Full text of "Worldwide Report Law of the Sea No. 129"

See other formats

JPRS 76464
24 September 1980

Worldwide Report

LAW OF THE SEA
No. 129

JPRS publications eontein iafermation primar’! from foreian
hewepapers, periodicals and bi vke, but alee from news agency
tranemicsions end broadcasts. Materiale from foreign-language
sources are translated, those from ng! ieh~ sources
are traneeribed of reprinted, with the origina! phrasing and
other Charaeterletion retained.

Headlines, editorial reports, and material enclosed in brackets
{) ave supplied by JPRE, Processing indicators such as (Text)
or [Rxeerpt! in fivret line of each item, or following
last line of @ brief, indicate how the original informet
processed, Where no processing leator te given, the
mation wae summarized or extracted.

the
lon wae
infor -

terated are

item originate with the
given by source.

The contents of thie publicestion in ao way represent the poli-
eles, views or atticudes of the 0.5.

JPRS publications ay be ordered froe the Mationsl Technica!
information Service, Springfield, Virginia 22161. In order~-
ing, it le recommended that the JPRS qumber, title, date and
author, if applicable, of publication be cited.

JPR 76484

24 September 1980

WORLDWIDE REPORT

Law oF THe SEA
No. 129

CON TENTS
VORLOWIDE APPALAS

Russian Vishing Fleet Te Vee New Zealand hepair Base
(THe PRESS, 6 Aue 40) SESS ORR RRR ee eee eee

New land Bare Joint-Venture Ships from Fishing Lone
(THe PRESS, 15 Aug 80) SPREE RRR RRR RRR eee eee

ASIA
INTER “ASLAN AFFAIRS

Officiale ixplain NeWaste Disposal Plan at Guam Meeting
(KYODO, 14, 15 Aug 80) TORR REPRE RRR EERE EERE ERR

Japanese Explanation
Nuclear Dumping Plane Protested

indonesian Pishermen Intrude in Australian Waters
(Norman Aiebett; THE WEST AUSTRALIAN, 4 Aug 80) ......

Koreans Seek Better Fishing Rights from New Zealand
(Te EVENT NC Post, * Ave 80) eeeree eee eee eeeeeeee eee eee

Low “qu.é Prices in Japan Affect Wew Zealand Fishing Quotas
(Te Wh 7EALARD HERALD, i9 Aug 80) eeeeeereeeeeeree eee

Stepe To tase Tension Between indian-Sri Lankan Fishermen
Urged
(T™. Hin, i Jul #0) sere ereereeeeeeeeeer ee eeeeeeeeeeee

Briefs
jJapan~Auetraliea Nuclear Waste
Auetralia Scores Japan
Australia Approves Japan's Dumping Plan
ROK, Japan Operations Agreement

14
14
15
15

-a- [Iti ~ WH 136)

INDIA

Vishermen heported fearful of lefeign Poachers
(THe NTATLOMAR, 5 hut 40) CPS ERR eee eee ee eee

Voreign trawlers’ intrusion: Fishermen on Strike
(PATRIOT, 2 Jue 80) eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeteereeeeeeeeeee

Trawler Overl.shing Reportedly Reducing Cateh
(Gautee 4,6, Vohra, THE TIMES OF LNDIA,

5 Jul 60) CRORE ERROR ORR ORO eee eee

JAPAN
Nuclear Waste lo be Oumped in Pacific im Reinforeed Drum
(KYODO, 5 Sep 80) sereeereeree eee eevee eaeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
NEW ZEALAND
Bill Imcreases Penalties for Marine Pollution
(THE WEW ZEALAND HERALD, WO Jul 80) coc ccccccwcceces
Legal Blocks Hold Up Hunt Company's Offshore 011 Search
(Mike Field; THE EVENING POST, 19 Aug BO) cacusecces
PHILIPPINES
Exclusive Economic Zones impact Fishing in South China Sea
(Bruce Renton; BUSINESS TIMES, 9 Jul BO)
SINGAPORE
Briefs
Territorial Sea Limit
LATIN AMERICA
ARGENTINA
‘CLARIN' Discusses Law of the Sea Conference Implications
(Editorial; CLARIN, 5 Aug 80) See eee eee eee eee
ECUADOR
Decree Issued Regulating Foreign Vessels’ Operations
(APP, 31 Aug 80) DORR RRR RRR RRR REE E EERE Eee eee eee oe
MEXICO

Briefs
Policy on 200-Mile Zone

Colu@fiet btfeeses Need fo Pretect Sea iftefeste
(Naftedio leaeee, MATUTIMD, 27 Ave ao) ef#eeeeeeeeer 1

htiels
Correction if bea Law i)

URUGLAY
Recognition of 350=Mile Continental Shel! sought
(Montevideo Radio | 1 Lepeetador Network,
14 Aue 80) Seeeeeereseeeeeeeereeeereeeeeeee ee ee eeeree Me
NEAR FAST AND WORTH AFRICA
MAURITANIA

French, Spanish, Korean Vessele Seized
(weer AFRICA, 8 Sep 80) eeeeeeeeeeveeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 5

SUB=SAMARAN AFRICA

INTER“APRICAN AFPALRS

Guinea-Guinea Bissau Territorial Water Dispute Discussed
(WEST AFRICA, 8 Sep 60) eeeeeeeeeeeeee ere ee eeeeeeer 6

Future of Fishing Industry Studied
(Sophie Chegaray; FRATERNITE-MATIN,

28, 29, 0, 1 Jul-1 Aug 80) See eee eee 7
KENYA
Fisheries Department Pails To se Development funds
(DALLY MATION, 27 Aug 80) DORR RRR RRS EERE EE EES 9
SEYCHELLES
Seychelles Looks Seawards for 4 New Paradise
(Peyton Johneon; THE HERALD, 9 Sep BO) «2. ccccecus 60
Fisheries Research in Territorial Waters
(MATION, 20 Aug 80) eee e ee ee eee eee eee eee eee eee ee 6?
WEST EUROPE
DENMARK

Briefs
EC Fish Policies
Paeroes’ Fin Whale tan

WORLDWIDE AFPATRS

PUBSIAN FISHING FLEET TO USE NEW ZEALAND REPAIR BASE

Christehureh THE PRESS in English 6 Aug 80 p }

[Text]

th Hate } iit

<3} fpeadail,

—J
ni⸗ SHAE ane

id!

J —ii—

nil

5200

C3501

WORLDWIDE APPALRS

J J ue HL ok

—
* ‘oi
i ae
Be

‘

t *
tt th li

“Me

“

2
a2

lount ‘ey +

NEW ZEALAND BARS JOINT-VENTURE SHIPS FROM FISHING 2OM
5200

Chrietehureh THE PRESS in English 15 Aug 40 p 2

[Text]
CSO:

INTELM@ABLAN APVPALES

OFFICLALS EXPLAIN NeWASTE DISPOSAL PLAN AT GUAM MEETING
Japanese Explanation

OW140419 Tokyo KYODO in English 0403 GMT 14 Aug 80

(Text) Agana, Guar, 14 aug (KYO )=<Japanese of flelale explained 4 Japanese plan te diseard
low-level radiosetive waste in the South Pacific to leaders of South Pacific countries at
their twomday summit meeting opening here Thureday. The summit meeting opened at Hilten
Hotel here in the morning to diseuse Japan's nuclear waste dumping plan in the South Pacific
area with 1] leaders attending. Prior to the meeting*s opening, several anti-nuclear
demonstrators with placards gathered in front of the hotel to protest the Japanese plan amid
mounting opposition in the South Pacific nations,

In hie opening speeoh, dovernor Paul MeDonaid Calvo of Guam weleomed tie Japanese government ai
mission headed by Hiroshi Goto, deputy chief of the Atomic tnergy Safety Bureau of the
Seience and Technology Agency, but he expressed firm opposition to the Japanese pian,

Goto and another agency official exploined Japan*s basic policy for peaceful utilization of
atomic energy, the nuclear waste deumping plan and ite safety, Japan plans to discard about
10,000 drume of low-level radiosetive waste from nuclear power plants in the sea about 900
kilometers north of the northern Marianas starting in the autumn of next year, Pollowing
the test dumping, Japan plane to carry out fulleseale dumping of several thousands of drume
of muclear waste the followirg year. furopean countries have been dumping low-level
fuclear wastes in the Atiantte for more than 10 years,

The Japanese officiais stressed the Japanese plan involves no danger of poliution to people
ana the efwirotmment Wille saying Japan would carry out the plan in conformity with standards
by the International Atomic Mmergy Agency (TARA).

In the meeting for Thursday afternoon, the South Pacific leaders and the Japanese Government
mission will hold 4 question«and-answer session concerning the Japanese plan,

Nuclear Dumping Plane Protesated

UWi51i255 Tekye KYODO in Pnglieh 1722 GMT 15 Aue 80

(Text) Agana, Guam, 15 aug (KYODO) =eaders of south facific Matlom Friday adopted
@ resolution calling for suspenmion of the Japanese Government's ,ien to discard iow -
lewel radioactive waste in She South Pecific., hey adopted the resolution signed by
nine leaders at thelr cwmmll meeting closing ite two-day session here Pridey evening.
The resolution 6414 the jouth fecifie mation: would grope for aii possible legal
measures 60 frustrate the Japanese pian.

Tre resolution did not Upiy beyootting of flehery negotiations between the South
Pacific mation: and Japan of whieh Japan was most im fear, he resolution stressed
in the preamble that the South Pacific area depends on flehery industry and | our ise
and criticised the Japanese plan for poe ing seriow: and continmml threats to biologic
ami economic preservation of flehery resources in the fecific. The resolution called
on Japan to suspend the ; len witll teehmiosl safety Oo tne plan le proved so that
marine resources should not be damaged by the dumping of tmucilear waste,

The resolution aise called for suspension of 4 Japand4).5. joint plan te study possi-«-
bilities of bullding 4 weed <«mclear fuel storage base in the South facific. The
resolution 414 not oall for wroomditional suspenmion of the Japanese plan a6 4 resul'
of Japan's maneuvering efforts behind the soenes during ‘the summit meet ing.

Wiroshi Goto, 4 Science and Technology Agency officiel who headed the Japanese mise ion
to explain the Japanese plan at the summit meeting, told reporters Japan would attach
importanmoe to the resolution leaving room for study for safe securement of the muclear
waste Gumping ;lan.

cSo: 5200

INTER=ABLAN AFFAIRS

INDONESIAN FISHERMEN INTRUDE IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS

Perth THE WEST AUSTRALIAN in English 4 Aug 80 p 10
[Article by Norman Aisbett: “Tllegal-fishing Problem Grows" |

[Text] A fragile little sailing-boat glides on a high tide towards a
desolate island not far from the Kimberley coast.

Before long it ie out of sight, skillfully moored amid the camouflage of
mangrove trees at the water's edge.

Tiny, wiry figures on board the craft ensure that the disappearance is
complete, covering the decks with leaves and tying foliage to the mast.

Unnoticed, another Indonesian fishing party has made an illegal landing
on Australian soil.

There is unlikely to be any further sign of activity till the tide's
recession leaves the boat high and dry. Then the dusky fishermen wil!
leave cover and move expertly about the island's exposed reef platform,
using primitive dugout canoes at times to skirt the shallows when neces-
sary.

They are in search of trochus shell--the lure of their long and risky
haul down into Australian territorial waters.

The shell has been heavily fished in traditional Indonesian fishing
grounds but is still available in relatively big quantities in the
King Sound region of WA.

It is the core of an escalating problem costing the Australian Government
millions of dollars a year to counter.

It is also indirectly contributing to another serious situation.

The little ocean travellers are also certain to have wreaked further
destruction to bird Life on Australian-owned islands between Indonesia
and the WA coast. Sea birds with their eggs, along with fish, are the
prime sources of food on t ,ese voyages.

According to the chief inmapector of the WA Department of Fisheries and
Wildlife, Mr Neil MeLaughian, the Indonesian cratt are the main reason
for immense expenditure on aerial surveillance (up to $7 million a year)
of the coast and the use of naval patrol vessels based at Darwin for
fisheries-inepection duties,

Further evidence of the cost is the charter by the Commonwealth Depart ~
ment of Health of the fishing boat Axion for surveillance work in the
Buccaneer and Bomparte archipelagos. What started in April as a short-
term charter costing $850 a day has been extended to October because of
Indonesian fishing activity in the area,

This expense comes on top of regular fisheries patrols around the network
of coastal islands. The patrols have worked extensively in recent years
te warn the Indonesians that they are courting arrest and prosecution.

