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The history of Polish high sea fleet contains all stages of its development–
phase of rapid grow between 1950-77, period of stabilization between 1978-
1989 and time of reduction and restructurization after 1990.
Poland, not being the maritime country such as Spain, Denmark or Britain,
became the global fishing power in 70’and 80.
Decreasing fishing opportunities and changes of the international law of the
sea in 1970s, followed by political and economic transition of 1989 led to an
elsewhere unparalleled reduction of the Polish fleet and its fishing capacity -
even by 95 percent!
No other country of the European Union restructured its high sea fleet to
equal extend and none did it with such low level of public aid as Poland.
The most important facts and figures of these processes– in terms of catches
volume, fishing effort, social costs and reduced impact on environment are
presented below.
NORTH ATLANTIC
PRODUCERS
ORGANIZATION
OVERVIEW
IMPORTANT:
In the period 1945-2012
total Polish high sea
catches are about 13.7
Mt.
In late 70’ Polish high
sea fleet consisted of 130
-140 trawlers with a ca-
pacity of more than 230
k GT and 220 k kW.
In the period 1976-2004
Polish high sea fleet was
reduced by 95% in terms
of number of vessels, GT
and kW.
Today, Polish high sea
fleet consists of 3 traw-
lers with total capacity of
17,5 thousand GT and
15 thousand kW.
Polish high sea fleet–
development and restructurization
OVERVIEW OF POLISH HIGH SEA FLEET CAPACITY 1950-2011
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
19
51
19
54
19
57
19
60
19
63
19
66
19
69
19
72
19
75
19
78
19
81
19
84
19
87
19
90
19
93
19
96
19
99
20
02
20
05
20
08
20
11
no of vessels
GT (in thousand)
EEZ establishment
End of communism
Polish accession to EU
NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION PAGE 2
First vessels for deep- sea fleet
after war, came to Poland thanks to
UNRRA supplies or were pur-
chased in Denmark.
From 1950s, the Polish shipyards
started to construct Poland’s own
vessels.
Rapid grow of high sea fisheries
demanded development of effec-
tive system of maritime education
on technical and academic level.
The high sea fisheries expansion
was supported by the achievements
of maritime science.
Sea Fisheries Institute (SFI) was
established in 1921. In 1949 SFI
became supervised by Polish state.
Before the II World War, Polish
high sea fisheries (outside the
Baltic Sea) concentrated in the
North Sea and Barents Sea.
In 1938 Polish high sea fleet con-
sisted of 8 trawlers and 20 dri-
fters. Yearly catches were around
4-5 thousand tonnes. Main spe-
cies was herring.
After 1945, rebuilding and deve-
lopment of high sea fisheries be-
came one of the Polish state prio-
rity.
In 1946-57, 3 state-owned deep-
sea enterprises were established:
PPDiUR Dalmor in Gdynia,
PPDiUR Gryf in Szczecin, and
PPDiUR Odra in Świnoujście.
After 1945, Polish authorities
treated deep-sea fisheries as a key
point in its propaganda.
Strong and modern fleet explor-
ing seas and oceans of the world
proved Poland’s rank on the inter-
national stage and strengthen the
authority of communist state
among Polish nation.
Products of high sea fisheries
were a key source of valuable
proteins cheaper than proteins
derived from animal meat.
This is why the fish price was
subsidized directly from state
budget. The average subsidy was
about 50 percent of the real price.
In the centrally-steered economy,
the state financed ship building in
domestic shipyards.
Between 1950-70 Polish ship-
yards supplied every year Polish
deep sea fleet by over a dozen of
well adapted and equipped trawl-
ers.
Development of ancillary indus-
tries for the deep-sea fishing sec-
tor– such as cold stores, process-
ing factories, transhipment ves-
sels was also subsidized from the
state budget.
Thanks to the export of fish Po-
land received foreign currencies
which at that time were a very
valuable and rare instrument.
In the socialist economy, com-
mercial trade with the Western
countries was limited for political
reasons.
Export of high sea fisheries prod-
ucts was an exception and for a
very long time, ranked the top
third export item in terms of
value.
Total high sea fisheries sector
with all ancillary industries em-
ployed during the peak period 50-
70 thousand of people, mainly on
the coast.
BEGINNINGS
HIGH SEA FISHERIES IN THE COMMUNIST TIME
In its beginning Polish high
sea fisheries was based on
foreign experienced crew,
mainly from Netherlands and
Denmark. Foreign specialists
trained Polish fishermen and
processors.
