The extension of the national limits of fishing grounds to 200 nautical miles has changed the traditional fishing grounds of many nations and has affected the utilization of fishing vessels. The resource problem, with alarming reports on overfishing, makes it essential to plan fishing and ports. Further changes in the fishing industry are occuring in industrial as well as developing countries.
This produces demand for effective fishing ports with costbenefit analysis, a useful tool in the dimensioning of fishing ports and their facilities.
This report has been written by the members of PIANC – PTC II – Working Group No. 18 and endeavours to point out some of the questions which must be taken into consideration when constructing a new fishing port or making an extension of an existing port.
The report is written for a wide audience including governments, town councils, port authorities, fishermen”s associations, fishing industries, private consultants, planning agencies, universities and schools. Its purpose is to show in non-technical terms, the most important factors among many others which must be included in the investigations before the final decision on a new port or a port extension.
It is the intention and hope of the writers that everyone who is involved or affected by fishing port planning will consider the importance of careful and comprehensive planning study before the construction is carried out.
The working group anticipates that most of the future development of fishing ports in the industrialised countries will include restructuring and remodelling of existing facilities and of land and sea areas at existing port sites, in order to facilitate changes that are taking place within the fleet and the handling of the catch.
Thanks are given to all members of Working Group No. 18 for providing their help in developing the concept of this report, writing various sections, and carefully reviewing the report. Without their efforts this report would not have been possible.