Two Indonesian skippers who wept like children after having their craft
confiscated by a Koolan Island court on Thursday have learnt that the
threats were not made lightly.

Five Warnings
One of the skippers had been warned five times previously.

Fisheries and quarantine officials now think that word of the court action,
which has virtually left the impoverished fishermen and their families
without a source of income, will filter back through the Indonesian
“fleet.”

Mr McLaughlan said there was no problem off the WA coast about seven years
ago. Till then the only known intruders had been the occasional apologe-
tic village fishing party ewept off course by wind or currents.

But from about 1973 Indonesian fishermen had begun to intentionally find
their way to the fertile WA waters. They now constituted what was con-
sidered a commercially-oriented invasion. It was at its peak in the early
part of the year and about August.

Mr McLaughlan said that 62 sightings of Indonesian craft were made in
Australian waters off WA in one seven-week period this year--equal to all
the sightings for 1973.

Three hundred Indonesian fishing boats had been boarded off WA and hun-
dreds more sighted.

He said that the Indonesians posed a serious threat to the Bardi Abori-
ginal people at One Arm Point in King Sound. About 300 of these people
operated a emall fleet of 25 craft to work the islands in the mouth of
the sound for trochus shell.

The trochus shel! which brings $1100 a4 tonne in Australia tor the bardia,
beckons the Indonesians, whe have reduced stocks of the shellfish to an
unviable level at the Ashmore and Scott reef ateas between Australia and
indonesia,

There have been conflicts, Recently, an Indonesian party went ashore at
Sunday Island, off One Arm Point, to grab trochus shell left bagged on
the beach by Aborigines.

The Indonesians were chased out to sea by the Bardi people, some of whom
got close enough to throw 4 piece of iron through the sail of the raid-
ing craft,

The landings by Indonesians are seen as a major danger by quarantine
authorities. The authorities fear three disease threats in part icular--
foot and mouth disease, which could cause crippling damage to the north
weat cattle industry, rabies and Wr stle disease, which is a threat to
the poultry industry.

Poultry

Indonesians sometimes carry live poultry on their boats ae pets or as a
source of food.

Mr McLaughlan, is alarmed by the other aspect of the Indonesian problem,
the slaughter of island bird life.

"When they go on to an island they often smash every egg in sight,” he
said. “The idea is that when they come back the next day, any eggs lying
around then will have to be fresh and therefore edible.

“Sometimes Chey don't use the emashing method. They collect up all the
eggs and stack them in heaps.

"It is common for them to break the wings of very young birds.

"The young birds are fed for a time by the mature birds, so they are
likely to be alive if and when the fishermen pies by the island again.
It is then just a matter of rounding up the asimed birds for food.”

Mr McLaughlan said that soe species of bird life, unique to certain
island groups were probably under threat of extinction through these
tactics.

The Indonesian problem is complicated by 4 memorandum of understanding
signed by Australian and Indonesian officials in 1974 as a result of the
emerging situation.

The memorandum allows Indonesian fishermen to continue their activity
around some distant shoals and islands in Australian waters.

A tenague of water extending south from timer is available te them tor
fishing but lending fights afe fet ineluded,

There afe fo Fights south of the designated islands of shoals in this
afea. Virtually, it @eane that ne ladenesian craft should ever come
vithin about 130 be of the Kimberley coast,

Rul they de and there have been many warnings,

The Pieheries Department even went to the trouble of aerial dropping
special plastic hueve containing eps showing allowable areas and messages
in indonesian, warning of severe action for breaches, The buoys fitted
with etfeamers to attract attention, were dropped alongside the craft,

indonesiane in hundreds of «raft boarded by fisheries inspectors have
been handed the mape and instructions,

1LTS PROM Nhe ZEALAND

KOREANS SEER BETTER Fl tw

nh Faelieh & Aue 80 p

agton THE EVENING POBT 4

erpt]

wells

Hs
J

see “fie

Li SQNTD PRICES IN TADAN APPECT NEW ZEALAND FISHING QUOTAS
\uekland THE SEW /FALAND HERALD in Paglieh 19 Aue 80 p 16

[Report by HERALD mati ne reporteg]

fFexy/ The Pinistry of Agriculture and Pieheries faces probleme in est ab-
i

shine ite fereian squid allepations this week beoauser of depressed squid
prices and an apparently saturated marbet in Japan,

47
i

*
by

INTER ASLAN APPAL RO

STEPS TO BASE TENSION BETWEEN LNDIAN-SRl LANKAN PL SHRROGIN URCED
Madras THE HINDU in Paglieh 1 Jul 80 p 13
Rameewaram, june WO,

{Text}

Fishermen of the Rameewaram on Saturday appealed to Mr Thomas Abraham,
indian High Commissioner in Sri Lanka to help evolve 4 mutual agreement
between the two Governments eo that Indian and Sri Lankan fishermen
could carry out their activities in peace,

Such an agreement was necessary because of the restricted fishing area now
available for indian fishermen, especially after the handing over of the
“Katcha Theevu' to Sri Lanka, they eaid,

Mr Abraham, while pointing out that the fishing rights of the countries
had clearly been demarcated, however, said the Government wae aware of

their problems. He would take up the matter with the Poreigen Ministers
of the two countries.

Mr Abraham later told newemen that the
ment by the Sri Lankan navy. They had
last when the Sri Lankan navy had seiged 64 Indian fishing boats. Of then
6) boate were returned but one boat sank due to “negligence on the part

of the Sri Lankan navy” while tugging the boat to one of their porte.

The Fishermen's Association here led by Mr P. Arulanandam Pernando and
Mr Alankaram told the High Commissioner that they were faced with short -
age of fishing bede in their own area which has been curtailed following
the handling over of ‘Katcha Theewu" to Sri Lanka. If no steps had taken
to help them, 25,000 fishermen would have to starve. [as published)

fishermen had complained of harase-
told him of an incident in March

To the complaint that Indian fishermen were “stealing” the nylon sete
of Sri Lankan fishermen, the association said, they had no use for nylon
fishing nete because their method of fishing wae different. But some-
times, Sri Lankan nylon nete were damaged accidentally by Indian boats.
However, they were promptly handed back to the owners, they added.

They complained of acts of ‘piracy’ by the Sri Lankan navy the result of
which wae financial lose up te Ra W lakhe,

The Colleeter of Kamnad district Mr V, Madhavan Naif, whe alone with the
Superintendent of Police Mr &. G. Dinamani, received the High Commissioner
at the Kameshwaram port, [ae published)

The of fice=bearere of the association told newemen that diesel rationing
introduced in the past two weeks had added to theif probleme, They said
each boat on an average needed 150 litres diesel a day but had diesel only
to last 10 fishing daye in 4 month, They were thus forced either keep
their boate idle or purchase diesel at double the price,

C80; 4220

INTER=@ABSIAN APPATRS

JAPAN=AUSTRALIA NUCLEAR WASTE~-Japanese and Australian officials had talke
in Canberra today on Tokyo's plane to dump nuclear waste in the Pacific
next year. From Canberra (Graham Dobell): [Begin recording) Japan
plans to conduct a trial dumping of up to 10,000 (lcement~cased) drums
containing low-level nuclear waste. The four Japanese officials are
Visiting Canberra as part of a tour throughout the Pacific trying to
assure nations the operation would pose no dangers. At the talks at the
Foreign Affaire Department in Canberra, Australia neither opposed nor
endorsed the Japanese plan. The foreign affairs spokesman said Australia
had expressed opposition to the Pacific region becoming a site for indis-
crtiminate and uncontrolled disposal of nuclear waste. Dumping should
take place only with the strictest safety measures. He said officials
had pointed to the deep concern felt by South Pacific states and called
on the Japanese to take note of this. The Japanese replied that the

trial would be supervised under the OPCD's stringent surveillance mecha-
hiem for dumping of radioactive waste. It will aleo meet the provisions
of the convention on marine pollution. [end recording) (Text) [(OW191419
Melbourne Overseas Service in English 0710 GMT 19 Aug 80)

AUSTRALIA SCORES JAPAN--Canberra, 9 Sep (AFP)--Australia should publicly
condemn Japan, as it did France, for dumping nuclear waste in the Pacific
Ocean, according to the Federal Labor spokesman for urban and regional
affaire, Mr Tom Uren. Mr Uren said the Japanese Government's decision

to go ahead with the dumping of nuclear waste north of the Mariana Islands,
“emacks of a colonialist attitude towards the governments and people of
Pacific island nations.” He said that just as Australia played a leading
role in opposing French nuclear tests in the Pacific, it should be in

the forefront of moves to prevent the Pacific once more becoming 4 dumping
ground. “Sadly the Fraser government is more interested in trying to
make the quick uranium dollar than in representing the interests of the
Pacific region and its people,” he said. If a Labor government wins
office in the federal elections to be held later this year, Tom Uren would
probably become the minister in charge of nuclear energy. [Text]

[OW090 306 Hong Kong AFP in English 0240 G@rT 9 Sep 80)

AUSTRALIA APPROVES JAPAN'S DUMPING PLAN==The federal opposition has
accused the government of betraying the interests of the people of

the Pacific by approving nuclear waste dumping by Japan. The opposition
spokesman of minerals and energy, Mr Keating, said the government had
abandoned all concern for the environment and rejected worldwide

respect «ened during ite stand againet the French nuclear weapons
testing in the Pacific. Australia has given conditional approval to a
Japanese plan to dump nuclear waste in the north Pacific, The

Australian Government approval is conditional on the dumping complying
with the etrictest safety measures and relevant international agreements,
[Text |] [0W101307 Melbourne Overseas Service in English 1130 GMT 10 Sep 40)

ROK, JAPAN OPERATIONS AGREEMENT~-Seoul, 15 Sep (HAPTONG)=-A ranking South
Korean Foreign Ministry official said today both South Korea and Japan
have satisfactorily settled their bilateral dispute over Korean fishing
in waters off Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido, one of the most
sticky issues between the two neighboring countries since 1977. The offi-
cial eaid an accord calling for @utual restriction by the two nations of
their fishing operations in each other's waters, namely, Japan's Hokkaido
and Korea's Cheju Island, which will put an end to the long-standing
dispute, will be put into writing at the eighth meeting of working-level
fishery officials the two governments to be held in Seoul September 17 and
18, Fishery chiefe of the two govermments will then meet to confirm the
written accord in the form of 4 memorandum during their meeting here on
September 19 and 20, the official added, The projected agreement reportedly
calle for the reduction of the qumber of Korean Alaska pollack fishing
vessels operating off Hokkaido from the present 19 to 16 to 15 in exchange
for Tokyo's assent to confine ite fishermen's operations off Cheju to
January through March each year with 70 fishing vessels. [Text)

(SK150125 Seoul HAPTONG in English 0102 GMT 15 Sep 60)

CSO: $200

INDIA

FISHERMEN REPORTED FEARFUL OF PORE IGN POACHERS
Calcutta THE STATESMAN in English 5 Jul 80 p 7

[Text] Tuticorin, July 4.--Alongside the southern breakwaters of the
new harbour here is anchored “Yung Shin--32," 4 120<ft Taiwanese trawler
valued at Re 1 crore, guarded by armed police. it is 4 trophy won by
1.N.S8. Shakti of the Southern Naval Command, in an encounter with a

fleet of foreign trawlers in the high seas off the Gulf of Mannar in the
early hours of Monday. The l8-member crew of “Yung Shin" hae been handed
over to the civil authorities here.

Equipped with all modern facilities such as radio-telephone and fish
finder, the trawler had a 70-tonne cold storage capacity. Food stored
in the vessel were sufficient to feed its 18-member crew for six months.
Mr C. S. Venkateswaran, Deputy Director of Fisheries, said here today
that eight tonnes of the letherinuse variety of fish, valued at about Re
70,000, was removed from the trawler.

For the fishermen of the Gulf of Mannar coast in Tirunelveli district of
Tamil Nadu setting sail to catch fish is like going to war. It is not
that they are afraid of the rough seas or the strange creatures of the
ocean. What they dread most is poaching by foreign trawlers whose crew
often rough them up and seize their nets together with their valuable
catch. At times they even sink the boats of local fishermen.

