REPORT OF THE FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING MISSION

From historical experience, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) places heavy emphasis on economic self-reliance and food self-sufficiency under the Juche philosophy. Consequently, the economy achieved very high growth rates shortly after the war (1950-53) as it embarked during the mid-to-late 1950s on a programme of rapid industrialization. Industrial growth rates in the range of 30-40% per annum and above were achieved between 1954-60. In the 1960s, annual growth rates of around 13% were still attained in industry. Agriculture, including fisheries and forestry, and consumer goods received more attention in the 1970s and the 1980s. A combination of internal and external shocks, including the world recession, accompanied by increased oil prices and falling prices for DPRK's raw material exports, lowered the economic performance during that period. However until 1990, overall, DPRK was successful in meeting people's basic needs and eliminating absolute poverty.

From 1990 the economy suffered a slow-down and had difficulties in achieving planning targets. With aging industrial plants, little new investment, loss of most of its traditional trading partners, and economic sanctions¹ still in place, the economy has been under severe strain, compounded by natural disasters since 1994. At the same time, there has been a steady rise in import prices of major industrial and agricultural inputs such as fuel, fertilizer, and agro-chemicals. Because of the above problems and recent natural calamities, industrial output and export earnings have declined sharply.

The natural calamities during the last four years, starting with heavy rains and floods followed by drought, reportedly caused an estimated US$ 15 billion in damage and left half a million people homeless in DPRK. The country is now experiencing a food shortage, compounded by an economic crisis due to the disruption of access to traditional markets in the former Soviet Union and eastern European countries.

Due to the gravity of the situation, the Government, for the first time, requested outside assistance to help resolve the crisis. A number of donor countries, non-governmental organizations and such international agencies as UNDP, FAO, IFAD, WFP and the European Union responded to the request. An International Donors' Roundtable on Agricultural Rehabilitation and Environmental Protection took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 28 to 29 May 1998, under the auspices of UNDP. It was agreed between the DPRK Government and the donors that a major constraint to donor involvement in development assistant programmes for the agriculture sector was the lack of a sector strategy and policy framework. In response to the Roundtable's recommendations, FAO/UNDP launched an agriculture sector study mission in September/October 1998 to assist the Government in identifying investment opportunities in the agriculture sector. The Government also requested FAO to provide assistance aimed to identify short-term rehabilitation needs and long-term development potential in the fishing industry of the country.

In response to the above request, the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand, launched a Fisheries Development Programming Mission to DPRK from 3 to 12 October 1998. The Mission was comprised of Dr. Deb Menasveta, Fisheries Consultant acting as the Mission Leader; Mr. Hassanai Kongkeo, Coordinator of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA); Professor Chen Jiaxin², Director of the NACA Regional Lead Centre in Wuxi, People's Republic of China; and Mr. S.L. Kang, FAO Regional Office, Bangkok, as coordinator of the Mission. The Mission's main objective was to assess the present status of the fisheries industry of DPRK as very limited information thereof was available outside the country. On the basis of the findings, the Mission was asked to prepare project ideas for consideration by potential donors. The terms of reference of the Mission in more detail are attached as Appendix 1.

The Mission's Itinerary: The Mission arrived in Pyongyang, DPRK, on 3 October 1998. The itinerary for the Mission was prepared by the Department of External Economic Cooperation (EEC), Ministry of Fisheries (MOF). On 4 October 1998, the Director of the EEC, Mr. Song Bong Jin, accompanied by Mrs. An Ul Sun, Section Manager, EEC, and Mr. Chong Yong Ho, official of the Fish Farming Technical Department, briefed the Mission on the state of the fishery resources of DPRK and the status of its fishing industry. The Mission was also informed of the need for foreign assistance to rehabilitate the fishing industry. A further briefing on fishery research institutions of the Technical Bureau, Ministry of Fisheries, and their prevailing problems was given by Mr. Hong Zong Sam, Deputy Director of the Technical Bureau, on 8 October 1998.

To facilitate a better understanding of the current situation of the fishing and aquaculture industry, field trips were arranged for the Mission to visit the following fisheries plants and centres:

The fish processing, distribution and export plant supervised by the Fisheries Cooperatives Bureau, Ministry of Fisheries, in Nampo City, 40 km southwest of Pyongyang, and the Onchon Shrimp Farm operated by the Ministry of Light Industry in the same City, on 6 October 1998;

The Unjon Fisheries Company supervised by the State Fisheries Bureau, Ministry of Fisheries, in Unjon County, North Pyongan Province, 120 km northwest of Pyongyang, on 7 October 1998; and

The Pupo Laminaria Seedling Plant in Kangryong County, South Hwanghae Province, 150 km. southwest of Pyongyang, on 9 October 1998.

Due to logistic problems including major repair of the highway to the east coast, the Ministry of Fisheries could not arrange a field trip to the East Sea Fisheries Research Institute in Wonsan; the Shallow Sea Farming Research Institute in Kosong; and other fishing centres on the east coast of the country. The Mission regretted that it was not possible to see the deep-sea fleet operating in the East Sea of Korea, the Okhotsk and Bering Seas. However, the Mission had the opportunity to see some of the smaller fishing vessels used by the fisheries cooperative plants and state fishing companies in Nampo and Unjon in the West Sea. Discussions were also held with the officers responsible for the distribution and export plant of the Cooperatives Bureau in Nampo and the company plant of the State Fisheries Bureau in Unjon.

General information about the DPRK fisheries sector

Information and data on the fisheries sector of DPRK in published form are scarce. The Mission obtained the following information mainly from the briefings, discussions held with the DPRK fisheries authorities, and from the answers prepared by the EEC staff to the Mission's questionnaire. Additional information was taken from a report entitled "The Thematic Roundtable Meeting on Agricultural Recovery and Environmental Protection (AREP) for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)".

