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Final <strong>Report</strong>
RoO Derogation under the PACP-IEPA
6.5 EU Distant Water Fleet (EU DWF)
The EU Distant Water (tuna purse seine) Fleet (EU DWF) is one of the largest of this gear-type in the
world. 267 In 2007, EU-based firms controlled an estimated 84 boats of a global purse seine fleet of
c.450 vessels at >500GT; of these, 57 vessels were actually flagged by EU Member states. 268 In 2011,
the fleet consisted of an estimated 89 boats, of which 56 were flagged by EU states (see Table 6.7
below). The EU flagging states are Spain, France and Italy. 269 With an estimated cost of around US
$20 million per vessel, total capitalisation of this fleet is roughly US $1.76 billion. 270 The high cost of
establishing a viable purse seine fleet is a major barrier to entry to domestic interests based in
poorer developing countries, such as in the ACP.
Recorded catch of the main two canning-grade tropical tuna species (skipjack and yellowfin) by all
EU27 members totalled 333,868 mt in 1989, 358,212 mt in 1999 and 285,854 mt in 2009 (Figure
6.5). Proportionately, EU members catch more yellowfin than skipjack. Averaged over the 10-year
period 2000-09, EU members caught 15% of the world total for yellowfin and only 10% for skipjack.
It is important to note that around 37% of the EU DWF is flagged by third parties and the catch is
thus not recorded as ‘European’ (see Table 6.7 below).
Figure 6.5
EU27 vs. World skipjack and yellowfin tuna catch. All regions, gears, all fishing areas (in
tonnes), 1950-2009
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
World
SKJ+YFT
EU27
SKJ+YFT
0
Notes: SKJ = skipjack; YFT =- yellowfin
Source: FAO Fish StatJ (accessed 14 October 2011)
267 Competing for position as the largest distant water purse seine fleet is boats owned by Taiwanese interests,
most of which operate in the WCPO (Hamilton et al. 2011).
268 In 2007, the average EU purse seiner was 2,099GT and 3,191kW power (Oceanic Développement 2008).
269 There was only one Italian-flagged purse seiner by the 2000s and because of commercial connections with
MW Brands/ Thai Union, it is considered here under the French fleet. Even when Italy was the world’s third
largest producer of canned tuna in the late 1980s and early 1990s, it still relied almost exclusively on imported
raw material (Josupeit 1993: 2, 32-4; ADB/INFOFISH 1991: 28).
270 Campling 2012.
Linpico s.a.r.l. Page 134