When a group of fishermen set out from Manappad village, south of here,

on June 24, one could discern the fear writ on the faces of their women-
folk and children. The men came beck the following morning not only
empty-handed but with their costly nylon nets torn to bits by the intrud-
ere. The matter was reported to the Fisheries Department and the District
Collector who in turn contacted the coast guard station at Mandapan.

The coast guards entrusted to patrol the eastern sea coast extending

from Kanyakumari to Calcutta is woefully ill-equipped for the task. it
has at ite disposal just two boats and both are now under repair.

The piight of the Manappad fishermen was brought to the attention of
Captain Kk, PF, Gopal hao, naval officer-in=-charge, Port St. George,
Madras, whe tried to seek the help of the Tuticorin Port Trust to make
available some vessel which could be pressed into service to intercept
the intruding trawlers, [as published) But none was available,

Eventually the naval headquarters in Delhi were alerted, it authorized
the Southern Command, based in Cochin, to deal with the problem. The
flag officer commanding-in=chief deapatched INS Shakti on Sunday. Tt
reached the Gulf of Mannar on Monday.

Seeing it wae 4 large ship, the foreign trawlers took shelter in shallow
waters, four to five miles off the Tamil Nadu coast. A helicopter was
dispatched to establish the identity of the intruding vessels, After
making sure of their foreign origin INS Shakti fired a few shots to bring
the trawlers out in the open sea,

Two of the trawlers sped in the north-easterly direction towards Sri
Lanka waters and two others moved ewiftly southwaras while the fifth
one, caught in between, was intercepted by the naval vessel and seized.
it had on board about 15 tonnes of fish.

Tricolour

The trawler was flying a tricolour closely resembling our national flag,
apparently to hoodwink the authorities. Except for its captain who knew
a emattering of English the rest of the crew spoke only Chinese. The
trawler was part of a Taiwanese fishing fleet.

According to information gathered from the captain, Taiwan has about
3,500 fishing trawlers. It takes them about 15 daye to reach Indian
watere where they remain for two to three months at 4 stretch. Their
daily catch is transferred to a “mother ship” which keeps off the terri-
torial waters. The sother ship is not only equipped to refuel the trawl -
ere and replenish their victual but aleo has a mini canning plant.

Attack on Indian fishermen by foreigners has been 4 recurring problem
both in the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Straits. in the Straits the
offenders are mostiy from Sri Lanka.

Only last week the fishermen of Rameswaram appealed to Mr Thomas Abraham,
Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, to help evolve a scheme whereby
fishermen of the two countries could carry on their vocations in peace.
They pointed out that in one month alone, the Sri Lanka Navy had seized
64 of their boats.

Mr P. Arulanandam Fernando, secretary of the Rameswaram Verkottu Fisher-
men's Association, said about 700 mechanized boats were fished in the

Valk Straite mainly for prawn, Much in demand in foreign Markets, hach
boat ie manned by 61x of seven men whe set out in the afternoon and begin
deep-sea fishing after sun-set, They return home by dawn,

Lach boat catches 10 to 15 ke of prawn. A kile of prawn fetches about

Re 80. Mr Fernando said Sri Lanka navy men suddenly appear on the scene,
order the fishermen to follow them, and once they are within Sri Lanka
waters, board the vessels and loot their catch,

The fishermen told Mr Abraham that they were faced with shortage of
fishing beds in their area. The shortage followed the handing over of
Katcha Theevu to Sri Lanka. They were prepared to lease the waters
around Katcha Theevu from the Sri Lanka Government. If no steps were
taken, about 25,000 fishermen in Rameswaram would not be able to earn
their livelihood,

One of the salutary effecta of Monday's naval operation ia the disappear-~
ance of Taiwanese trawlers from the Gulf of Mannar where fishermen have
been able to venture out into the sea without fear of losing their catch
and gear.

c80: 5200

INDIA

POREIGN TRAWLERS' INTRUSION: FISHERMEN ON STRIKE
New Delhi PATRIOT in Pnglish 29 Jun 80 p 4

|Text|) Madras, June 28, Fishermen of the coastal district of Tirunelveli
in Tamilnadu have refused to go co the sea for fishing in protest against
the intrusion of foreign travellera into Indian waters,

Taiwanese vessels understood to have entered the sea, 15 kme from Tuti-
ecorin and destroyed nylon nets worth about a lakh laid by the local
fishermen.

Official sources admit foreign trawlers operating in Indian waters in the
Gulf of Mannar and off Punnakayal and Tuticorin and claim they have
called for intense patrolling by the coast guards.

The Tamilnadu Country Boat Fishermen's Association has in telegrams to
Prime Minister and State Chief Minister to take immediate action to pre-
vent such intrusions.

Anti-Price Rise

The Tamilnadu unite of the CPI and CPM are launching a State-wide anti-
price rise campaign from Sunday.

Public meetings are to be held throughout the state to mobilise the people
against the burdens {mposed on the common man by the Central budget,
according to Mr K. T. Raju, member of State secretariat and railwaymen's
leader.

The joint campaign which opens tomorrow marke another important stage in
the unity in struggle that is fast developing between two Communist parties
in Tamilnadu.

The joint campaign plans were worked out at a meeting of the leaders of
the CPI and CPM in Madras. Among those who took part in the discussions
were P Manickam, K T Raju and Nallakannu from CPI and 4 Balasubramaniun,
Sankaraiaha, Nallasivam from the CP¥.

cso: $200 19

IRARLER OVERP TSH ws

5 lui 4&0

| i | ny | iah

ssn al

i(autan

b v

j\Artic

Ce ene aaa,

he i

3 ‘ *
tai gd itil
: ; 33) — cet
spies -. al fit
— Lit —
Seon b> tat
2 iis =I ft eit ober?

; Text]

ar
— ai

ate

en |
fii: a

Fishes

ate
al

700

csi

JAPAN

NUCLEAR WASTE TO BE DUMPED IN PACIFIC IN REINFORCED DRUMS

OWO050423 Tokyo KYODO in English 0353 GMT 5 Sep 80

(Text ] Tokye,5 Sep (KY )==Japan plans to dump low-level radioactive waste matte: in
the Pacific in Jrum cans after they are solidified in cement, Science and Technolog
Agency officials said Priday, They were commenting on press reports from Wev York which
said @ professor at the University of California's Sante Crur campus has found through
his studies that similar drum cane dumped in waters off San Prancises by the U.S, have
leaked radioactivity. The officials noted that under the methods used by the U,8,, the
waste matters were not completely sclidified and 4 considerable amount ef radioactive
elements were contained per drum can,

Uniike the U,5, formula, they #214 Japan plans to solidify the waste matters in cement
and dump the drum cans containing them in 6,000 qneter-deep waters some 900 kilometers
southeast of Tokyo Bay. The Japanese plan, however, is being strongly opposed by
autnorities and residents of Sout! Pacific islands,

Ichire Wakeagawa, director general of the agency, #414 Thursday that Japan vanted to
start carrying out the plan in the autwan of 198) and that further efforts will be
made to secure the understanding of the residents of Micronesian islands and Japanese
fishermen, The agency as well as the Muclear Safety Commission have concluded that
even if the drum cans break before reaching the sea bottom and leak the radioactive
elements, effects on human beings through fish will be of an extent which can be
disregarded, Based on teste conducted on iand, they do not believe the dram cans will
break,

CSO: 5200

Alii. INCREASES PPNALIE ay Vaiw POLL TioN
Auekhiand THE Nhh /EALAND HERALD it Pamlieh WW tua ao,
Roper bw MERALD’s Wellineton Bay vay!

fFext] Shipewners and o'ters whe Cauee pollution will seen iw Liable ty
‘ines of up te Sim ,an), oF twiee the present Harituh pemalt i+

phe

api

p lis

YSRARLI!

= bie
J fis] fll
3
= J
22 ey
: z 2 ait 21 s2¢
- * 2
> & : Pid | ‘i
= 3 ‘ ny
>; = e i ta
5s * &
a i Un i ia
£8 tiea 4 i. HE Utes
© FE
ce tee
= = ————

iN wert CMU RA

impary Piseine

PRC LOSIVE POOMOIMIC 7a:

iw hnhalieh 9 ful BU pb —

Kuala Lampur BUSINESS TMP

[Article by Bruce Renton!)

J An

oat

met
age eee

—
|

HEA
sje:

iG
SEE: i

aie ab ba

1 2:
terisl? Niil —
J aut: 2

s =
seat
tf” 232923,

i Sade 52700

Si MAP,

aes

TERRITORIAL SUA LIMI I= <Singapore will exereise ite right to extend ite
territorial sea limit up to 4 @aximum of 12 nautical @iler in the light

of international developments. it will aleo establish an exclusive
economic sone, ifn 4 statement today the Foreign Ministry said since 1876
Singapore had adhered to the concept of 4@ J-nautical mile territorial sea,
in certain areas Singapore can extend ite territorial sea beyond |} nautical
miles and can also claim an exclusive economic sone. The ministry said
the precise coordinates of any extensions of the territorial sea and the
establishment of any exclusive economic sone will be announced at an
appropriate time, Should such extensions and the establishment of an
exclusive economic sone overlap with claims of neighbouring countries,
Singapore will negotiate with these countries with 4 view to arriving at
an agreed delimitation in accordance with international lav. [Text]
(BK151507 Singapore Domestic Service in English 1130 @m 15 Sep 60)

C80; 43200

‘CLARIN’ DISCUSSES LAW OF THE SEA CONFERENCE IMPLICATIONS
Buenoe Aires CLARIN in Spanish 5 Aug 80 p 10
[Editertial; “The New Law of the Sea)

[Text ) The UN Conference of the Law of the Sea is once again meeting in
Geneva. Since 197), the conference has been attempting to draw up 4 treaty
which will cover 411 aspecte of the subject in a unified way, including
classical aepects of the topic, immewations in the developing technology
and an updated look at etrategic problems.

The lengthy perioge of time devoted to ite deliberations by the conference
are attributable not only to ite extensive and important agenda but also to
the criterion that the new Law of the Sea be the product of the consensus
of the organized international community. To thie end, instead of votes,
the conference resorts to continuing negotiation of differences in emall

groups of expert delegates.

The subject which produced the greatest confrontations--e0 much eo that at
one point it threatened to compromise the results of the conference--was

the deep seabeds and the economic exploitation of the minerals which they
contain. The highly industrialized countries have developed the technologies
required to reach great depths and to vacuum up the “nodules,” which are
spherical clusters of setals, many of which are of strategic importance.
Similarly, induetrial processes to separate the metals have been developed,
ae @ preliminary step to the utilisation of that new and important source

of raw materials.

The conflict arises precisely out of the fact that the sea, beyond the limits
of national sovereignties, is considered by the United Nations to be the
common heritage of mankind. This arrived at through extension
of the prior concept of the open sea, which was applicable to navigation.
The fect is that in our time the oceans
nications and trade routes. Nations ere
are broadening their jurisdiction over areas
shore and over the biological and gineral resources to be found in their
wetere and submerged continental shelves. 011 from the seabed is being

extracted, ae in the case of the North Sea, through the association of several
countries, The United States hae authorized ite companies to legally engage
in mining in the deep seabedse, a unilateral decision which is considered
provisional until a universal etaendard ie substituted for it. And futuro=
logists are beginning to talk about “floating cities,” with thought being
given to the development of the platforms used for the extraction of of] in
order to accommodate town dwellers cut off from land (like dissident
@ivorities), who will perhape make claim to an area on the high sea on the
basie of their aquatic settlement.

However, it is not necessary to give such free rein to the flighte of our
imagination in order to point out the expectations being generated by the
oceans and the emerging tendency to appropriate thes, Because of this, the
Geneva Conference has an unquestioned importance, particularly for countries
with an extended coastline such ae our own, @ country, moreover, which since
the 1940's has been a pioneer in the definition of an updated Law of the
Sea.

The subject of the seabede is aleo significant because on the basis thereof
claims are being prepared by nations which have 4 right to share in the
resources of those seabeds and by others which, in addition, have the sodern
technologies to exploit them. And the subject lends iteelf to the creation
of a new and powerful international authority which would be responsible for
administering and harmonizing the rights of nations and companies in the
exploitation of ocean sinerale.