Geographical setting: DPRK is located in the northern portion of the Korean Peninsula above the 38- parallel. The country is bordered on the north by the People's Republic of China, on the northeast by Russia, on the east by the East Sea of Korea, on the south by the Republic of Korea, and on the west by the West Sea of Korea. It has an area of approximately 120,000 km². DPRK is a mountainous country, with several ranges extending in a northeasterly to southwesterly direction. The most prominent range is the Paekdu, which has the highest peak in DPRK of 2,700 metres. DPRK has only 15 percent arable land, confined mainly to the west coast and to several broad river valleys in the west. Almost all of the major rivers flow into the West Sea, with only one, the Tumen, emptying into the East Sea.

With the limitation of arable land, aquaculture and fisheries play an important role in the livelihood of the majority of the Korean people. The significant contribution of fisheries to the economy and food security of the country was recognized by the late President Kim Il Sung and by Mr. Kim Jong Il, General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and Chairman of the DPRK Defense Committee. The country is also endowed with other natural resources including minerals such as coal, iron ore, lead, zinc, tungsten, mica, fluorite and mercury as well as forest resources.

DPRK has a temperate climate with the average temperature being 24.4- C in summer and -4-C in winter. The annual precipitation in many areas of the country averages about 1,000 mm and is heaviest in the summer months.

Population: DPRK is ethnically homogeneous, with no racial or linguistic minorities other than a small population of the Chinese. The DPRK population in 1997 was estimated by the MOF authorities to be approximately 22 million, with an annual growth rate of about 1.5 percent. The population is unevenly distributed, being concentrated mainly on the western plains. Two-thirds of the population live in cities and the rest in rural areas. The majority of the rural people work on cooperative farms. The language is Korean and the literacy rate of the country is high, estimated at about 95 percent; this is due to the Government's long-term educational policy of providing 11 years of free and compulsory education to its people.

I. STATUS OF THE FISHERIES INDUSTRY AND FISHERY PRODUCTION TRENDS

1. General information

DPRK is a maritime country, bordered on both the east and west by seas. The mixing of cold and warm currents in the East Sea and the enrichment of nutrients from rivers and streams of mainland China and the Korean Peninsula that drain into the West Sea create favorable conditions for developing marine fishing and coastal aquaculture in these waters.

The East Sea, which has a surface area of about 970,000 km², has both cold and warm water species totaling approximately 650. The cold water fish of commercial importance caught by Korean vessels in this sea include Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas)), herring (Clupea pallasii (Cuvier and Valenciennes)), flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), and silver fish. The warm water species include sardines (Sardinia melanostica (Temminck and Schlegel)), anchovies (Engraulis spp.), mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and halfbeak (Hemiramphus spp.).

The West Sea, which has a surface area of about 430,000 km², also has both cold and warm water species totaling 250, including anchovies, Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), hairtail (Trichiurus haumela (Forskal)), herring and cod (Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius). The country also cultures and harvests molluscs, such as short necked clams (Venerupis philippinarum), oysters (Ostrea spp.) and ark shells (Arca inflata)as well as seaweed (Porphyra tenera; Gracilaria vernicosa) and kelp (Laminaria spp.) for domestic consumption and export.

As regards freshwater fisheries, DPRK has 60,000 ha of inland waters (9,000 ha of rivers and streams; 41,000 ha of lakes and reservoirs; and 10,000 ha of reclaimed tideland) available for the accelerated development of aquaculture and aquaculture-based fisheries. There are 163 freshwater fish species, 20 of which are being cultivated. These include common carp, Chinese carp, rainbow trout, and mullet salmon. DPRK has reportedly produced millions of fingerlings for annual stocking in rivers and reservoirs but produced only a small amount of marketable-sized freshwater fish from culture and culture-based fisheries, estimated at only about 5,000 mt per year.

The marine plants and animals commonly harvested or exploited by DPRK in both its exclusive economic zone and the high seas are listed in Appendix 2.

2. The DPRK Fishing Fleet

The Government has given priority attention to food security and recognized the contribution of the fisheries sector thereto. As a socialist State, the fisheries industry of DPRK is under the purview of a single organization, the Ministry of Fisheries, which has three main Bureaus, namely, the Freshwater Fish Culture Bureau; the State Fisheries Bureau and the Cooperatives Bureau. Under these bureaus, there are 77 fishing plants, 32 coastal aquaculture farms/plants, 200 fishery cooperatives and 100 freshwater fish farms. In addition, the Ministry also operates shipyards, ship repair and maintenance plants, fishing gear factories and fish processing plants.

Fishing in the deeper part of the country's exclusive economic zone and in the high seas is under the responsibility of the State Fisheries Bureau. The latter also operates a small distant-water fishing fleet of eight large size vessels (2,700 gross mt), fishing in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. Coastal and inshore water fishing and coastal aquaculture (with the exception of marine prawn culture) are under the responsibility of the Cooperatives Bureau, whilst freshwater and marine prawn culture are under the responsibility of the Freshwater Fisheries Bureau.

In the northern part of the West Sea, capture fisheries constitutes about 80 percent of the fisheries activities and the remainder is in coastal aquaculture, of which the culture of short-necked clams is the main activity. In the southern part, especially in South Hwanghae Province, the main activity (90 percent) is coastal aquaculture, especially kelp (Laminaria spp.) culture. In the East Sea, the main activity is capture fisheries in both the exclusive economic zone and the high seas. The cooperatives also undertake seaweed and kelp culture, especially in the southeastern part of the country.

The statistics provided by the Ministry of Fisheries indicate that the fishing fleet structure of DPRK is not sophisticated or large. There are a total of 1,553 mechanized fishing vessels used in marine capture fisheries, eight of which are large fishing vessels (each more than 80 metres in length and with a 2,250 HP engine). The others are medium and smaller-sized vessels (Table 1). Of the total number of mechanized fishing vessels, the Cooperatives Bureau owns about 200, equipped with low horse-power engines and more than 4,000 small non-motorized boats used for collecting kelp, clams and sea cucumbers. Only medium-sized vessels that have engines of more than 200 HP are equipped with trawl nets for bottom trawling. The majority of the smaller fishing boats with low-power engines are equipped with stationary gear such as set trap nets. The Mission learned that almost all of the vessels in operation were built in the country. The Mission saw some of the smaller wooden vessels in Nampo City and Unjon County and noted that they were rather old and might need major repairs and maintenance. Some of these fishing vessels should be installed with bigger marine engines and equipped with more modern types of fishing gear to enable them to increase their catches, particularly in short-necked clam fisheries. It is felt that the shortage of fuel and lack of spare parts due to the prevailing economic difficulties may have limited substantially fishing activities of these boats in both the exclusive economic zone and the high seas. The Mission noted that 42 vessels operated by the Cooperatives Bureau had already been severely damaged by heavy storms during the past three years.