FACTSHEET:
The average
consumption of
fishery products
in EU is 20kg. 5,5 5,8 6,3
8,1 7,86,1
5,4
7,6
10,211,7
13,8
0
5
10
15
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Consumption of fishery products in Poland
kg per capita
P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION PAGE 3
fishing effort) and biological data
(size, age, maturity and feeding),
monitoring activities were aimed
at investigating fishing tools, tech-
nologies and mechanisation of
fish processing.
International research cooperation
consisting of joint surveys on
board of Polish and foreign re-
search vessels, the exchange of
scientists, research materials and
findings, and joint publications.
Membership in international sci-
entific organisations established
under fisheries conventions such
as NEAFC, NAFO, CCAMLR,
CECAF, CBSPC and ICES.
Scientific cooperation under bilat-
eral agreements with coastal
states, including the United
Stated, Canada and Russia.
Research and monitoring activities
were followed up by voyage reports,
scientific studies and expert opin-
ions on stock levels and possibilities
of their exploitation by the Polish
fleet.
The expansion of Polish high sea
fisheries was supported and based
on well developed research activi-
ties of Polish marine science centre
– Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia.
Its activities were always closely
related to deep-sea fishing opera-
tions.
Their primary purpose was to ex-
plore new fisheries, estimate
stocks and, at the phase of indus-
trial exploitation, monitor and en-
sure sustainable exploitation of
stocks.
Research was conducted under the
responsibility of the Sea Fisheries
Institute (SFI) in Gdynia. The
SFI’s activities at the time were
mainly aimed at addressing the
needs of the industry.
Polish deep-sea research activities
were conducted in a variety of
ways including :
Reconnaissance voyages preced-
ing industrial fisheries, organ-
ised by the SFI and fishing en-
terprises to shelf waters and in-
ternational wa ters with the aim
of exploring stocks and the pos-
sibilities of their exploitation.
Scientific expeditions on board
of the SFI’s research vessels
Profesor Siedlecki, Profesor
Bogucki and Wieczno, the aim
of which was to estimate the
stock size, and to conduct bio-
logical surveys of fish, squids
and krill, environmental surveys,
processing technology surveys
and fishing technique surveys.
Stocks were monitored by the
SFI in all of the fisheries under
exploitation. In addition to col-
lecting fisheries data (catches,
THE SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF POLISH HIGH SEA FISHERIES
Polish science has a huge contribu-
tion to worldwide knowledge of
maritime resources, its conservation
and management.
Nowadays the main SFI partner in
researches concerning high sea
fisheries is North Atlantic Produc-
ers Organization (NAPO).
On the basis of the partnership
agreement between NAPO and SFI,
in last ten years, the researches of
the following species in the follow-
ing areas were conducted :
Cod and greenland halibut in
Svalbard;
Redfish in the international wa-
ters of the Norwegian Sea;
Saithe in the North Sea;
Jack mackerel in the SPRFMO;
Pelagic species in Mauretania.
Below the r/v Profesor Siedlecki,
SFI.
NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION PAGE 4
of 44 thousand tonnes and total
power of 49 thousand kW.
Development of fish processing
technology and introduction of new
trawlers equipped with processing
facilities, allowed high sea fleet to
expand its activities to Barents Sea,
where cod, redfish and greenland
halibut were caught.
The record-breaking years of Polish
fisheries in North East Atlantic were
1964-65 and 1974-77, were over
100 thousand tonnes of herring were
being caught annually.
In 1977, the European Community
and Norway introduced its EEZ.
The total output volume in this re-
gion fell abruptly and in 1980s and
later remained on a level of a few
dozens tonnes annually only.
After Poland’s accession to the
European Union, being a member of
NEAFC and a signatory of the Sval-
bard Treaty of Paris (1920) Poland
gained the right to fish minor vol-
umes of herring, mackerel, redfish,
deep-sea species, and cod in North
East Atlantic.
In the period 1920-2012, total Polish
high sea fisheries reached 13.7 ton-
nes.
Almost 80% of catches took place
the period 1950-1989.
In 1950-59, the Polish deep-sea fleet
operated only in North East Atlan-
tic only (FAO 27). The main species
caught in Skagerrak, Norwegian Sea,
Shetlands, Hybrid Islands and La
Manche were herring and mackerel.