The equitable resolution of these points would be 4 substantial contribution
to the equilibrium of the new world which already can be discerned on the

ECUADOK

DECREE ISSUED REGULATING FOREIGN VESSELS' OPERATIONS
PAOL2109 Parie AFP in Spanish 1549 GMT 31 Aug 80

[Text) Quito, 3) Aug (AFPP)--The Ecuadorean Government has banned industrial
fishing by vessels with foreign {lage within a 60-nautical mile area both
around the mainland and the islands.

in order to safeguard the rational exploitation and conservation of the
fishing resources availabe in Ecuador's territorial waters, the govern-
ment has issued an executive decree setting several norms on fishing by
foreign vessels.

According to the document, foreign ships shall pay the following fees
to operate in Ecuador's territorial waters:

--§2,000 for a fishing license valid for one calendar year.

~-$160 per net registered ton for a fishing permit valid for one trip
pursuant to the bylaws of the law on fishing and fisheries development.

--No licenses or permits will be given foreign vessels of over 600 tons
of net registered hold.

~-Industrial fishing is banned for foreign vessels within a 60-nautical
mile area starting from the base lines used to measure the width of the
territorial sea for both the mainland and the islands.

Foreign vessels operating through rental contracts and/or in association
with fishing firms established in the country through authorizations
granted pursuant to the law on fishing and fisheries development shall be
exempt from these regulations.

MEXICO

BRIEFS

POLICY ON 200-MILE ZONE=-The Mexican Fisheries Department has announced
that Mexico will uphold its policy of absolute sovereignty over the rights
that it has in its 200=-mile exclusive economic sone for the exploration,
exploitation and conservation of ite natural marine resources. It aleo
announced that once foreign ships have accepted these regulations, the
government will continue to collect fees and [a percentage) of the catch
for fishing permite to commercially exploit certain species of (marine
life) in our territorial waters. The fishing department stated that
once these ships comply with the requirements established by presiden-
tial decree, the causes of the so-called tuna war between Mexico and

the United States--as recently described by certain international news
agencies--will disappear. [Text] [PA191455 Mexico City International
Service in Spanish 0300 GMT 19 Aug 80)

CSO: 5200

COLUMNIST STRESSES NEED TO PROTECT SEA INTERESTS
PA300407 Panama City MATUTINO in Spanish 27 Aug 80 p 4A
[Article by Harmodio lcasa: “Panama Paces the Sea” |

[Text] In December 1979, Rolando Anguizola published a study which
indicated that Panama needed to define the principles of ite maritime,
port and fishing policies. On inetructione of President Aristides Royo,
Anguizola organized a national conference to analyze the problem and
issue recommendations to establish those policies.

The event was held in May with the participation of officials, businessmen
and workers. Experts in thie field view the practical results of the
conference, which have been published in a pamphlet that includes all the
relevant documents, as the firet ecientific effort to discover the causes
of our maritime, port and fishing problems. The conference issued
realistic and accurate recommendations that can give Panama clear ideas

on policies to protect and develop ite maritime interests.

The conference's document also includes varnings on important matters
related with the protection of the environment. We are stressing this
today because we have already seen the urgent need to follow the recom
mendations of immediately establishing "...with the participation of all
sectors directly involved, the plan to prevent damages to the aquatic
ecosystem with epecific contingency programs in cases of serious pollution
caused by the spill of petroleum, chemical substances, radioactive
elements and so forth.” (Conference, recommendation 5).

It is evident that the conference produced material on existing problems
as wel as issued solutions, which, in aany cases, only require that a
higher authority iseve orders and demand that they be implemented. The
conference's documents include recommendations for well-grounded and
realistic general policies.

That is why I believe the executive branch should tamediately order the
chiefs of the public institutions directly involved in this field to

promote the implementation of the recommendations on specific subjects
and those which in the medium and long term will enable the Panamanian
people to obtain the maximum benefit from their seas, porte and fishing.

Someone should also take responsibility for the future of the Marine
Academy which regardless of all difficulties, without an operations

budget and without any other help but the charity of friends, continues
to graduate naval officers with great academic training. That inetitution
deserves a better fate.

cso: 5200

VANAMA

BRIEFS

CORRECTION IN SEA LAW==President Dr Aristides Royo informed the nation a
few weeks ago that his administration would strongly protest to the U.S.
Government for including the former Panama Canal zone in a law recently
approved by President Carter as being within U.S. territorial waters.
Panama's protest was not long in coming. As is public knowledge it was
both clear and severe and it pointed out the need to urgently correct

that situation because Panama felt that its sovereignty and the letter

of the Torrijos-Carter treaty had been violated. Meanwhile public opinion
groups took action, particularly in the papers, to voice support for the
Panamanian Government's attitude in demanding a correction. An official
reply has now been received from Washington. Both the White House and
the State Department have accepted the Panamanian proposals as appropriate,
announcing that what in Washington has been called "an unintentional
error” will soon be corrected. ([Editorial: “Timely Correction" |]
[Excerpt] [PA012156 Panama City LA REPUBLICA in Spanish 28 Aug 80 p 4A]

cso: 5200

URUGUAY

RECOGNITION OF 350-MILE CONTINENTAL SHELF SOUGHT
PY141999 Montevideo "adio El Espectador Network in Spanish 1600 GMT 14 Aug Bo

(Text) Uruguay is trying to obtain recogiition for its sovereigty over 350 alles of
continental shelf. hile statement had been meade to this radio station by the under secre-
tary for foreig: relations who will travel to Geneva today.

In Jeneva he will head the Uruguayan delegation to the Law of the Sea Conference. Uruguay,
which like other countries has sovereigity over 200 alles of sea, will now seek recogii-
tion for its sovereigty over 550 miles of contimente) shelf.

Under Secretary /ulio Cesar Lupinacet indicated that this is going to be one of the main
issues at the Geneva meeting.

(Begin Lupinace! recording) It has been said, and it is correct, that a8 long as the con-
tinental shelf maintains its geological continuity beyond the 200 miles off the coast and
up to the maximum of 550 miles, the states ghould be able to have sovereign so-
cess to ite resources.

Uruguay is one of the marginal [marginalista) states, that is to say that is has a broad
continental shelf which goes beyond 200 miles. This means that the furisdictional waters
extend to 200 miles from shore, but underneath, the seabed and subsoil geologically con-
tinue for approximately 600 miles. This can be scientifically established if necessary,
and what Uruguay is negotiating Sor is sovereign rigite to explore and exploit the
living and mineral resources of this area.

(Question) Uruguay wants rights over the subsoil’

{answer ) Of course; why not? Uruguay is one of the so-called marginal countries and has
been negotiating together with Argentine, Australia, Wew Zealand, Canada, the UK, Norway,
Ireland and the United Stetes, with whom we have coordinated joint positions aimed at
seeking recomiition of the sovereig: rigits which the coas*a] states have over the na-
tural extension of their territory under the ses. The sea floor and its subsoil are
geological extensions of the continent: It belongs to our country and we will exercise
our sovereig right to exploit its resources. [end recording)

CSO: 5200

MAURITANIA

FRENCH, SPANISH, KOREAN VESSELS SEIZED
London WEST AFRICA in English 8 Sep 80 p 1730

(Text) Nine foreign vessels have been seized by the Mauritanian author-
ities. Six are French, two Spanish and one is Korean. They are accused
of fishing illegally in Mauritanian territvrial waters, These consist of
a 70-mile official territorial waters and 130 miles which form the
Exclusive Economic Zone,

The six French boats are based in Dakar, The majority of the 95 crew
members are Senegalese and are still in Nouadhibou where the boats are
being kept. The six owners of the boats are under house arrest in Nouak-
chott where legal proceedings are currently underway. The crew members
have remained aboard their boats awaiting repatriation.

It .6 suggested that the nine boats are not affected by the most recent
measures announced by the Mauritanian Government which permits the
administration to confiscate any vessel found fishing illegally in
Mauritanian territorial waters. Previously the law required that any
confiscation would have to follow a court order. This is now no longer
necessary.

The new legislation has no retractive power and the nine vessels were
seized before the publication of the law,

At present no vessel is authorised to fish in Mauritanian territorial
watere unless it is based in Mauritania, Fishing licenses have not been
issued for two years because the government took exception to the excessive
exploitation of its waters by foreign companies which never landed or
reported their catch to the local authorities.

The new laws are very much in keeping with the PAO policy of helping in
the installation of joint venture companies which will bring together the
fishing processing sectors of the industry.

After iron, fishing is considered Mauritania's next major revenue earner.

CSO: 5200

LWP ERRATA LAR APPALAS

GUINEA-GUIMBA BISBAL TRRARITORIAL WATER DISPUTE DiscuBBED

Wewndon VERT AFRICA in tnglieh § fep 80 p L688

i i

Hite

Hick

shal

Hi a

i text!

; a Hl

ape}

ijt
ii

abe

—

Ate

Hite
i ;
; i: i
ete
ailithe
HE :

5200

rw:

PUTURE OF FIBHING INDUBTRY STUDIED
Abidjan PRATHRNITR-MATIN in Prenoh 26, 29, 30, 31 Jul, 1 Aue 80

Pive~-part series Sophie Chegaray: “What Ie the Puture of the Ivorian
iehine 2453.

[ae Jui 80, pp 19-20)

[Text] With ite $00 Kilometers of coastline, Ivory Coast
would appear to be « privileged country from a marine
resources viewpoint. From the etandpoint of the moet
elementary of all marine exploitetions, however, things
are going badly: The ‘s leading trawling vessel
operator, Shipownere , has recentiy
filed @ statement of bahkruptcy, and the operetore
are pessimistic about their futures.

Gn the other hand, fieh ie the leading source of animal
protein in the Ivorian population's diet. Fiehing, more-
over, provides employment directly or indirectly to
60,000 workers.

A maritime country the Ivory Cosest certainly is, with ite wide sea frontier
extending over a distance of $00 Kilametere and representing one-fourth of
ite totel boundaries.

Since the léch and 17th centuries, the scocounte of the great navigatore have
evoked Genes of strapping young men, inhabitants of the coast, for whor
the Goean and ite violent surf presented no obstecie whatever to fishing.
But for excellent foot-fishing in Ivory Coest, it was lees than necessary
to mane the fifticult rousing of the sand bei, because the lagoon wee
, Offering ite vast expanse of cale water sbounding in fish, Por the
~ Bane Aho — > hp —. has always represented one
of theic main staples.

And as trade and communications developed, the taste for thie nutritious
food epread throughout the country.

Per Capita Consumption: 24 Kilos

The iverian has HOw become 4 Great Consumer of Tish: In 1979, national
consumption totaled 165,000 tone, of 24 kilos per person per year. By com-
parieon, in Prance, 4 country with @ high cate of Fish consumption, the
annual per Capita fate ie 17? kilos per inhabitant.

why the ivorians’ taste for Fish? Simply the feet that Ivory Coast hee
only very recently begun to take an interest in developing 4 livestock
industry. te meat, until just @ few years ago, came mainly from the
Sahel, 86 that the country found iteelf directly affected by Sahelian
droughts. The result wae thet the consumption of fish inereased consider -
ably, actually to the point of replacing meat from the Sahel.

Over the past } of 4 years 4 major effort in aid has been provided to
develop ite livestock industry, especially poultry. But chicken in the
average household food basket represents a luxury a8 compared with fish
(1,200 france per kilo against 300 france for fish). Thus, annual meat
consumption remains only half a8 much as fish consumption, even though
it is inereasing from year to year (fish consumption, which was 26 kilos
in 1976, i now 24 kilos).

Fish thus continues to be part of the basic nutrition of the Ivorian. Ite
function ie indispensable at the more disadvantaged levels of the popule-
tion.

While it may seem contradictory in view of Ivory Coast's long marine coast-
line, it cemaine a disadvantaged country from the standpoint of fishing.
The fect is thet ite continental shelf, that is, the netural exten-
sion of the continent into the ooean, and ite privileged fishing ground, is
extremely slender, varying in width from 11 to 20 nautical miles out from
the shore, whereas Senegal's continental shelf extends out 50 miles,
Mauritenia’s 7° miles, Republic of Guinea's 110 miles, and South Africa's
190 miles.