3. Fishery Production Trends

The annual fish production statistics from 1988 to 1997 given by the Ministry of Fisheries are indicated in Table 2. It is noted that the highest production of 3.7 million mt was recorded in 1989. Since then production has declined steadily to only 990,000 mt in 1996 and 720,000 mt in 1997. Because there are no details on catches by species or groups of species in the FAO Yearbook of Fishery Statistics for DPRK, the Mission requested the MOF to provide as best as they can the estimated production by groups of species for 1994-1997. These figures are listed in Table 3. It is evident that during this period, seaweed and kelp production, predominantly Laminaria spp., dominated the landings, followed by molluscs, mainly short-necked clams. A large portion of the catches could not be separated into major species but it is felt that anchovies might have contributed substantially to the landings.

Amongst the major marine fish species caught, Alaska pollack has contributed substantially to the total production. They are caught both in the DPRK exclusive economic zone and in the high seas, including the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. The largest landing of Alaska pollack, estimated at about 120,000 mt, was recorded for 1995. The production declined sharply to 15,000 mt in 1996 and rose again in 1997 to about 66,500 mt. There was also a distinct decline in the landings of sardines from approximately 20,000 mt in 1994 to only 5 mt in 1996 and nothing in 1997. However, the production of squids and cuttlefish rose steadily from 4,600 mt in 1994 to 14,000 mt in 1997. It was believed that overfishing was the main cause of the decline of landing of Alaska pollack. Changes in the oceanographic conditions might have also contributed to the fluctuation in the abundance of marine fishes exploited, especially Alaska pollack, sardines and herring. Another factor which has to be taken into account is the lack of fuel and spare parts during the past few years, which may have impeded the marine fishing activities of the country.

Attempts were made to separate the annual landings into those from marine capture fisheries and those from coastal aquaculture and inland culture (Table 4). The Mission observed that prior to 1989, marine capture fisheries contributed about 70 percent to the total landings. However, since 1994 marine capture fisheries has contributed on the average 33 percent to the total landings of DPRK, whilst the landings from coastal aquaculture rose from 63 percent in 1994 to 73 percent in 1997. It is the opinion of the Mission that this reverse situation might have been due to the inability of the fishing vessels to work at full capacity due to the prevailing lack of fuel and spare parts.

4. Post-harvest technology development

It was acceded by the MOF authorities that the fish processing facilities and product development in DPRK were not satisfactory. The Mission was told that such facilities were installed in many fisheries plants soon after the liberation of the country in the early fifties, and thus are obsolete. Most fish and fishery products (about 80 percent) are traditionally processed using salting, drying, fermenting, boiling and steaming. Only a limited quantity is processed on board a few vessels that have fish processing facilities. Ice is not widely used for preserving the catches. There have been no measures to upgrade the standard of freshness of the products. Without an adequate amount of ice for preserving the catches on board, the products kept in cold storage are usually partly spoiled. The freezing facility and cold storage in the Nampo fish processing and export plant are outdated and have limited capacity. The Mission noted that the post-harvest facilities at the Nampo plant were similar to those used in the People's Republic of China some twenty years ago. If the Government would like to increase the export of its fish and fishery products, it should modernize the processing facilities so that its export products can compete in international markets.

5. Import and export of fishery products

According to the briefings given to the Mission by the Ministry of Fisheries EEC authorities, most of the fishery landings are used as food for the population. DPRK imports annually only a negligible quantity of fish and fishery products because of the shortage of foreign currency. The country has, however, exported fish and other aquatic organisms mainly in fresh form to China and Japan; the products exported include short-necked clams, kelp and some marine fishes such as puffers (Fugo spp.). The export volume was the highest in 1988, being 46,000 mt. Since then the volume of exports declined to only 7,000 mt in 1996 and 11,000 mt in 1997 (Table 2). The Ministry of Fisheries External Economic Cooperation Department is responsible for the trade of fish and fishery products and investment in joint ventures with foreign countries.

II. FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK OF DPRK

Government policy with respect to the fisheries sector

As indicated earlier, the significant contribution of the fisheries sector to the economic development and food security of DPRK is well recognized by the Government. In DPRK, fisheries development is an integral part of the country's economic and social development plan, and the Government has endeavored to provide material, administrative and technical support to ensure the sustainable development of the fishery resources.

The long-term objective of fisheries development of DPRK, as stated by the MOF authorities, is to modernize its fisheries industry through the application of science and technology so that the Korean people can have a healthy level of 200 grams of fish and fishery products per day. The Government has maintained a long-term policy of increasing fisheries production with a target set since 1953 for the successive economic and social development plans. A more recent fishery production target was set in 1980 by the Fifth Congress of the Korean Workers Party at five million mt per year. However, through the period of adjustment subsequent to 1980, this target has not yet been reached.

In recent years, the Government has given high priority to sea farming and coastal aquaculture as well as to freshwater fish culture. The conservation and sustainable development of marine fishery resources and the upgrading of the quality of fishery products have also received increasing attention. For the development of coastal aquaculture, high priority is given to the increased production of Laminaria seedlings for distribution to cooperative farms, and to the artificial propagation of trout and salmon as well as left-eye halibut (plaice) for stocking in the sea.