At that time, Polish fleet grew to
over 100 ships with a gross tonnage
DEVELOPMENT OF POLISH HIGH SEA FLEET AND
FISHERIES 1950-1989
North East Atlantic
P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION P AGE 5
In 1959, Polish high sea fleet be-
gan fisheries in the waters of West
Africa: Morocco, Mauretania,
Spanish Sahara and Senegal.
In early 1960’ a new type of freez-
ing trawlers were sent to Africa.
New trawlers B-23 had freezing
capacity up to 50 tonnes per day.
In 1967 Polish high sea fleet intro-
duced a new fishing method- the
pelagic trawl net.
When the coastal states established
its EEZ, Poland signed with Mau-
ritania and Morocco the fisheries
agreements and gain the licence
for Polish vessels to fish in its EEZ
until early 1980s.
Between 1975-77 Polish catches in
Mauritania were the highest (92,
129 and 203 thousand tonnes of
pelagic species annually, respec-
tively).
After that period, Polish catches
decreased significantly in West Af-
rica, and operations ended there in
1982.
Polish high sea fleet returned to
Mauretanian waters for three-year-
long periods in 1995-97 and then in
2000-01.
Polish high sea fleet returned there in
1997. Poland as a NAFO member has
quotas of cod, shrimp and squid.
In the first half of 1970s, Poland
started fishing and buying up of pol-
lock and hake in North East Atlantic,
Canada and USA (Washington, Ore-
gon, California WOC).
Polish vessels operations were based
on a bilateral treaty with USA and
Canada thanks to which Poland was
licensed annually to catch pollock and
hake. From 1983 Poland also bought
up fish from American and Canadian
fishermen.
Between 1980-86 yearly catches
amounted about 100 thousand tonnes,
except for 1982-83 when martial law
was proclaimed in Poland and US
president Roland Reagan banned Pol-
Together with the exploitation of
West Africa, the Polish fleet
started fishing in North West At-
lantic around Labrador, New-
foundland and Greenland.
The prevailing species included
cod, redfish, herring and mack-
erel.
Between 1968-74, an average an-
nual catches reached about 200
thousand tonnes, in 1971-72 even
above 260 thousand tonnes.
Poland signed with USA a profit-
able agreement for export of fro-
zen codfish fillets.
When USA and Canada estab-
lished its own EEZ, the output of
the Polish fleet fell drastically and
in 1980-90 amounted to mere few
thousand tonnes annually.
Polish fishing acticity in Africa
ish vessels from fishing in the wa-
ters of USA. Fishing operations in
WOC ended in 1991, although fish
was bought up until 2001.
After Poland joined the European
Union, Poland gained access to fish-
eries in Morocco and Mauretania as
on basis of EU– Mauretania and EU-
Morocco fisheries partnership agre-
ements.
In 1972 Poland started exploiting the
waters of North East Atlantic,
mainly EEZ of Namibia.
Poland signed fishing agreement
with Namibia which allowed the
Polish fleet to catch 1.35 million
tonnes in 1972-86.
Between 1976-83 the average annual
catches reached above 100 thousand
The high quality of fillets
(skinless, V cut) produced by the
Polish vessels was appreciated
very much on the North
American market. Shortly the
Polish standard became a trade
mark of Polish fillets- setting the
world’s top fish standard, and
even McDonald’s introduced fish
burgers based on Polish fillets.
Polish fisheries in North West Atlantic and North East Pacific
NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION P AGE 6
fleet. Poland was one of the first
countries which started fishing and
processing krill on an industrial
scale. Krill exploitation has been-
continued from 1975 until 2011.
Polish vessels were present in
Falklands between 1976-95.
Polish fleet specialized in squid
fishery. In 1976-86, Poland was
world’s number two (after Japan)
fleet in squid fishing.
In 1983 Polish high sea fleet catched
348 thousand tonnes of squid. It was
65 percent of the entire Polish high sea
fleet catches.
In these times about 50 percent of
Polish fleet capacity was engaged in
fisheries in Falklands.
The high performance in Falkland
compensated the bans in WOC.
Polish high sea fleet started its
activities in Antarctic Atlantic and
around Falklands in mid 1970’
after majority of the coastal states
from Europe, Africa and North
America established their EEZ.
In Antarctic Atlantic, the output
was never as high as elsewhere,
however the activity of Polish sci-
entists and fishermen in those dif-
ficult regions proved the techno-
logical advancement of the Polish
Polish fisheries in Antarctica and around Falklands
P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION P AGE 7
Between 1950-1977, the size of
the fleet (by number of vessels)
and its capacity was increasing
gradually by over ten percent
every year.