But even worse is the fact that the watere in thie region are naturally
poor. This is owing to the weak upwellings, those upwerd flows of cold
water that bring up matter rich in nitrites, nitrates, phosphates and other
sources of productivity.

Por, these mineral salte nourish the plankton which in turn nourishes the
fish, thie being the cycle of marine life. Mow then, in countries like
Mauritania and South Africa, upwellings continue throughout the 12 monthe
of the year; in Senegal they last throughout at least 10 months. Unfor-
tunately for Ivory Coast, however, they occur only during 4 of the 12

monthe iJuly, August, Geteber, November), 60 that the sea there is, gener~
ally speaking, poor in animal and vegetable plankton and, a8 4 consequence,
poor in fish,

Added to this are ecological phenomena with whieh man is totally unable to
cope. Por example, Sinee 1972, the round sardine (sardinella autita) has
almost entirely disappeared from ivorian-Ghanaian waters: compared with
catches totaling 10,000 tone annually before 1972, the sardine fishermen
how farely attain more than 4 total of 1,000-2,000 tons a year. te this
phenomenon owing to overemploitation of these waters? It is «4 plausible
hypothesie which it has not yet been possible, however, to demonstrate.

Poot Fishing watere

The herring (eardinelia eba) hae survived and constitutes today the essen-
tial cateh of the sardine fishermen,

While the round sardine was disappearing, another animal species began to
proliferate: the balistidae, better known as “leather fish,” which the
fishermen reject at sea for reasons that are clearly expressed by their

peeudonym.

We note, however, that the Ghanaians, stronger-jawed no doubt, consume the
balistidae all the same.

In any Case, the phenomenon shows how fragile and capricious nature can be:
the aquatic ecosystem proceeds from an admirable balance between the fauna
and the flora, in which each species survives and reproduces despite the
aggressions of the other epecies. But this balance can be totally
the hand of man: As long as fishing remains an art, it effects no
modifications on the ecosystem, but as soon as the operation becomes indus~-
trialiszed and systematized it can cause absolute upsets and lead to the
depopulation, perhaps irreversible, of ocean waters.

A Fragile Balance

The fishing effort that a continental shelf can support is 4 oa tion
that can and must be precisely arrived at. According to the CRO | Goeano-
graphic Research Center], this effort for Ivorian waters comes to 10,000 of
15,000 tone of sardines and 5,000 tone of trawlable fish per year. It is
evident, therefore, that the Ivorian waters have been (at least in the
past) overexploited and that their current poverty is the direct conse-

quence of this.

On the other hand, they are no longer being overexploited today, in thet
the large fishing vessels are going out to more distant waters to fish.
Worked only by emall boats, the Ivorian continental shelf fishing effort
today does not exceed 5,000 tone of trawlable fish and 10,000 tons of
sardines.

Particularly devastating 18 c@ean=bottom trawling, Consisting of 4 system=
atic seraping of the bottom of the continental shelf with the trawinet,
thus actually destroying the aquatic environment and hence the reproductive
process. This teehnique, long veed by the loeal shipowners, ie fortunately
tending to be abandoned in favor of deep trawling (in whieh the trawinet
merely shims the bottom) and midwater trawling (at depths substantially
below the surface but substantially above the bottom).

The Directorate of Marine and Lagoon Pishing is tending strongly to favor
the latter two techniques. The change is being brought about easily, since
ocean=bottom trawling has beoome rather unprofitable.

The Fishing Port: Improvement and Bupansion Plane

The creation of the fishing port is relatively recent in that it dates back
only to 196),

The fact is that when the port of Abidjan was opened in 1950, fishing in
Ivory Coast was still being done on @ mere artisanal scale. Carried on by
fishermen in pirogues aiong the coast or in the lagoon, it did not justify
apecial installations or equipment.

The first fishing port was placed in service in 1955 with a dock 150 meters
long and an auction shed.

Work on the present fishing port started in 1961 and was completed in 196).
it was only from then on that industriel fishing was able to get under way.

Today, the fishing port consiste of 1,050 meters of docks equipped with
water, electricity and a gasoil fueling station. It includes 6,400 square
meters of space for sorting and grading and actioning of catch, a8 well as
45,000 equare meters of operations buildings equipped with telephone and
telex services.

Hed a number of fishing fleet operators not discontinued their activities,
the fishing port would now be too email. But the situation is such that
for the moment it suffices.

ite installations and equipment, however, are rather timeworn. This is why
the Port Authority has decided to renovate the lighting and electric power
installations of the docks. The euction room will aleo be rehabiliteted.
These projects are in progress. In any event, in case of recovery of the
fishing industry, the present installations could be enlarged thanks to «
glassed-in landing stage and refueling station built on as an extension of
the tuna dock.

Lastly, @ second fishing port is being planned as part of the Locodjro
port expansion project.

Fishing Righte Agreements: With Whom?

in view of the ineufficieney of ite own Continental shelf, what can Ivory
Coast do to meet ite needs in fresh fish?

ite only possibility is to seek the fish it needs in foreign waters by way
of negotiated fishing tights. But thie requires that ite “brother coun-
tries” agree to the sharing involved,

Deep sea fish exist in abundance, for the reasons cited above, in the
southern intertropical sone at the level of the Congo, Angola and Namibia,
a6 well a8 above the 10th parallel north, that is, off of Sierra Leone, the
two Guineas, Senegal, Mauritania and the former Spanish Gahara; the Guif
of Guinea is on the whole very poor.

Until now, the only real agreement the government has been able to nego-
tiate has been with Senegal: “Senegal is 1,100 nautical miles away,” Mr
Roger, @ shipowner, explains. “1,100 nautical miles is for the big vessels;
the fuel cost is too high for the Little ones.”

Guinea-Conakry has aleo issued a few fishing Licenses recently to Ivorian
operators. But Guinea, like Senegal, is also too far away for the smaller
vessels, the more 80 Since these fishing licenses represent a heavy expense
to the operators.

"We continue talking of agreements with Guinea as the magic answer,” Mr
Roger says further. “True, 20 years ago, off the coast of Guinea, we used
to get wonderful catches. But are fish still plentiful in those waters?
Very recently, we obtained fishing permits from Conakry, but our catches
there have been very disappointing.”

Guinea, Like Angola, has granted a fishing monopoly in its waters to the
Russian, Cuban, Bulgarian, Romanian, Polish and other vessels. Bquipped
with enormous factory ships, the Russians, not to mention the others, are
carrying on intensive fishing operations there, providing another example
of overexploitation leading to the impoverishment of fishing resources.

Meanwhile, the Ivory Coast's trawler and sardine fishing industry is dying.
The scarcity of fish is one reason. But other economic phenomena are conm-
bining with these ecological problems to render the situation highly
precarious.

[29 Jui 80, p 16)

Sewn! Trawler and sardine fishing is in trouble. The
ing local shipowner, Lucas, after having operated for
25 years in ivory Coast, filed a bankruptcy statement in

March, and the Fishing Vessel Shipowners Association
states that 50 percent of ite members are in 4 very
Giffieult situation: further decommissionings are
moreover continuing.

The scearcity of fishing resources in Ivorian waters and
the difficulties being experienced by Ivorian shipowners
in Obtaining fishing licenses in nearby watere are con-
tributing to the situation, But these are not new
factors. What has been as sudden, however, a6 it is
crushing, is the diesel oil] price inerease...

Diesel oi] represents a very significant portion ~~ around 30 percent — of
the industrial fishing activities budget. For Ivorian operatorée, no econo-
mies are possible in this respect, since the fish must be gone after wher-
ever it can be found.

The price of diesel oil has risen steeply within a period of 1 year: from
30.50 france per liter in January 1979 to 40.85 franes in April, to 64
francs in October, to 72.25 frances in January 1980: 4 successive increases
totaling 110 percent in 1 year. For the industrial fishing sector, this
cost jump had the formidable effect of a sledge hammer biow.

No More Subsidy

What is more, it was during this price upsweep that the government decided
to discontinue the fuel subsidy it had been granting to the various produc-
tive sectors. Started in 1974, this fvel subsidy of 6.15 france per liter
was very appreciable, in that until Pebruary 1979 it had represented a

30 percent reduction in the cost of fuel for fishing vessel operations.
Thus when this subsidy was discontinued, the fishing fleet owners and
operators were subjected to a fuel cost increase not of 110 percent but of
137 percent in the apace of 1 year.

Why did the government decide to halt this subsidization? Because in the
government's view, it was merely a subterfuge that camouflaged actual
prices. Productive enterprises must price realistically.

It will be recalled that in October 1979 the eect [Ivory Coast Electric
Power Company | subjected its customers to a rate in crease of 20 percent
on the electricity they consumed: the fuel price increase was thus passed
on to the consumers.

Collapsing Prices
At that point, the price of fish should have gone up by an amount propor-
the

tional to the cost increases being borne by fishing fleet operators.
Instead, fish prices remained virtually stationary (they increased only 10

percent)=-not because the producers wanted it 80, but simply because, for
some time now, they have found themselves competing desperately against
imported fish,

Fiehed by the big Russian, Bulgarian of Polish factory ships off the Afri-
Can Coasts, frozen fish have invaded the Ivorian market at prices defying
ail competition. For, these national fleets from the Bast do not operate
aceording to the same profit and loss criteria as private fleets: For them,
the acquisition of foreign currency is the paramount reason for the sale
of the fish; the fact ia that they always demand payment in dollars.

But is the acquisition of hard currency the sole objective being pursued by
those fleets? At 50 of 60 france per kilo, the price of this imported fish
is a “dumping” price; in other words, a price capable of collapsing the
market.

Paced by the enormous rise in fuel cost, the Ivorian operators, with a base
price of 100 france per kilo, cannot compete unless their catches are big.
How then are they to cope with this frozen fish competition?

We should point out that Ivory Coast aleo buys large quantities of frozen
fish from Senegal. But this fish, even though it is considerably cheaper
than fresh fish, is far from reaching the dumping prices of fish “from the
Bast.” It is virtually considered local fish, since it pays no custome
import duties.

A Social Problem

What is likely to be the outcome of this foreign competition? By destroy-
ing prices, the massive injection of imported fish is endangering the local
fishing industry. The question is: Once having driven the latter into
bankruptcy and remained master of the market, will imported fish remain at
such @ low price? It is wnlikely: The Bast is as thoroughly femiliar as
the West with the law of supply and demand!

But there is a still more serious danger: Suppose Ivory Coast were to find
itself being supplied with fish exclusively by the Soviet bloc, and that
all of a sudden the latter decided to abandon the Ivorian market. What
then? The population would find itself suddenly deprived of animal
proteins at affordable prices: The disadvantaged social strata would be
the first to suffer from it.

While it may seem a bit exaggerated to speak of a destabilizing threat at
this point, there is in any case the cisk of becoming dependent on foreign
sources for food--a risk that the country cannot permit itself to incur.

Be that as it may, Ivory Coast is paying a high price for its imported fish
in the outpour of herd currency involved. In 1979, these imports totaled
9 billion CPA france--a sum that was fortunately attenuated to some extent
by exports of canned tuna (6 billion CPA france in 1979).

The problem is serious, for the fact ia that the collapse of the market is
alceady in progress: The cold storage warehouses are filled to the point
of bursting with frogen fish and the foreign factory ships are compelled
to wait up to 10 days at times at the dock to unload a8 soon a8 space
becomes available in the warehouses to be filled up again.

And when the Ivorian trawlers and sardine boats return to port they find it
hard to sell their catch: Preah fish, at four times the price of frozen
fieh, has to be highly prised indeed to sell! Por the middlemen, the
difference is quite substantial, and they prefer to deal in frozen fish,
which brings them greater profits.

Moreover, fresh fish cannot stand to wait in this climate: If not sold as
soon a8 unloaded, it begine to go stale. The operators are then compelled
to dispose of it at ridiculous prices to the REAL Company, which converts
it to fish meal.

Fresh Fish: How Fresh?

What indeed is the quality of the fish brought in by the trawlers after 18
or 20 days at sea?

It appears that this fish, despite the fact that it has not even been

Cleaned, nevertheless preserves an acceptable market quality. “This is

Owing to the fact that the biological process of fish are adapted to the

temperatures of the environment in which they live. Those of the cold sea

species are adapted to temperatures between +2° C and +6° C. The physiolo-

gigs of the warm sea species are adapted to temperatures between +25° C and
Cc.