In implementing the above production policy, the Government has met with many difficulties. The Mission has identified these as:

In the past few years, the country has experienced natural calamities which have severely affected the production of aquatic organisms in the marine, inshore and inland waters;

Progress of marine resources research conducted by the East and West Sea Fishery Research Institutes has been impeded by limited budget and outdated scientific instruments and equipment, including computers and acoustic instruments for assessing the sizes of the resources;

Sea farming facilities and hatcheries have been damaged by natural calamities and there is an acute need of material and supplies such as fuel, ropes and floats;

The lack of experienced scientists and personnel as well as scientific equipment and instruments for artificial propagation of aquatic organisms prevails;

A large area of tidal land of more than 100,000 ha cannot be used effectively for shrimp culture because of the lack of funds and experience as well as essential materials such as feed and fertilizer; and

Current post-harvest practices are rudimentary and quality assurance is non-existent. The processed products for export are not of standard quality, thus limiting the volume of export.

2. Laws and regulations

As a socialist State, all economic sectors are controlled and managed under the unified guidance of the State. In so doing, the Government provides a legal framework for the development and management of the fisheries. The framework includes a Presidential Decree of October 1976 for the conservation of fishery resources, and a Presidential Order issued in 1989 to improve the protection and conservation of fishery resources. The Fisheries Law of DPRK was promulgated by the Supreme People's Assembly in January 1995. In 1997, the Cabinet issued a number of regulations for fisheries management in pursuance to the 1995 Fisheries Law.

The Ministry of Fisheries has also issued several Ministerial Regulations under the current Fisheries Law. These regulations are concerned with various fisheries management measures such as closed fishing areas, closed fishing seasons, regulations on mesh sizes and fishing methods, the prevention of pollution, and creation of hatcheries throughout the country to propagate marine and freshwater organisms for domestic consumption and for export.

Since 1993, the Government has issued laws and regulations concerning investment in the country through joint ventures with foreign countries.

The Mission was advised that the Government has occasionally examined the existing laws and regulations governing the fisheries sector with a view to improving them, taking into account the 1982 UNCLOS and recent global initiatives and instruments for the sustainable development of fisheries.

3. Fisheries development and management authorities

The fisheries development and management framework of DPRK involves authorities at both the central government and the provincial levels. The Ministry of Fisheries is the highest administrative body, overseeing the conservation of the fishery resources and the development of the fishing industry for the whole country. It is responsible for the implementation of the Fisheries Law and relevant regulations. The administrative structure of the Ministry is shown in Appendix 3.

At the provincial level, each government operates its own fisheries department, which receives policy directives, technical guidance and administrative orders from the Ministry of Fisheries to facilitate their work towards rational fisheries management and the sustainable use of the fishery resources.

4. Activities, programs and projects in support of the fisheries development and management framework

4.1 Fisheries plants and cooperative farms

The Ministry of Fisheries, through its State Fisheries, Cooperatives and Freshwater Fisheries Bureaus, operates several factories, plants, hatcheries and cooperative farms in its attempt to achieve the production target set by the Government. It was noted that the ability of these production units has been impaired in recent years because of the obsolescence of the equipment. The worn-out water-cooling system used at the Pupo Laminaria Seedling and Culture Plant in Kangryong County, South Hwanghae Province, is a case in point. The plant may have to be shut down in the near future if the system cannot be replaced with new equipment. The lack of spare parts and fuel is another major problem to be resolved in a number of State-owned fisheries companies and cooperative farms. The recent natural disasters and economic difficulties have had severe implications on the capability of these plants to produce.

4.2 Research support

Fishery research institutes regularly provide advice and recommendations to the Ministry for consideration when it is developing programmes of activity for the various State-owned fisheries companies, factories and cooperative farms. The Technical Bureau of the Ministry of Fisheries is responsible for the development of research programmes and technical work related to fisheries research. Research projects carried out by fisheries research institutes are jointly funded by the Ministry of Fisheries and the National Academy of Sciences. The latter also support research undertaken by universities.

There are eight fishery research institutes operated by the Technical Bureau of the Ministry:

1. The East Sea Fishery Research Institute located at Wonsan City, Kangwon Province. Its duties cover research on the fishery resources in the East Sea, study of fishing gear and methods as well as electronic equipment used in fishing operations and provision of recommendations to the Ministry as to suitable fishing plans for the companies and cooperative farms;

2. The West Sea Fishery Research Institute located at Nampo City, having the same functions listed above but for the West Sea;

3. Marine Aquaculture Research Institute at Munchon City, Kangwon Province, conducting marine culture research for the East Sea of Korea;

4. Marine Aquaculture Research Institute at Ongjin County, South Hwanghae Province, doing marine culture research for the West Sea of Korea;

5. Fish Processing Research Institute located in Kosong District, Sinpo City, South Hamgyong Province, doing research on fish processing;

7. Marine Aquaculture Facilities Research Institute located at Riwon, South Hamgyong Province; and

8. Freshwater Aquaculture Research Institute in Sungho District of the City of Pyongyang.

The Mission was advised that the total number of staff of the above-mentioned institutes was about 2,000, half of whom were research personnel. There are a number of constraints impeding progress of aquaculture research including lack of research facilities, especially for Laminaria culture research, and lack of experience of research staff in breeding the sea cucumber, mussels, sea urchins and clams. In marine resources research, the two fisheries research institutes lack experience in searching techniques and are in urgent need of suitable acoustic equipment for detecting fish schools and assessing the stock sizes.

4.3 Fishery information and statistical data support

The Mission undertook the searching of published fisheries reports and articles in the FAO Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstracts database and found only a few publications concerning fisheries and fishery research in DPRK. The majority of the published reports are those prepared by past FAO fishery missions and projects in DPRK. Hence the Mission had to rely on the information and data provided by the Ministry of Fisheries authorities. The Mission was advised that the Bureau of Statistics is responsible for the compilation and presentation of fisheries statistics, but it did not see any published statistical data such as a yearbook of fishery statistics. Only data that the Mission requested was seen. However, it is expected that the fishery and aquaculture research institutes possess more detailed biological and economic data which would be necessary for the subsequent preparation of relevant project proposals for external support.