In 1977 Polish fleet reached 129
trawlers with a total gross tonnage
of 241.3thousand GT (increased by
30 times in comparison to 1950)
and a total power of 229.8 thou-
sand kW (increased by 20 times).
In the second half of 1970s the
Polish deep-sea fleet was modern-
ized, rejuvenated and adapted to
the actual fishing possibilities.
The total number of vessels fell
from 129 down to 80 ships (by
40%) in 1977-86.
Part of the fleet was substituted by
new trawlers.
The fishing capacity did not fall as
much as the number of vessels: only
by 25 percent from 241 down to 185
thousand GT, and by 10 percent from
229 down to 186 thousand kW.
During 1980s the fishing capacity of
the Polish fleet remained on a level of
180 thousand GT and kW.
Polish high sea fleet 1950-89
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Polish fleet capacity 1950-89
number of vessels
GT (in thousand)
kW ( in Thousand)
NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION P AGE 8
After the political and economic
change of 1989, the significance of
the deep-sea fisheries decreased.
The state was not able to finance very
high costs of high sea fleet activities.
The previous subsidies and fixed
prices for fishery products were aban-
doned.
Decreasing catches and no alternative
solutions available caused financial
problems for state-owned enterprises.
All restructuring attempts did not
helped out, neither the fleet nor on-
shore industry.
The social cost of high sea fleet finan-
cial problems was very high.
Thousands of people lost their jobs.
Taking into account the fact, that in
1987-1999 EEC was paying compen-
sation
After 1985, the high sea operations
of the Polish fleet focused on three
fishing grounds: Falklands, WOC
and newly-discovered and abun-
dant fisheries of Bering Sea.
Donut Hole in Bering Sea was the
key fishery in 1985-90: over 60
percent of the Polish fishing fleet
operated there.
During that period, the average
yearly catches of pollock reached
250-290 tonnes.
The pollock resources were deplet-
ing quickly in Bering Sea and ves-
sels were forced to move in 1990
to the open waters of Sea of Okhotsk
(Peanut Hole).
Between 1990-95 even 300 thousand
tonnes were caught annually. At that
time, 70 percent of the Polish fleet
operated in this region.
Russia was very unwelcome to see
Poland exploiting Sea of Okhotsk. In
1995, Poland was pressured to sign a
disadvantageous fisheries agreement
with Russia. and .
On the basis of the agreement the
Polish fleet left the international wa-
ters and moved to Russian EEZ.
caught.
Between 1995-2001 Polish catches
of pollock decreased from 270 to 20
thousand tonnes.
Pollock fisheries in the Russian EEZ
ended in 2001.
The Pollock fisheries was the last
phase of Polish high sea expansion
and record high catches.
The failure of the Pollock fisheries
in Russian EEZ decided about rapid
reduction of the Polish high sea fleet.
End of communism, reduction and restructurisation of the high sea fleet.
Pollock fisheries in the Berins Sea, Okhotsk Sea and in the Russian EEZ
for vessels scrapping and layoffs
(over 1.3 bn ECU), the Polish deep-
sea fleet was restructured without any
financial compensation from the state
budget.
As long as the pollock catches were
carried out, the restructuring activities
undertaken by the enterprises allowed
them to survive.
In this period 57 vessels were de-
commissioned or sold and reflagged.
After the end of the pollock catches,
two enterprises– Odra and Gryf went
bankrupt and were liquidated.
Their fleet– 11 vessels were
scrapped, sold for a penny or simply
left in faraway ports to decay.
To sum up– in the period 1989-2004
Polish deep sea fleet underwent the
significant reduction and reconstruc-
tion.
Number of vessels was reduced
from 81 to 7 ( by 90%).
Total fishing capacity was redu-
ced:
from 180 thousand GT to 13 thou-
sand GT;
from 186 thousand kW to 16 thou-
sand GT.
No other Member State in EU unde-
rwent such restructurisation.
P OLISH HIGH SEA FLEET– DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURIZATION P AGE 9
in EU register is 21,810 GT and 22,143
kW.
The entire fishing capacity of Poland is
in hands of private enterprises today.
The last vessel of a state-owned enter-
prise was deleted from the vessel regis-
ter in 2011 without any EU subsidies - it
thus remains in the fishing capacity of
Poland.