“Freezing or refrigeration of the trawler holds keeps their ambient temper-
ature at between 0° C and +2° C. The difference is very slight for cold
water fish but very substantial for tropical species (23°-25° at least).
The bacterial flora, the enzymes and the chemical processes of deteriora-
tion are thus hindered and the start of their action considerably slowed
down.

"But what is certain is that the lack of cleanliness of the wooden auction
crates, which are never disinfected, and the excessive time the fish stays
on the aution floor (from 1800 to 0700 hours the next morning) at a temper-
ature of 40° C, are harmful to its quality of freshness.” The foregoing is
quoted from a study carried out in 1979 by the Technical Consultations
Office of the SCET [Central Company for Territorial Equipment | Internation-
al on the auction operation of the Abidjan fishing port.

In Prance, public health rules and regulations stipulate that fish may not
remain in a refrigerated hold more than 10 days to preserve its marketable
degree of freshness.

The only way to avoid ftewartming the fish, the study points out, would be to
"“tranefer it immediately upon unloading it into an aif G@ Wditioned building
kept at +10° C, where all sorting and auctioning operations would be car
ried out.”

Currently, sanitary control of fish after it is unloaded is exercised by
the Directorate of Marine and Lagoon Pishing. When fish is “doubtful” it
is dipped in methylene blue and in this way marked as being unfit for
human consumption.

This, however, does not prevent the frequent appearance of “blue' fish in
the marketplaces...

Progen Fish As a Backup

To rescue the local fishing industry means tak.og steps in regard to
imported fish: This, after all, is the principle of protectionism that
Ivory Coast currently applies in many other sectors.

It is of course out of the question to stop all imports, since domestic
production cannot satisfy the national demand. But imported fish must be
considered a backup, and as such severely conditioned: This will require
Close coordination between the Ministry of Animal Production and the Minis-
try of Commerce. The Directorate of Marine and Lagoon Fishing is there to
provide the needed fishing statistics: It is based specifically on these
Statistics that the needed imports could be quantified. Supply and demand
would thus be brought into balance, and prices, as 4 result, stabilized.

Halt the Sinking

In 1978, there were 25 trawlers; today, there are no more than 17 in opera-
tion and the shipowners do not hide the fact of their uneasiness: “If our
creditors were to become demanding,” they say, “half of us would be forced
to discontinue operations.” The most recent reports indicate that nine
more vessels have been decommissioned.

In supplying 40,000 tons of fish a year (19,152 tons of sardines and 16,656
tons of trawlable fish in 1979), the trawler and sardine fishing industry
fulfills an economic role that cannot be neglected: In fact, it covers one-
third of our national needs of this food staple, provides a livelihood to
2,000 seamen, and directly or indicectly generates more than 60,000 jobs.

Ivory Coast is not the only country to be experiencing hard times in this
sector of production. Most of the Buropean countries characterized by a
fishing tradition are being compelled to aid their shipowners: In Prance,
in Great Britain, in Spain, public subsidies (fuel allowances, investment
assistance, etc...) are being granted to the fishing industry to keep them
in operation.

It is a matter of 4 political choice.

(Text) The fishing industry is having @ difficult time
of it. The leading local shipowners, the Lucas Company
files bankruptcy proceedings last month, and the Fishing
Shipowners Association states that 50 percent of its
member owners and operatore are in financial trouble.

The paucity of fish in Ivorian waters and the problems
the shipowners and operators are having in getting fishing
licenses in waters close enough to Ivory Coast are at the
base of their difficulties. But other factors have
exacerbated the situation: the upward soom of diesel oil
prices--137 percent in 1 year--and the competition from
frozen fish imports from the Bastern European countries,
which are seriously endangering the Ivorian trawler and
sardine fishing industry.

Although Ivory Coast is a disadvantaged country as regards its continental
shelf fishing resources, it enjoys on the other hand a privileged position
in regard to deep-sea fishing. This is again the result of ecological
phenomena: Tuna is in fact a migratory fish that lives in the high seas and
migrates seasonally within a sone extending from Senegal (the region of
Principe Island, Annobon, etc...) to the Guinea Dome (out from Conakry).

Ivory Coast therefore finds iteelf in a rather central position with respect
to this zone of action.

This favorable position is reflected especially in the Abidjan port's
traffic: “Besides the Ivorian tuna fleet,” explains Dr Luc Koffi, head of
the Directorate of Ocean and Lagoon Pishing, “the port of Abidjan harbors
the French tuna fleet during most of the year. Since 1974, Abidjan has
tended to supplant Dakar in this respect: In 1978, the Franco-Ivorian fleet
unloaded 61 percent of their catches at Abidjan versus 16 percent at Dakar.”

Africa's Leading Tuna Port

Almost 500 tuna ships a year of all registries--Chinese, American, Panama-
nian, Senegalese, but mostly Moroccan and Spanish--transit the Ivory Coast,
making of Abidjan Africa's leading tuna traffic port. Added to these tuna
fishing vessels are the refrigerator ships that come to load frozen tuna
that has been warehoused by SOGIP ion unknown] (storage capacity at
=-20°C is 12,000 tons) and by SOGEF [ expansion unknown], a smaller company
(1,500 tons at -20° c).

A rather recent Ivory Coast activity, tuna fishing has grown in just a few
years: In 1976, the local fleet consisted of 5 ships; today it totale 6,
and within 2 months it will total 10 ships.

Just three shipowner enterprises share this sector of activity:

=~-BIPAR [expansion unknown |, in whieh the state is the majority shareholder,
owne five modern tuna fishing vessels, of which the two smallest are
Curtently up for sale, and has ordered a tuna supership, 70 meters long and
equipped with a heliport, which is scheduled for delivery within 1 of 2
monthe,

--8MLG [expansion — owns two tuna ships and is momentarily awaiting
delivery of a third one, 70 meters long.

--Oceanic Armament owns only one ship, but a large one (72 meters long),
which seems to be the most viable anewer since the larger catches it
accommodates help to offset the higher fuel costs, fuel comprising nearly
30 percent of the shipowner's costes.

With modern fleets and a rather substantial investment plan (a 70-meter
tuna ship costs between 1.5 and 2 billion CPA francs), the tuna fishing
industry seems to be reasonably prospering.

“Nevertheless,” says Dr Luc Koffi, “it too is experiencing difficulties
Owing to the fuel cost increase. Confronted by French and Spanish shipown-
ers that are subsidized by their respective governments, the Ivorian
shipowners find it hard to compete.

“This is why we are currently studying ways and means of helping our ship-
owners to hold their own.”

By agreement, the price of tuna is reviewed twice a year and account taken
of the cost increases borne by the shipowners. Their total production is
bought by SOVETCO [expansion unknown ], a French cooperative, of which the
Ivorian tuna shipowners and operators are members.

A World of Secrets

Tuna fishing is by no means artisanal. It is carried on today by quite
sophisticated fishing methods: Banks (let us not forget that tuna is a
migratory fish) are detected by radar and fishing is done with seining
ships 30 to 70 meters long and equipped with encircling seine nets often
2 kilometers long and several hundred meters high.

Through the use of such equipment, catches can | al--sometimes as
much as 500 tons of fish in a single casting of u.« . However, 10 to
15 tons per casting is more usual.

Tuna fishing is a world of silence...among the men: Each shipowner has his
favorite fishing spots and his own charts of the ocean bottom, which he
keeps secret to himself. Thanks to the improved navigational equipment
with which modern tuna fishing vessels are provided, fertile sites can be
accurately pinpointed and returned to each year at the proper time.

A Substantial Contribution

The unloadings and transhipments effected by the international tuna fleet
play an important part in the activity of the port of Abidjan: These tuna
ships use the port's refrigeration facilities, take on supplies of food and
diesel fuel, have repairs made in the docks and local naval shops, besides
paying harbor, merchandise and other taxes,

According to De Lue Koffi, these expenditures come to at least 3 million
frances CPA per ship per call. At the rate of 10 port calls per ship, the
number of ships regularly using the port of Abidjan being some 400, some
12 billion frances CPA are brought into the Ivorian public coffers annually
by the Abidjan tuna port.

Aside from this contribution of exchange, the presence of these tuna ships
provides direct «employment for over 300 dockers who are assigned full time
to servicing the tuna. Local ii...etries linked to the tuna fishing activ-
ity employ around 2,000 additional persons.

Contribution in Hard Currency

SOVETCO markets frozen tuna internationally and supplies the two local
tinning plants.

Of the 80,000 tons of tuna that transit Ivory Coast, around 30,000 tons are
processed on the spot and exported. Canned tuna provides the country with
an appreciable amount of hard currencies (6 billion in 1979), offsetting
most of its frozen fish imports:

--Installed and operating since 1962, scopI [expansion unknown], formed by
the French group Saupiquet et Graciet, has a capacity of 150 tons a day,
enabling it to process 22,000 tons of fish a year. A major investment
effort undertaken during 19786 and 1979 resulted in a 50 percent increase

of its capacity.

--Peche et Froid de Cote d'Ivoire, a subsidiary of the company of the same
name nastalled at Boulogne-sur-mer (France), is of very recent origin,
having been inaugurated in 1976. With a capacity of 75 tons a day, it can
process 6,000 tons of fish a year.

Thus, with a total capacity of 30,000 tons a year, Ivory Coast occupies the
world's second place, after Japan, as an exporter of canned tuna. We must
point out that additional canning plants are in the planning stage, attest-
ing the good health of this industrial sector.

Basic Food Problem Remains

The tuna fishing industry is thus a cather prosperous sector within a
fishing industry environment that is in trouble on the whole and that Ivory
Coast has every interest in protecting, indeed developing, through incisive
measures,

Nevertheless, the tuna fishing industry is situated on the margin of the

general Ivorian fishing industry problem, in that it is oriented toward the
export market. It cannot therefore resolve the problems of self-sufficien-
cy in food that would be posed our trawling and sardine fishing industries

disappear.

The two sectors (tuna fishing and trawlable fishing) put on the same foot-
ing, and under no conditions can the tuna industry ever be considered a
possible substitute for the fresh fish industry that must supply our
national food needs.

{31 Jul 80, PP 10-11]

[Text] Opposite the natural poverty of the Ivorian
continental shelf in fishing resources, opposite the
difficulties being encountered by its fishing industry
by way of rising fuel prices, Ivory Coast must devote
itself to finding new solutions to ite fish supply
problem.

The country is endowed with an exceptional potentiality
@onsisting of ite vast bodies of lagoonal waters, cover-
ing some 150,000 hectares on the whole, in which aqui-
cultural methods have been tested and which are capable
of being put into production.

Fishing in inland waters is an activity as old as the Ivorian soil itself.
The Ebrie, Aby, Tagba, Aghien and other lagoons are bodies of calm waters
abounding in fish, which the lagoonal populations have always exploited,
at least by means of very rudimentary methods. Certain of these lagoons,
however, are now showing signs of overexploitation leading to an impover-
ishment in terms of their fish and crustacean resources.

Despite the current diminution of their stocks, these bodies of lLagoonal
waters can very easily be exploited in a rational manner through agqui-
culture.

Ivory Coast's 150,000 hectares of lagoons offer a number of natural
Characteristics that lend themselves perfectly to aquiculture: these expan-
ses of water are actually very calm generally; tie prevailing winds from

the Southwest sector ate barely able to faise @ slight Choppiness, the more
eo inasmuch a6 they are generally net very wide (eneept for the Aby lagoon,
none of them emoeeds 4 kilometers in width at any point), Their beds,
Consisting of send and the fremaine of shelis, are not very deep, making it
quite easy to @onstivet vast enclosures, And lastiy, the hydrologic
Conditions of these lagoons are known and stable: Aside from the lagoons
subject to inflows of fresh water (from fivers) or Of sea water (like the
Bbtie lagoon around Abidjan), the legoonal waters show virtually fo season-
ai vatiations,

To faise fish by intensive aquicultural methods requires le. ge quantities
of hutfitional resources, without which aquiculture would be prohibitive
from the profitability standpoint,

it 60 happens that in ivory Coast the residues of agroindustrial processes
are poorly of not at ail exploited: for instance, cottonseed cake, palm-nut
Cate, co@onut cake, Sugar Cane molasses, banana sorting waste; more than

100,000 tons of feed could be recovered from these agroindustrial residues.