4.4 International cooperation and external assistance

DPRK is a member of the United Nations, FAO and UNDP. It has ratified the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). During the past two decades, the Government has collaborated with FAO and UNDP in the development of the country's fisheries industry. The projects, financed by UNDP and executed by FAO, include DRK/86/005 and DRK/85/006 on the modernization of the East Sea Fishery Research Institute in Wansan (project value: US$ 460,000) and the Fish Processing Research Institute in Kosong (project value: US$ 800,000), and DRK/88/002 on the modernization of the Freshwater Aqauculture Research Institute in Sungho (project value: US$ 300,000). On 3 November 1997, FAO entered into an agreement with DPRK on a Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) in the country. The SPFS Exploratory Mission visited the country to initiate the preparation of the pilot phase in October/November 1997.

DPRK is a founding member of the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA). It collaborated with NACA in the early nineties in organizing a training course on the artificial breeding of abalone in Kosong.

The country has not yet received active support from non-governmental organizations nor from the private sector in the development and/or rehabilitation of the fisheries sector. The Government welcomes both financial and technical assistance from interested donors, multi-lateral agencies and financing institutions. It has also expressed interest in long-term loans and/or joint ventures, particularly with its neighboring countries, in the rehabilitation of its fishing industry.

DPRK is not a member of regional fishery bodies such as the Asia-Pacific Fishery Organization (APFIC) or Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). However, DPRK has fisheries agreements with Russia and Poland. It is considering cooperating with China in the sustainable development of the fisheries in the West Sea of Korea and the Yellow Sea.

III. ASSISTANCE NEEDED BY THE DPRK GOVERNMENT

At the debriefing meeting held on 12 October 1998, the Director of EEC, Ministry of Fisheries, conveyed to the Mission the Government's views and requested both urgent and long-term technical and financial assistance in order to modernize and/or rehabilitate the country's fisheries industry.

The Government is endeavoring to create three fishing fleets to enhance marine fishery production from the deeper parts of its exclusive economic zone and in distant waters. The fleets would each include a transport ship of about 2,000 gross mt that could deliver fuel and oil to the fleet vessels. The Government anticipates that the fleets will catch between 100,000 and 200,000 mt of fuel and oil from these waters.

The Government is aware of the obsolescence of the processing facilities in many of its fisheries cooperative plants and state-owned fisheries companies and the poor quality of the fishery products that they are now producing. In order to increase the value of the products, efforts will be made to modernize the facilities, preferably with external technical and financial assistance. It is expected that the modernization process will diversify the products and improve quality as well as packaging to attract domestic consumers and enhance export earnings.

The Government is endeavoring to modernize kelp seedling hatcheries and to diversify the kelp raw material which is now processed into dried and cut and dried forms only. It intends to modernize the kelp industry so that chemicals such as fluoride and an alginate compound can be extracted for use in the chemical and food industries.

B. The following are project proposals, for which the Government is in urgent need for technical and financial assistance in the order of priority:

Kelp is an important food source of the Korean people. In recent years, kelp production has not increased because of economic difficulties and natural disasters. The Government is in urgent need of raw material to produce ropes and floats, namely, 1,000 mt of nylon for ropes and 200 mt for floats. A number of hatcheries which produce Laminaria seedlings, including the Pupo plant, are very old and need to be rebuilt and equipped with more energy-saving facilities, including water-cooling systems. The Government anticipates that the rebuilt plants can increase substantially the kelp production over that of 1997.

Project No. 2: Increasing the production of short-necked clams and other bivalves for domestic consumption and export

Clams and other molluscs are also an important protein food source for the Korean people. However, recent production has been curtailed because of the inefficiency and old age of the vessels and fishing gear. The Government has a plan to upgrade the Unjon Fisheries Company of the State Fisheries Bureau, by equipping it with 10 new fishing vessels, each having a 200 HP marine engine, and five transport vessels to be equipped with refrigeration and freezing equipment. The fishing gear to be used includes a high-pressured water spray machine and a new type of clam raking gear. It is anticipated that this rehabilitation will greatly increase clam production over the current amount of 1,500 mt/year. A portion of this production will be allowed to grow in the inter-tidal area owned by the company for future harvest, and approximately 4,000 mt could be exported. The exported products could add US$ 3 million to the country's foreign exchange earnings.

Project No. 3: Shrimp farming in the inter-tidal areas along the western coast of Korea

The Government intends to develop tidal lands of approximately 300 000 ha, along the west coast of the country, of which about 100,000 ha has already been reclaimed. But these reclaimed tidal lands are not being used profitably for agricultural purposes. It is felt therefore that the development of marine prawn (Penaeus chinensis) culture in this waste tidal area could generate substantial income for the State. The Government has expressed its desire to receive technical assistance in the introduction of advanced technology for developing the prawn culture industry in the country.

Project No. 4: Modernization of the Fish Processing, Distribution and Export Plant in Nampo City

The Government has a plan to modernize the above fish processing, distribution and export plant, one of several fisheries plants supervised by the Ministry of Fisheries Cooperatives Bureau. It is planned that the modernized plant will be used as a prototype for the development of other plants and/or depots throughout the country. The new policy of the Government directs that plants such as the above must be financially self-sustaining. It is expected that the modernization process will enable the plant to increase its production from both capture and culture fisheries, thus providing the opportunity to export more fishery products such as short-necked clams and puffers (Fugo spp.). The export earnings will be used partly to buy fuel for the plant's fishing boats. Currently, 95 percent of the production is destined for domestic consumption with only 5 percent for export. It is hoped that the amount of fish products exported could be increased, thus generating foreign exchange earnings for the plant.

To modernize the plant, the Director of the Cooperatives Bureau advised the Mission that the following fishing implements are needed:

12-24 large-sized fishing vessels (each with a marine engine of about 200 HP) for fishing in the deeper part of the DPRK/EEZ;

20 small fishing vessels of less than 10 metres in length for collecting sea cucumbers;

The Director of the Cooperatives Bureau believed that these vessels would help increase the catch from the current 2,500 mt per year to more than 10,000 mt. He informed the Mission that the studies conducted by the West Sea Fishery Research Institute had indicated the potential yield in the sea off Nampo as approximately 30,000 mt annually. Thus, there is an opportunity to increase the catch substantially.

The Government has expressed interest in receiving technical assistance to accelerate the development of freshwater aquaculture in the country, in order to augment the food supply for the local population, considering the availability of natural lakes, reservoirs, rivers and streams and the pristine quality of the water resources. The project may be attached to the Tudan Hatchery in the City of Pyongyang.