In late 1990s private shipowners associ-
ated in the North Atlantic Producers
Organisation consolidated the frag-
mented fishing possibilities held by
many individual shipowners and restruc-
tured the high sea fishing fleet.
Until 2006, NAPO reduced the number
of vessels operating in North Atlantic
from five down to three.
In 2008, the North Atlantic Producers
Organisation accomplished the second
stage of the fleet restructuring pro-
gramme and left only one vessel in
North Atlantic.
The changes were implemented without
any public support, at the sole cost of
the shipowners.
Today, the Polish fishing fleet in North
Atlantic is 1,805 GT and 3,375 kW .
At the same time, after correcting the
Polish fishing capacity in the vessel
register in 2008, two big trawlers could
be introduced, each 7,805 GT and 5,900
kW.
The vessels were sent to Mauretania and
Morocco where Poland regained the
access to pelagic resources thanks to
agreements signed by the European
Commission with Mauretania and Mo-
rocco in 2008.
Polish accession to EU has stabilized the
allocation of fishing rights for Polish
high sea sector.
The principle of relative stability and the
possibility of coordinating the fishing
plans with other Member States are
crucial in process of rational manage-
ment of the fleet.
At the time of Poland’s accession to
the European Union Polish high sea
fleet was very fragmented.
In 2004 there were only 7 high sea
vessels registered in Poland– 2 belong-
ing to Dalmor and the other 5 owned
by private companies associated in the
North Atlantic Producers Organisation
(NAPO). The total capacity of the
Polish high sea fleet in this time was
13 thousand GT and 16 thousand kW.
After the scrapping of one Polish
trawler Acamar in 2005– Polish fish-
ing capacity decreased to 10 thousand
GT and 13 thousand kW and was the
same as a capacity in early 1950’s.
In 2007/2008 the Polish authorities
managed to correct the fishing capac-
ity of the high sea fleet registered in
the European ship records by adding
three vessels of Gryf (11,548 GT and
8,071 kW).
Those three vessels were illegally
auctioned by an official receiver be-
fore Poland’s accession to EU but
were never deleted from the Polish
shipping registry.
A court decided that on the day of
Poland’s accession to EU those ves-
sels constitute a part of the Polish fish-
ing capacity. Once corrected in 2008,
the factual fishing capacity of Poland
Polish accession to the European Union
The only ship scrapped with the
help of FIFG funds was
Acamar, a trawler belonging to
Dalmor - it was scrapped in
2004 for a compensation of
EUR 6 million .
NORTH ATLANTIC PRODUCERS ORGANIZATION PAGE 10
fishing operation in West Africa,
over ten trawlers from Poland op-
erated in the region.
Together they spent 4,700 fishing
days in the area and caught
203,428 tonnes.
The average fuel consumption on
one catched tonne of fish was
0,277. The total fuel consumption in
Africa was 56,400 tonnes
In 2011, two Polish trawlers caught
59752 tonnes of fish during 515
fishing days.
The average fuel consumption on
one catched tonne of fish is 0,166.
The total fuel consumption in Africa
is 9913,75 tonnes..
Regardless of the accusations that
Poland has excessive fishing capac-
ity in West Africa, when compared
to the old Polish fleet in Africa the
actual operational parameters of the
Polish vessels today show clearly
that Polish fishing capacity in Africa
decreased.
In 1977, the peak year for the Polish
Restructurisation of Polish high
sea fleet had a significant impact
on reduction of negative environ-
mental effects caused by the ves-
sels activities.
Since 1979 the total fuel consump-
tion of Polish high sea fleet was
reduced by 92 %.
Thanks to adjustment of the fis-
hing effort to the fishing opportu-
nities, Polish high sea fleet fuel
consumption per catched tonne in
2011 was the lowest in history.
One tonne of caught fish required
approx. 0.186 tonnes of fuel, whe-
reas in 1979 it was 0,382 and in
1996– 0,502.
Total fuel consumption in last 6
years was reduced thrice.
The average fuel consumption on
Since 2004, Polish high sea fleet
reduced its fishing capacity from 5
to 1 vessel.
one catched tonne was also re-
duced– from 0,413 in 2006 to 0,38
in 2011.
Restructurisation of the Polish high sea fleet–
environmental impact
POLISH HIGH SEA FLEET NOWADAYS
Alina Gdy-46 Gdy-46
Sirius Gdy-43
Polonus GDY-36