Around Abidjan, many factories have been set up in the past few years to
produce animal feed: IVOGRAIN (61PRA) in Yopougon, DOMAR in Abadjin Route,
in Bey and in Abobo-Route, are establishments capable of producing feeds
of all tinds according to desired formulas.

Aquicuiture fish can also be fed directly with these industrially made
products, at least those fieh having 4 high market walue. Here we have an
economic argument in favor of developing aquiculture in ivory Coast.

"Minister's Fish” Piret

Por years, the CRO [Oceanographic Research Center) has been working on the
biology of a highly prized fish that would lend itself to aquicuiture as
well, namely, the jawfieh. The CROs research efforts have been centered

on its reproduction (indvoed laying of eggs, artificial reproduction), the
determinant factor in this method of breeding.

At Grand-Lahow, 4 very reliable and profitable technique for fattening jaw-
fish, on the other hand, has been developed by
jawfich, in thie instance, are bought from the

around 60 gtame each, placed in enclosures and fed a balanced
formula. In @ of 10 months, these fish weigh each

on the fish stands in markets (at 1,500 france per kilo fresh, and 3,000
france per tilo emoted). Let us not pt
Gish that i¢ siways on the menu for any Ivor
called the “minister's fish.”

:
:

At Jacqueville, with financing from the Ministry of Animal Production, a
stocking Station was build in 1978. Jawfish eggs collected from the lagoon
are incubated at the station and the fry are fed until they reach a sige
at which they can be released into the enclosure.

Thus, the faising of jawlish shows signs of promising results, provided,
of Course, it becomes possible to exploit indveed reproduction methods
that have yet to be perfeeted, barely opening the doors to industrial
aquicuiture,

Tilapia Basily Raised

The lagoon Carp (tilapia) is another fish on whieh Ivory Coast is placing
great hopes a6 regards aquiculture, It is moreover a fish that is being
easily faised in ponds throughout Africa, and whose feeding and reproduec-
tion are well known techniques,

it shows great tolerance to salinity, and a marketable sized fish can be
obtained in 6 months of intensive raising.

Binoe 1976, tests have been conducted on raising of carp in floating cages.
The first trials effected at Mopoyem (near Dabou), then at Bingerville,
gave satisfactory results: Simple cages can be built at a cost of about
40,000-60,000 frances by inexperienced persone. The cost of proper feeding
is also reasonable: to produce 1 kilo of carp requires 120 france of feed.

Sold on the local market at 600 francs per kilo, lagoon carp appears to
have a promising future.

First Stage: Artisanal Aquicuiture

As a first step, the government would like to develop artisanal aquiculiture
among the lagoonal populations. This would actually be an incentive to
Village youths to stay in their own localities, by enabling them to earn
appreciable incomes, at the same time that it restored to villages a self-
sufficiency in food that had been compromised by impoverishment of the
lagoon.

The governmental program, which would have been launched this year if
budgetary restrictions had not intervened, will consist of training youths
in artisanal aquiculture, helping them set up their own operation, and
providing them with specialized technical help.

This popularization effort, which will be conducted by the Aquiculture
Service of the Directorate of Marine and Lagoon Fishing, will center on

the technique of floating cages and on tilapia, since the induced reproduc-
tion techniques have been perfected for this species; the aquiculturers
will, of course, handle the fattening process, while the reproduction
remains in the hands of specialized centers.

The raising of jawfish, which is more of a problem, will be only gradually
extended to selected favorable sites.

The aquiculturers will in all eases be en@ouraged to form cooperatives to
facilitate financing, operations, and the marketing of their products,

industrial Parme for Higher Produetion Levels

The development of artisanal aquiculture will not impede the development of
industrial aquicultural farms capable of supplying larger town and city
markets,

The first such farm has already been built, in 1979, at Bapo (sub-prefecture
of Jacqueville) by British Petroleum Parme on a purely private investment
basis. Its objective is to produce, within } years from now, 500 tons a
year of tilapia (lagoon carp) on 4 total investment of 200 million frances
CPA, tte current production is 150 tons; thie will be doubled next year.

Unoertainties 8till Abound

it would be tempting to say: "Let us forge ahead with aquicuiture, with an
intensive development of this economic form of animal production.”

But the fact is that this potential is still clouded by many uncertainties.
it is at the stage of production of the fry that much has yet to be done in
the way of research and development before large-scale aquiculture can be
seriously considered. in this regard, it appears that the research effort
is loosely dispersed, with the CRO, under the Ministry of Scientific
Research, in one corner of the arena, and the Ministry of Animal Production
creating its own research structures in another.

This is unfortunate. What is needed is an effectively coordinated effort,
the more 60 since the research that has been done so far has failed in every
way to attain any objective: for example, nothing is known yet of the patho-
logy of the tilapia or of the jawfish, although it appeare quite certain
that an animal conoentration inevitably involving mass phenomena will some

day of other pose pathological probleme.

There is also the problem of pollution which can cause enormous losses in
aquiculture operations. This pollution could as easily come from Abidjan
(ueban pollution) as from farming activities (insecticides); it could even
come from unlawful fishing methods (some fishermen catch fish by poisoning
them).

Before undertaking a large-scale aquicultural action, it appears necessary,
therefore, that all up and down the line there be general coordination and
that the natural environment be thoroughly mastered. The catastrophe that
occurred last yeat in the Ebrie legoon, inexuplicably causing the death of
@ major portion of the fish populating that lagoon, is @ pointed example
of the fragility of the lagoonal ecosysten,

Offefing a8 4t deee aden able and pethaps ianenhe potentialities, muieul
ture Should thus be Viewed, [fom the heat-term® Standpoint, a8 @ Comp Lement
of marine fishing, Ae things now Stand, however, it Cannot at all be
thought of a8 «a Substitute for the latter, Tt would therefore be folly
to Gay: “Why save marine fishing when we have aquieulture?”

Diversification of tesourees is, a8 ivory Coast knows, the best economic
safeguard: Aquiculture a8 a complement of marine fishing, yes; a6 a
Substitute, nol

The Lagoons: A Highly Productive Bnvitonmental Resource That Must fe
Preserved

Very little is known a8 yet about the lagoons, those unique and highly
productive environments situates at the junctions between sea waters and
fresh waters, As an cxample of their productivity, 10,000 tons of fish and
Ctustaceans ate taken cach yeat from the Bbrie Lagoon alone,

Owing to the intensification of fishing activity and, above ali, to the use
of modern equipment=-more efficient and at times even murderous of the
young=-it became indispensable to consider a more rational exploitation of
their stocks,

At the Ivorian government's request, a study of the Bbrie lagoon fisheries
was therefore undertaken in 1974 and a data gathering network was put into
operation to study the dynamic of the species being exploited.

ivory Coast is especially well provided with lagoonal brackish environments,
in that its lagoons extend for 300 kilometers along ite coast and cover an
area of the order of 1,200 square kilometers. They are environments chatac-
terized by complex ecosystems subject to the conjugate influences of inland
and marine waters: They are in fact products at one and the same time of the
coastal of Sudanese river systems and of the size and natural or artificial
Otigins of the Links between these systems and the oceanic environment.

These tropical brackish environments are extremely important to 4 number of
human activities: communications, trade, fishing, tourism. Yet, they had
never until recently been the object of systematic and extensive studies,
even though it was these self-same activities that had brought about the
concentrations of population along the coast, a gradual urbanization, and
by way of consequence, various effects upon the environment. This evolution
is especially characteristic of and strikingly clear in the case of the
Pbtie lagoon, which was provided with an artificial outlet to the sea, the
Vridi canal, and around which the Abicjan agglomeration developed rapidly.
it therefore became necessary to bridge the knowledge gap, and this was the
reason for instituting an Ebrie Lagoon research program in 1973, which was
intensified in succeeding years to the point where in 1979 it represented
more than half the research activity of Abidjan’s CRO.

The Thieat of Pollution

The ivoty Coast's lagoonal environments, and especially that of the Bbrie
lagoon, are the volleeting places of pollutants from agricultural (fertili:
gera, insecticides), industrial and domestic sources, the magnitude of
which is inereasing from year to yeat at an alarming rate. The effeet of
these pollutants is clearly a threat to the ecological balance of the
lagoons and to their productivity. It has therefore become a matter of
urgeney to Study the effects of these pollutants and to institute remedivs
if necessary.

The CRO has thus been charged with cartying out basic research on lagoon
ecology in all sectors, whether of not they are subject to pollution, with
assessing the effecte of any pollution on the various aspects of organic
production, and with recommending the corrective steps to be taken, The
research is being carried by a mixed team of oceanographers and hydrobiole-
gists, with the collaboration of geologists and sociologists. Por example,
its socioeconomic aspect began with a monoygraphic study of a villaye to
identify the various social factors that enter into the fishing domain. it
involved a Comparison of fishing activities with agricultural activities

in this ceaspect, a8 well as an analysis of the use of modern devices as
compared with traditional methods, and their respective consequences.
Extended to several villages and representative settlements, this study
was able to identify a certain antagonistic Situation among artisanal,
collective and individual fishing activities, and a competitive situation
between farming and fishing activities. In sum, this study enabled a
delineation of fishing zones, to the extent possible, as a function of the
methods in use therein, and a clearer insight into the social role of
fishing in village life.

[i Aug 80, p 15)

‘Dext) Why oceanography? What are the reasons that impel
humanity to know and understand the oceans? To these ques-
tions, an obvious answer: the oceans cover 71 percent of our
planet and they constitute, by virtue of that simple fact,

@ colossal reservoir of resources of all kinds: food,
minerals, energy. The oceans ate moreover 4 necessary means
of communication and their influence on climates is pre-
ponderant (a thermal reservoir).

A colossal reservoir, yes, but not an unlimited one. Con-
sequentiy, it is important to know its stocks and the
mechanisms that govern the creation of those stocks to be
able to manage them rationally.

The fational development of Fishing, a better knowledy:

Of lagocns and «€ean bottoms, prospeetion, feseareh and
development of aquatic substances of medicinal interest:
Projects such as these, carried out by the ORBTOM [Over-
seas Geientific and Teehnical Researeh Office (rance)

and its Specialised division, the CkO [Oceanographic
Nesgeatch Center }, ate Contributing to the eeonomic deve lop-
ment of developing nations, by providing them the knowledge
they need for a fational exploitation of the vast resources
concealed by the oceans, tivere and lagoons.

ivory Coast is fortunate in having a CRO base of ite own,
With Senegal, it is one of the rare Aftican countries to
have its own oceanographic research facilities. The
Abidjan CRO, with ite 30 researchers, is one of the largest
OBTOM subsidiaries,

The tropical ocean is chatacterized by @ permanent homogeneous, ware sut-
face layer; this is our planet's heat reservoir, the regulator of our
Climates.

Thies layer is separated from the cold subjacent layer, which is tich in
minerale that are indispensable to the process of photosynthesis, by
the thermocline, which constitutes a substantial barrier against the
passage of these minerals into the sunlighted surface area and thus limits
the production of living matter. The tropical ocean is generally poor.

Winds, the coastal structure, the rotetion of the earth, can all perturb
this stratification, destroy the thermocline and allow cold sineral~-tich
water to tise to the surface: These are “upwellings,” which modify the
thermal exchanges between ocean and atmosphere and increase considerably
the production of living matter that is exploitable from a fishing

standpoint.

Upwellings are the true pastures of the tropical ocean.

The well known coastal upwellings are traditional fishing grounds (Peru,
Mauritania, etc...).

Pquatorial upwellings are of special interest, in that, neither well known
nor intensively exploited, they can furnish abundant resources for the
future, They cover, in the three oceans, an enormous geographical area,
almost always more than 200 miles from the shores, hence accessible to

everyone.

The study of these upwellings is therefore extremely important for the
fishing industry in Guif of Guinea.

in 1978 and 1979, an important project named CIPALA “Citeulat iO afd
Prodvetion at the Pquator in the Atlantic, wat undertaken in this foyatd by
the Peeneh ecientifie tesearel establishment with 40 freseatehe rs From thy
URS TOM, the Abidjan CRO, the CNRS National Center ‘or Beientifie Research
(France), the CNEXO | National Center for Exploitation of the Oceans
(France), the Preneh Museum of Natural History, and the University of Went
Neitteiny, Under thie projeet of international interest, Abidjan served
as the base for the fout oGeanvgtaphic Ships and the tesearchers.