IV. VIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MISSION

Although DPRK has limited arable land for agricultural production, it is flanked on both the east and west by seas, rich in protein food and minerals. Marine fisheries and coastal aquaculture have, therefore, played a vital role as a provider of nutritious food for the Korean people, thus ensuring the country's food security. They also contribute to the economic development of the country through export earnings and employment of a large number of people in the fisheries industry.

From the data provided to the Mission by the Ministry of Fisheries authorities, it was noted that the average per capita consumption of fish and fishery products of the DPRK people during 1988 to 1997 was high compared to other countries in the Asia and Pacific region, being more than 90 kg/year (Table 2). Most of these products were from the sea. Hence the Government has rightly given high priority to the development of coastal aquaculture and marine fisheries. If the target for per capita consumption is 200 grams per day or 73 kg/year as set by the Government, the population in the year 2010 which will amount to approximately 26 million (at an average growth rate of 1.5 percent per year) would require approximately two million mt of fish and fishery products. The total demand for fish and fishery products by 2010 may be more than two million mt, taking into account some for export. Considering the past fisheries performance of the country, the Mission is of the view that DPRK can meet this demand by intensifying both aquaculture and capture fisheries development, provided rational management measures are implemented to ensure the sustainable use of the fishery resources.

The Mission believes that there is potential for further expansion of both capture and culture fisheries. This is because the country apparently does not have overcapitalization in the fishing fleet. The fleet size is small, comprising mainly small and medium-sized fishing vessels used in small-scale fisheries in coastal and inshore waters. The gear currently used is mainly the stationary type. Many fishing boats are old and cannot fish at full capacity. There are tidal lands of more than 100,000 ha, especially on the west coast of the country, which can be used for expanding coastal aquaculture activities. DPRK also has more than 50,000 ha of inland waters, which can support the expansion of freshwater fish culture. On the other hand, it is unlikely that the country will increase substantially its marine fishery production from the high seas by expanding its distant-water fleet. This is due to recent global initiatives and arrangements, which may have implications on the expansion of high sea fisheries.

The Mission recognizes that the recent natural calamities have devastated the fishing and aquaculture industries, thus curtailing fishery production. It noted that other major constraints to production expansion are the lack of adequate investment funds and hard currency, outdated fishing and culture facilities, and lack of spare parts and fuel for fishing boats and aquaculture operations. The equipment and implements used in capture fisheries and aquaculture are, in general, outdated and are not the energy-saving type; it is felt that energy wastage may be high. There is, therefore, a need to modernize the facilities used both in capture and culture fisheries. However, these tasks may be monumental. In order to satisfy its long-term requirements for the rehabilitation of the fishing industry, the Government should seriously consider obtaining long-term loans from financing institutions or undertaking joint-venture arrangements with interested parties. It is noted that laws and regulations relevant to joint ventures have been in existence in DPRK since 1993.

To effect an increase in marine fishery production in the immediate future, the Mission would like to recommend that an additional quota of fuel and oil be allocated by the Government to the Ministry of Fisheries so that more fishing boats can operate.

The Mission observed that many of the small-sized fishing boats are rather old and are equipped with inefficient gear. Many of these boats have small engines. If these constraints could be rectified, the fisheries companies and cooperatives should be able to obtain more catches of high-value fish and bivalves from the sea. In this connection, the Mission would like to recommend that the modernization of the fishing boats and gear of the Unjon Fisheries Company and of the Nampo Cooperatives Plant (as stated in Project Nos. 2 and 4 in the previous section) would better be accomplished through joint-venture arrangements. This is because the requirements as stated need substantial investment, and donors may not be interested in providing large input into these projects.

Facilities of the Pupo kelp seedling plant should be urgently renewed and upgraded by donor assistance. If this is not possible, the Government should seek a joint-venture arrangement with foreign companies which want to import kelp. A pilot farm for polyculture of marine organisms should be established through donor funding to produce seaweed and other basic marine food items to ensure food security (see Project Idea I in Appendix 4).

A pilot farm attached to the Tudan Hatchery for integrated freshwater fish farming should be established through donor support in order to increase low cost fish production for people in rural communities (see Project Idea II in Appendix 4).

A demonstration hatchery and pilot farm for shrimp culture on the west coast should also be funded by donors. Sustainable shrimp production can generate increased foreign exchange earnings through export, which can contribute to further investments and improvements in other food producing sectors (see Project Idea III in Appendix 4).

The Mission strongly believes that marine fishery research plays an important role in the sustainable development and management of the fisheries. In DPRK there is need to strengthen the capability of both the East and West Sea Fishery Research Institutes to undertake applied research related to resources appraisal (studies on the state of the fishery resources, fluctuation in the abundance and distribution of fish stocks, etc.). Advice from the Institutes based on sound scientific evidence will enable the Ministry of Fisheries to plan fishing activities with more confidence, thus optimizing the time, effort and expenditure in the fishing activities to be carried out. It is felt that a technical assistance project aimed at increasing the capability of the scientists of the two fishery research institutes in the assessment of marine fishery resources is needed (see Project Idea IV in Appendix 4).

The most important input required for successful fishery research, planning and development is reliable information as well as timely and accurate statistical data. The Mission senses the need of DPRK for fisheries information and statistical databases, perhaps in the Ministry of Fisheries. It noted that general fisheries statistics are currently supplied by the Government's Bureau of Statistics. There are no detailed statistics on the species of fish caught nor economic data. It is felt that improvement in the collection, collation and analysis of statistical data for use in the planning for sustainable fisheries development is very much needed. The Mission is pleased to learn that FAO, through its Technical Cooperation Programme, is assisting DPRK in the improvement of the country's agricultural as well as fisheries statistics. If, however, the coverage of the fisheries statistics in that project is not adequate, the Mission would like to strongly recommend that the Ministry of Fisheries request additional technical assistance for further improvement of fisheries statistics. This is because the approach to the collection of these two types of statistics and the requirements of the users are different.

