48. Factors influencing trends and future growth of fishery joint venture operations, in general, have been discussed in the paper prepared for the CECAF Sub-Committee on Fishery Development last March (see paragraph 2). The following is a brief resume on a country-to-country basis:
49. Some countries including, e.g., the People's Republic of the Congo, do not appear interested in additional fishery joint ventures beyond those already established or currently under negotiation.
50. Cameroon seeks foreign collaboration on condition that (a) partners are sincerely “development - oriented”, (b) equity participation is on a 50/50 basis and (c) emphasis is on pelagic resources. Availability of fishery resources, except for shrimp, requires further exploration.
51. Nigeria seeks foreign joint venture participation to obtain assistance in the acquisition of vessels, to institute technological improvements, and to ensure entry into foreign markets of its products. Government participation in joint venture operations is being justified on the grounds of its role in (a) negotiating intraregional fishery rights agreements and (b) infrastructure creation, also because the Government has the funds for major capital contributions which the majority of private entrepreneurs do not possess. The present policy is that, in the future, the States rather than the Federal Administration are to participate in joint ventures. Some private firms desirous of concluding joint venture contracts appear fearful of the consequences of a large public role in joint venture operations, since they might find themselves at a serious competitive disadvantage, or even threatened by suppression, if the ventures with government participation were to run into difficulties.
52. Liberia is seeking to enter intraregional ventures, including deep-sea trawling, to cover supply needs likely to arise when, as the result of fishing limits extensions, the landings of the foreign freezer trawlers may be expected to fall off. The country would like newly formed joint ventures to take on responsibilities for test fishing, with chartered vessels, and test marketing, and would expect to share in defraying costs and in the division of any profits earned during the exploratory period.
53. Sierra Leone's objectives are similar to those of Liberia. The country has indicated particular interest in the development of sardine and related pelagic resources.
54. Senegal is relatively far advanced in fishery development and is interested, particularly, in forming associations with companies having access to attractive overseas markets for tuna.
55. Morocco, which has been among the most important fish-producing countries of the developing world for many years, lays emphasis on help in modernization and seeks to enter new export markets. Efforts to conclude a new joint venture with overseas interests, based on shrimp exploitation for export, are reported to be stalled because of uncertainty on the ability of the resource to sustain profitable commercial operations.
