15.6 million GT in 1992 (24 074 vessels) and has subsequently declined. However, the number of these vessels increased gradually until 2001 and has remained relatively stable, at around 24 000 vessels, in recent years (Figure 15
). In 2002, the number of large vessels increased slightly to 24 406 vessels; and has fluctuated around that number until 2004. However, since 1992 the total tonnage of this fleet has contracted as many countries began to adopt programmes of capacity containment. In 2003, the Russian Federation had the highest fleet capacity measured in GT (24 percent of the total GT), followed by Japan and the United States (7 percent each), Spain (6 percent), Norway (3.5 percent) and Ukraine (3 percent). Two open register countries, Panama and Belize, accounted for 6 percent and vessels of unknown flag made up 4.4 percent of the total GT. The average age of the larger marine fishing vessel fleet segment has continued to increase. Whereas in 1992 about 30 percent of vessels were less than ten years old and 6 percent were more than 30 years old, in 2003 these percentages were 13 percent and 28 percent respectively. Figure 16
shows the age profile of the global fleet in 2003. Of the national fleets over 200 000 GT, the Japanese fleet is the youngest (average age 16 years), while the Republic of Korea’s fleet is the oldest (average age 29 years). France and Vanuatu have relatively young fleets (average age 19 and 8 years, respectively), while the fleets of Ghana, the Philippines, Senegal and South Africa all have an average age of over 30 years. Fishing is considered to be one of the most dangerous occupations. The aging fishing fleet raises concerns over the safety of both vessels and crew. Furthermore, standards of accommodation and other conditions for the crew on board these very old vessels often do not conform to current minimum requirements for newly built vessels.
The slowdown in new construction of larger vessels suggests that improvements in safety and conditions may also be slow. While it is clear that capacity management plans may require some reduction in the fleet of large vessels, it is also clear that there will always be a need for larger vessels for fishing in distant waters and in bad weather conditions. In addition, many offshore pelagic fisheries tend to be more economically feasible when operating with larger vessels. It is expected that the construction of larger fishing vessels will increase over the next ten years, compared with the current low levels. In this context it may be noted that the International Labour Organization (ILO) is currently establishing a new Convention on labour conditions in the fishing industry (which includes accommodation standards for a new fishing fleet) (see Part 2). FAO, the ILO and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are also finalizing a major revisions of the Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels and of the Voluntary Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Equipment of Small Fishing Vessels.
Although detailed indications of trends in the entire fishing fleet are not available on a global scale after 1998, the fleet size of some major fishing nations has continued to decrease. The European Union (EU-15) fishing fleet decreased from 96 000 vessels in 2000 to 88 701 in 2003. Of the total fleet, 13 percent were trawlers, 6 percent seiners, 33 percent gillnetters, 16 percent longliners, and the remainder operated other gear. Of the 87 833 vessels of known length, slightly over 80 percent measured less than 12 metres, the majority of these belonging to Greece, Italy and Spain. Some 15 percent of EU fishing vessels were between 12 and 24 metres in length, and fewer than 340 measured more than 45 metres (a decrease of 60 units compared with five years earlier). In December 2002, Norway had a registered fleet of 7 802 engine-driven decked fishing vessels and 2 847 open vessels. Comparative statistics indicate a further decrease of 628 units (8 percent) for the decked fleet since 2000, and a decrease of nearly 40 percent in the number of open vessels. At the end of 2003, the Icelandic fleet had 1 872 vessels on register, 50 percent of which were undecked; this implies 63 units fewer than in 2002 and a decrease of about 7 300 in GT. Nearly 40 percent of the trawlers (about 75 percent of all decked vessels) are more than 20 years old. In New Zealand, whose exclusive economic zone is one of the largest in the world, the number of domestic commercial fishing vessels numbered 1 700 in 2001 and these were complemented by 36 foreign chartered vessels; these figures represent a decrease of 1 102 domestic vessels and 43 chartered vessels compared with 1992.
Over 90 percent of the Japanese fleet are vessels below 5 gross tons. All segments of the fleet declined between 1997 and 2001; in particular, the number of vessels greater than 50 gross tons (fewer than 1 percent in 2001) decreased by over 20 percent.
Important advances have been made by several RFBs through the establishment of lists of “positive” (authorized to fish in the area of the RFBs’ jurisdiction) and “negative” (unauthorized, or “non-cooperating”) vessels in order to improve the monitoring and control of fisheries on the high seas and transboundary stocks. Other RFBs are in various stages of establishing such lists, and some countries and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have initiated lists of vessels reported to be engaged in unauthorized fishing.
As of mid-2004, 5 517 vessels are recorded in the High Seas Vessels Authorization Record
maintained by FAO. Only 19 countries out of 30 parties to the Compliance Agreement have supplied FAO with the required information on vessels authorized to fish on the high seas. Work in progress in FAO suggests that there is overcapacity in the world’s industrial tuna fishing fleets. In this context, a moratorium on construction has been considered in conjunction with the development of mechanisms for the smooth transfer of capacity from distant-water fishing nations to coastal developing states.
An analysis of the fishing vessels that changed their flag state in 2003 (Table 9
) suggests continued high activity in “flag of convenience” countries, although there are indications that the number of such vessels are decreasing. Belize, Equatorial Guinea and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had substantial fleet reductions, while the Honduras fleet remained relatively unchanged and the Panama fleet increased by 14 vessels, when new built vessels and scrapping is taken into account. Table 9: Fishing Vessels of 100GT and above
Figure 17:Fleet Changes In 2003, several of the major fishing nations appeared to be substantially reducing their numbers of vessels of 100 GT and above by flagging out (Figure 17
). Japan was foremost, with a total reduction of 140 vessels. Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United States all flagged out more vessels than they have flagged in. The United Kingdom has substantially reduced its fleet by scrapping older vessels and flagging out. Spain, on the other hand, has substantially increased its fleet by building new vessels. Vessels flagging out to the “unknown” category account for more that 25 percent of those reflagging. The Lloyd’s Register
records 1 213 “unknown flag” vessels over 100 gross tons and considered to be still in operation in 2003 (records before 1970 excluded). Of the vessels for which records of the previous flag exists, 51 percent were flagged in one of the following countries: Belize, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, Panama, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Vanuatu, and 56 percent of these vessels were constructed either in Japan or Taiwan Province of China.
Source & ©: FAO "The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2004"
Part 1: World review of fisheries and aquaculture, The status of the fishing fleet