The Mission wishes to stress the importance of post-harvest technology development in DPRK. The fish processing plants in the country need substantial improvement in product development and quality assurance. In the immediate future, there is a need to install ice-making facilities in the plants, as currently only salt is used to preserve the catch on board. There is also a need to have an adequate supply of freshwater and to improve sanitary conditions in the processing plants. These basic requirements are essential if the Government intends to increase its export of fish and fishery products. The possible use of vacuum packaging and other techniques with low investment should be explored by the fisheries companies and cooperative plants in order to extend the shelf-life of traditionally processed products for domestic consumption. The Mission believes that the modernization of the Nampo Plant as requested by the Government in Project No. 4 would better be arranged through joint ventures with foreign investors because of the magnitude of the requirements for modernization.

The Mission would like to draw the attention of the Government authorities to the beneficial role of regional cooperation. The latter will help DPRK to achieve self-reliance in the management and sustainable development of fisheries. There are a number of regional fishery bodies which DPRK could make use of, including the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC), Network of the Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA), and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Among the regional programmes is the Southeast Asian Programme in Ocean Law Policy and Management (SEAPOL), a non-governmental entity which DPRK could make use of in marine affairs, fisheries and environmental legislation. Regional cooperation will help the country save time and money in the conduct of research and studies as these bodies and programmes promote exchange of data and information. Furthermore, these bodies provide fora for the exchange of ideas and for the strengthening of collaboration in the management of shared and straddling fish stocks. It is expected that several fish stocks exploited by the DPRK fleet in both the East and West Seas are also exploited by neighboring countries. In this case the management regime imposed by one country on a part of the life cycle of the species exploited will be futile if similar action is not taken by others that share the exploitation of the fish stocks.

Finally, the Mission concurs with the priority accorded by the Government to the required assistance projects. Details of the four project ideas listed in order of priority are attached as Appendix 4:

Table 1. Number of mechanized fishing boats classified by length and size of engine

Displacement Tonnage

Gross tons

Length (Metres)

HP of the Engine

Number

3 750

485

270

140

2 759

267

150

23-25

20-23

16-18

2 250

400

200

1 545

Source: Ministry of Fisheries

Year

Production

(mt)

Non food use

Import (mt)

Export (mt)

Available supply for domestic consumption (mt)

Population (Million)

Per capita supply kg/yr.

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

3 600 000

3 700 000

2 200 000

2 000 000

1 160 000

1 010 000

990 000

720 000

negligible

quantity

46 047

22 090

19 021

18 692

28 276

33 678

26 035

24 022

7 303

10 896

3 553 953

3 677 910

2 180 979

1 981 308

1 971 724

1 966 322

1 133 965

985 978

982 697

709 104

177.7

183.9

109.0

99.1

98.6

98.3

54.0

44.8

44.7

32.2

Average Production during 1988-1997

1 940 000

23 606

1 914 394

20.7

92.5

Source: Ministry of Fisheries

Species

1994

1995

1996

1997

Marine fish Pollack

Sardines

Atka Mackerel

Trout

Squid

Flat fish

Other fishes

Crustaceans

Bivalves

Seaweeds

75 065

19 701

3 477

116

4 635

2 318

216 849

26 654

70 690

739 349

120 219

3 480

949

3 164

2 953

169 721

21 091

68 546

664 371

15 369

6 487

1 196

8 892

1 966

150 662

33 931

77 842

701 579

66 578

3 535

100

14 192

6 972

133 350

15 265

66 644

419 147

Total

1 158 854

1 054 557

997 959

725 783

Source: Ministry of Fisheries

Table 4. Fish production in DPRK sorted out by source of production


Year	From marine Capture		From aquaculture			Total
	(1000 mt)	Percentage of the total production	Marine (1000 mt)	Inland	Percentage of the total production
1987 1989 1994 1995 1996 1997	2 700 2 900 443 396 328 183	71% 68% 37% 37% 32% 27%	1 075 1 375 739 664 702 501	5 7 7 5.4 5.6 3.53	29% 32% 63% 63% 68% 73%	3 780 000 4 282 000 1 189 000 1 065 400 1 035 600 687 530

Item

Year

Unit

Production

1. Freshwater fish production

Common carp

Crucian carp

Grass carp

Big head

Silver carp

Rainbow trout

Gray mullet

1996

3 054

101

572

150

264

Fingerlings of freshwater fish

Common carp

Crucian carp

Grass carp

Silver carp

1996

Thousand ps.

635 490

65 160

39 640

54 430

158 930

2. Marine aquaculture production

2.1 Molluscs

Mussels

Oysters

Short neck clams

Hard shell clams

Scallops

2.2 Seaweed

Laminaria

Undaria

Porphyra

1997

490 791

66 644

3 848

10 730

7 015

745

419 147

375 577

33 433

8 137

Appendix 1

Terms of Reference

Proposed mission members: 1. Dr. Deb Menasveta, Team Leader (Fisheries Development Programming Specialist);

The fisheries Development Programming Mission will undertake a comprehensive survey to update existing information on the fisheries sector covering the pre-crisis situation of the 1980s and early 1990s. It will assess the role of the fisheries sector, its role in income generation, food security and nutrition; identify short-term rehabilitation needs and the long-term development potential; and assist the Government with the formulation of a development strategy and programmes and projects for possible international financing consideration. The objectives of the mission are as follows:

3. To assess the role of fisheries for food security and nutrition, and estimate demand and market prospects for fishery products from DPRK EEZ, local and for export;

4. To review fisheries management policies and practices and advise on their appropriateness for sustainability, economic optimization of resource use and food security;

5. To assess development constraint and potential and identify Government development strategy;

6. To evaluate prospects for joint ventures and international cooperation for reactivating the fishing industry; and

7. To identify priority projects in fisheries rehabilitation for immediate implementation, including projects aimed at increased production and improvements of distribution to benefit vulnerable groups.

