Fishing practices/systems
In the year 2004, there was a total of 36 136 licensed fishing vessels in the country, 15 651 of which consisted of small vessels powered by outboard engines or non-motorized (2 697). The remaining vessels are powered by inboard engines. Nevertheless, small vessels below 10 GRT constitute nearly half of these vessels. The remaining vessels have GRT ranging from 10 to over 70, with decreasing number towards the high GRT end. Nevertheless, there are 833 vessels with 70 GRT or above.
Among these vessels over half, or 18 439, were licensed to fish with drift/gill nets. Most of these were small coastal vessels below 10 GRT. The trawlers constitute the next dominant group of vessels (6 055). Most of the larger vessels are either trawlers or purse seiners. The purse seiners were also a major group with 1 025 vessels. Vessels licensed to fish with hooks and lines numbered 4 731, most of them being small coastal vessels. Other minor fishing gears used include lift nets, stationary traps, portable traps, bag nets, barrier nets, push nets and scoops for shellfish collection. There is also a significant number of small unlicensed fishing vessels operating in the inshore waters with some of the so-called traditional gears (gears other than trawling or purse seining).
The trawlers are the most efficient vessels, taking up 56 percent of the catches, followed by the purse seiners, with a share of 22 percent. Despite their greater number, only 10 percent of the landings are taken by vessels operating drift/gill nets. The remaining catches are taken by vessels operating hook-and-line, bag nets and other miscellaneous fishing gears.
The above description is based on data for the year 2004.