THE NECESSITY OF CHANGES IN THE POLISH CUTTER FISHING FLEET IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

As a result of destruction caused by the Second World War, at the end of 1945 the Polish fishing fleet consisted of as few as 46 boats capable of operating. The huge demand for food in Poland and the abundance of the Baltic cod and herring at that time caused the Baltic fleet to dynamically increase, up to about 600 cutters in 1969. As the food supply situation stabilised and the fish stocks were becoming depleted, the number of craft was gradually decreasing, down to the present level of a little more than 400. To increase the cost efficiency of fisheries, the European Union demands a further reduction of the number of boat, by at least 30%, and applies various financial instruments, scrapping craft, particularly those that are more than 30 years old, being a preferred measure. By 2006, 71% of the Polish Baltic craft will reach that age (from 33 to 95% in various fishing ports), so a much heavier reduction of the Polish Baltic fishing fleet should be expected.