"One of the essential reasons foe Studying the ceean,” explains Mr
Hetbiand, ORBTOM tesearcher, “is food, Bvety year, man takes from the
oceans 60 to 70 million tons of food for his own consumption and that of
his animals, This is an impressive figure, but its impressiveness shrinks
when compared, for example, with the world production of rice (350 million
tons in 19786) and of wheat (350 million tons), totaling 700 million tons
between them, wherefore it becumes only one-tenth of the world's cereal
production.”

This figure has increased continually since the beginning of man's fishing
activities, and since what we are dealing with is 4 harvesting situation,
the exploitation of a renewable natural resource, we should manage it ae
wisely a8 possible, 80 a8 not to deplete the stock just when the demo-
gtaphic explosion is rendering fishing more and more necessary.

Pot this reason, it is necessary to know a8 exactly a6 possible the quanti-
ties of the different species being caught each year. But this information
alone is not sufficient. It sust also be known where and when they were
Caught. “Measurements taken on sufficiently representetive, that is,
sufficiently large, samplings, and dissections performed to determine, for
example, the states of maturity of the ovaries, provide data for determin-
ing the periods of reproduction. Examination of the scales enables
determination of the age of fish.

"Collection of the larvae provides information on laying sites.

“Measurement and interpretation of all these parameters, constituting the
biology of fish, are necessary to understand the evolution of stocks in
space and time. fSased on these data, and knowing the fishing effort being
deployed, in terme of number of vessels, of nets, and of the various types
of fishing gear being used, planning sodels can be constructed and rules
and regulations established to protect stocks as effectively as possible.”

Abidjan At the Center of This Research

Such studies have been carried out at the CRO over the pest 15 years or so
on all the species being fished here. They have been especially intensive
on tuna, which represents 4 significant sector, in terms of tonnage and

value, of the fish being unloaded in the port of Abidjan. An international

COMMISSION With headquattets in Madtid centralizes all the fesults fue the
tropical Atlantic and recommends the guidelines for the deawing up of a set
of regulations: for example, it i8 illegal to take tuna Of less than 2 years
of age, Seaning those thet have not yet reproduced, Unfortunately, the
regulations are tately tespeeted, particularly where the Cishing is done

in international waters belonging to everyone,

Food Chain

“Although the biology of fish i6 essential to good nanagement of stocks, it
alone is not sufficient. Fish are at the end of a complex food chain.
Knowledge of o@eanic food chains is one of the major biological oceano-
Gtaphic problems.”

On land, ®an Consumes animale that are for the most part herbivores. Man is
therefore a first-order carnivore. In the ocean, plants are nonexistent;
those which could be equivalent to plants, the algae of different colors
that grow On focky coasts, represent an infinitesimal production, and they
are not (or not very much) consumed,

“All vegetal production is in the form of billions of tiny cells that float
freely in the water and are callet phytoplanktons (phytos = plant, plankton =
floating). The phytoplanktons are consumed by herbivores, which are most
generally tiny organisms less than a few millimeters long, called zooplank-
tons (200 * animal). These herbivores are in turn consumed by the first-
order carnivores, which may be fish or other zooplanktons. The latter
rooplanktons are consumed by second-order carnivorous fish.

Thus, san is most often a second- of third-order carnivore. The most
important fact of these food chains is the low yield obtained when going
from one echelon to another. It is of the order of 10 percent. For exan-
ple, 1 kilo of tuna, a second-order carnivore, will have consumed 10 kilos
of first-order carnivorous fish, which will in turn have consumed 100 kilos
of herbivorous zooplanktons, which will have grazed 1,000 kilos of phyto-
pianktons. Consequentiy, 1 «ilo of tuna costs the ocean 1 ton of phyto-
Planktons. Do these very low yields prevent the species positioned at the
end of the chain from becoming very abundant?”

Por Rational Pxploitation: How Mitigate This Problem?

There is 4 way to exploit some of the species situated near the lower ond
of the food chain: for example, the herbivorous zooplanktons. Although the
zooplanktons are present in extremely vast quantities, they are distributed
in a very diffuse manner throughout the ocean, and collecting them requires
faltration of considerable volumes of water, making this type of exploita-
tion prohibitive; the more so, since the market value of zooplankton could
not be very high, in that it is @ product that must be transformed into a
powder of a butter.

Another way to compensate fur the very poot yield t the fatutal Matine
Loud ehaihe i8 aquicuitutfe, Tor vertain especies (trout, MuseelB, ete...),
it 18 @ Very ancient practive, but it i8 only ie ently that aguicultute har
hecome the object Of a Major Scientific tesearenh effort, The main problem
iG that of reproduction, It i6 very difficult in most Cases to induce
emploiteble marine species to teproduce if a Controlled environment,

One of the objectives of aquiculture is therefore to control the laying of
eggs and to raise the young tty only to @ Bite large enough to enable it to
cope with the hazards of a natural environment. This type of study is being
Cattied out on the jawfioh at the Abidjan CRO, Another objective of aqui-
Culture can be the fattening of the young to a marketable size. Feed must
be manufactured for this purpose, to achieve optimum growth at minimum
operating cost. An effort of this kind ha been carried out, still on jaw-
fish, at Grand=Lahou and at Dabou. A pro of exploitation of jawfisah
culture by Gmall enterprises is about to | Ger way, financed in part by
the Central Bank for Economic Cooperation.

9399
CSO: 9200

Nairobi DAILY MATION in English

FISHERIES DEPARTMENT FAILS 10 Us!

HOPPERS of the Prehertes
lepartment of the Mimetry of
Favironment and Nature!
Hew orem have heen tlanted fer
the delay in implementing
dec ehopenent primate
Fovirenment and Naturel
Heeources Minster Andree

financial alle atrne were apent

DEVELOPMENT +) TE)

/} Aug Wp 4

$3
1
i

iiisf

ut honed annwallty

i
:

—

ii
|
:

athe ater try
_—— 2

‘si youl | | is

SEYCHELLES LOOKS SEAWARDS FOR A NEW PARADIS!

Salisbury THE HERALD in English 9 Sep 80 p 4

lArticie by Peyton Johneon !

| Text |

THE physical «plendoua
ol the group of 100
islands strung owt eeros>
610000 square = kilo
metres of the Indian

Ower the coral feefs the
witerm are @ Clear vou
on srt out differing
ehools a6@ individus! fieh
unlit your eye tires of
colours

thelr hanging

the islands pr.
simity to the tor, the
— ⸗— and

are few.
1 einer 1074
the changed

Mahe with &8 prroent
froatio aed La Digue The
tote! teed sree i &
chimpy 273 square kilo.
metres

Tureen — far the

ef
a uit
i
i bir

: .
pe ge Pies ‘ter
83 eye “Tourtem is.
and will contiews t bt,
the main sector of the
ond hardly be
"Tt
othe rwiee 22 Tee

[
#

i
i

‘t
EF

—* ‘rs

Uses

a
=f
33

Fra.

S35

jit

Et-
1432

at
ae

—*

Heel nas ii
f*,
* Ee

J iil
it j

fi : Pat

luce :

bah ,

St):

SEYCHELLES

FISHERIES RESEARCH IN *) RITORIAL WATERS
Victoria NATION in En, eh 20 Aug 80 p 2

[Texy/ The French research vessel, the Coriolis, is presently in Seychelles
on 4 six-week programme of research which will evaluate stocks of fish in
Seychelles waters and is a followup of a similar research cruise made by
the Coriolis in waters around Mahe, the Amirantes and the outer islands in
Oetober 1979. Observers from the Fisheries Division will accompany the
vessel and will participate fully in all research activities.

Of total length 37.5 metres and gross tonnage 460 tonnes, Coriolis has two
recently renovated laboratories fitted with latest sophisticated acoustic
equipment including an echointegrator and computer. The vessel can under-
take various methods of fishing. Fishing gear on board includes a ‘biukiami'
which is a Japanese-designed Liftnet, a pelagic trawl which fishes in mid-
water, 4 bottom or demersal trawl, and also a deep-water lobster trawl.

A team of scientists from the research institute ORSTOM and headed by Mon-
sieur E. Marchal, joined the veesel in Seychelles and will carry out the
program in two phases.

Phase 1

The first involves an acoustic estimation of the pelagic, especially the
baitfish resources of the Mahe and Amirantes plateaux. Acoustic fish
research is a modern method of fish estimation which is undergoing rapid
development. in brief terms, various echosounders are used to detect fish
in the path of the vessel. These directions are sorted and analysed by an
echo integrator and computer euch that the actual quantity of fish passing
beneath the vessel can be estimated. Sample trawl hawls are made on
important detections and information is obtained on actual species present.

The acoustic techniques gives a good indication of quantities of various
pelagic and bait fishes present and is especially relevant in areas where
fishing is at an early stage of development and information is not avail-
able from other more direct sources.

The research vessel will be closely allied to SOGET and information on
baitfish concentrations will be passed immediately to a tuna boat for
investigation.

This phase of the programme laste only 17 days as the equipment has to be
diemantled and flown to identical survey being undertaken on the West
African coast.

Phase 2

The second phase involves an investigation of the demersel fish etocks on
the Plateau. The survey differs from other previous ones in that the
investigation will be more broadly maseed and involves a study of the sea
bottom and ite effect upon fish stocks.

Certain fishes are closely associated with the topography of the seabed
and also other marine fauna such as invertebrates. The distribution of
such fishes would be studied and the effect of disturbing their habitat
assessed. An interesting aspect of thie research is 4 survey of deep-
water prawn and shrimp stocks.

Most of the trawlable areas of the Seychelles are in waters of depth 35-80
metres and catches of crustaceae et these depths have been found to be
negligible. However, it is suspected that an area is available on the
east side of the Mahe Plateau of depth 600 metres. On the East African
coast such areas have yielded commercial catches of deepwater lobsters

and it is hoped that similar catches can be made in our waters.

The programme forms part of the Franco-Seychellois co-operation in the
fishing industry.

CSO: 5200

BC Fit POLICING=-Denmart will probably be faced with the problem of hav-
ing to block the adoption of @utual PC fish policies because there is
still ne sign of 4 satiefactory solution te the problem of quetas. Ag-
eticuitural and Pieheries Minister Poul Daleager earlier made it clear
that Deomark, in any case, would fot hesitate to use strong measures if
other countries with large fishing interests would not agree to 4 reason-
able attangement which would aleo be acceptable to the Danish government .
A meeting of fisheries sinistere will open in Luxembourg on Monday, which
Which will be the Beginning of a long series of negotiatione=--but there
is fo @OvVeEment with respect to positions. On the contrary, it looks like
the Sperling case--despite last week's BC court decision--wiil again be-
come 4 Danich/Britieh issue, which could make it difficult to find a solu-
tion to the fishing quotas. O& commission experts are now in the process
of determining fishing quotas for 1980. The commission feele that based
on biologists’ warning of declining fieh stocks it will be necessary to
drastically reduce the aaxiwum quotas, not least with respect to Gadus
callarias, Guduse poutassou, pollack and mackerel. Biologists warn that
the North Sea cod quota should only be about 200,000 tone, compared to
240-260 ,000 tons last year. Denmark's position is that last year's quote
should be maintained. [Text| [Copenhagen BERLINCSEKE TIDENDE in Danish
i? Jul Dp 10)

FABROLS' FIN WHALE BAN--The Faeroese government has informed Danish autho-
rities there will be no fin whaling in Paeroese waters this season. The
reason for the ban is that « Paeroese whaler illegally hunted fin whales
for three years. The International Whaling Commission, of which Denmart
is 4 @eaber, has issued 4 sero fin whale quota in the area of the Paeroes
and Western Worway the last five years. [Text] (Copenhagen SERLINOSEE
TIDENDE in Danish 17 Jul 8 p i)

#952
c$0: 3200

END OF
FICHE
DATE FILMED

/ ( [i /9

Internet Archive Audio

Featured

Top

Images

Featured

Top

Software

Featured

Top

Books

Featured

Top

Video

Featured

Top

Mobile Apps

Browser Extensions

Archive-It Subscription

Save Page Now

Full text of "Worldwide Report Law of the Sea No. 129"

See other formats