The mission will be carried out over a period of six weeks, two weeks for field work and four weeks for the assembly of information and data as well as report writing by two international specialists in fisheries policy and development planning and aquaculture. The Government will assign one full-time expert in the respective disciplines to each of the experts. The TOR of individual experts are as follows:

Fisheries development programming specialist: The expert should have an advanced degree(s) in fisheries science and at least ten years of international experience in fisheries development and management planning. He/she will:

Aquaculture expert: The expert should have a university degree in biology and a minimum of seven years of international experience in aquaculture research and development including freshwater and shellfish culture. He/she will:

b) Identify the main areas where aquaculture is undertaken and comment on the aquaculture potential in DPRK, including reclaimed tidal land;

c) Review techniques in aquaculture and seaweed farming including nursery techniques, feed sources and feeding practices and stocking of natural and artificial freshwater bodies with fingerlings;

d) Identify the importance of aquaculture for household food security and advise on improvements; and

e) Identify priority programmes and projects in aquaculture for immediate implementation by donors accessible to DPRK.

Appendix 2

Major group

Common English name

Scientific name

Aquatic plants

kelp

seaweed

kelp

Laminaria cicherroides

L. japonica

Porphyla tenera

Gracilaria verrucosa

Costaria costata

Undria pinatifida

Echinoderms

sea cucumber

Stichopus japonicus

Cucemaria japonica

Heliocidris crassispina

Molluscs

oysters

abalone

mussels

hard clams

scallops

ark shells

short-necked clams

round clams

sea snails

squid

cuttle fish

octopus

Ostrea gigas

Ostrea cucullata

Ostrea rivularis

Haliotis discus

Mytilus edulis

Meretrix meretrix

Pecten yessoensis

Arca inflata

Venerupis philippinarum

Sinonovacula constricta

Solen grandis

Mactra veneriformis

Mactra sulcataria

Rapana thomasiana

Neptunea intersculputa

Todarodes pacificus

Loligo japonica

Sepia esculenta

Octopus vulgaris

Crustaceans

king crab

hairy crab

blue crab

prawns

shrimp

acetes shrimp

Chionoecetes apilio

Paralithodes camtshatica

Erimaculus isenbeckii

Neptunus trituberculatus

Helice tridens

Charybdis sexdentata

Pandalus hypsinotus

Penaeus chinensis

Acetes chinensis

Neomysis isaza

Major group

Common English name

Scientific name

Fish

ice fish

common carp

catfish

grass carp

snakehead

eel

halfbeak

Alaska pollack

rainbow trout

trout

salmon

flatfish

rays

sturgeon

herring

sardines

anchovies

cod

mullet

perch

croaker

bream

red bream

hairtail

horse mackerel

Spanish mackerel

promfret

Hypomesus olidus (Pallas)

Cyprinus carpio (Linn.)

Carassius auratus

Parasilurus asotut (Linn.)

Misgurus anguillicaudatus (Cantor)

Hypophtalmichthys molitrix (Cuvier et Valenciennes)

Ctenopharygodon idella

(Cuvier et Valenciennes)

Ophiocephalus argus (Cantor)

Anguilla japonica Temminck et Schlegel

Cololabis saira (Brevoort)

Hemiramphus sajori

Theragra chalcogramma

Salmo irideus (Gibbons)

Oncorhynchus masou (Brevoort)

Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum)

Salvelinus mahna (Walbaum)

Plecoglossus altivelis

Temminck et Schelgel

Dasyatis akajei (M�ller et Henle)

Raja kenojei (M�ller et Henle)

Acipenser mikadoi Hilgendorf

Clupea pallasii (Cuvier et Valenciennes)

Sardinia melanostica (Temminck & Schelgel)

Harengula zunasi Bleeker

Setipinna gilberti Jordan & Starks

Engraulis japonicus

Gadus macrocephalus Tilesius

Mugil cephalus Linnaeus

Lateolabax japonicus (Cuvier & Valenciennes)

Pseudosciaena polydactis Bleeker

Pagrosomus major (Temminck & Chlegel)

Evynnis japonica Tanaka

Trichiurus haumela (Forckal)

Trachurus japonicus

Sawara niphonia

Scumberomorus commerson

Stromateoides argenteus

Major group	Common English name	Scientific name
	mackerel tuna skipjack sandlance rock fish Atka mackeral left eye flunder file fish puffer moonfish	Pneumatophourus japonicus Thunnus thunnus Katsuwonus pelamis Ammodytes personatus Sebastes schlegeli Pleurogrammus azonus Paralichthys olivaceous Cleisthenes herzensteini Limanda herzensteini Glyptocephalus stelleri Stephanolepis cirrhifer Sphoeroides porphyreus Sphoeroides rubripes Sphoroides parolis Mola mola
Reptiles	turtles	Trionyx sinensis
Marine mammals	dolphins whales seals	Lagenorhynchus obliquideus Balaenoptera physalus Balaenoptera musulus Physeter catadon Callorchinus usinus

Appendix 3

* e.g. the prawn farm operated by the Ministry of Light Industry in Onchon, South

Appendix 4

The Korean West Sea which is connected to the Chinese Yellow Sea, is generally shallow with a mean depth of 39.3 m while the deepest part is 118 m. The water temperature ranges from 1^oC in winter to 26^oC in summer. Several islands which are natural shelters from storms, are distributed throughout the sea. The fertile mudflats resulting from the major non-polluted rivers along the west coast cover 659,629 ha. Many sites along the coast are ideal for seafarming for basic marine food items, particularly Laminaria, Undaria, and Porphyra seaweeds, oysters, mussels, scallops, abalone, and clams. In the 1950s, DPRK started commercial mariculture on a large scale. Hence, the existing mariculture experience will accelerate its development if the key constraints such as shortage of equipment and materials are taken care of. In contrast with other agricultural activities, seafarming is not affected by droughts or floods. This type of mariculture also does not rely on imported ferlilizer like other main crops do.

Since the early 1990s, mariculture production has declined continuously due to natural disasters, and for various technical reasons such as lack of fuel, old facilities and shortage of spare parts. In 1997, the production of Laminaria, Undaria, and Porphyra seaweeds, oysters and scallops were only 375,577; 33,433; 8,137; 10,730; and 64 mt respectively (Table 5).

It was reported that the production of the most economically important brown seaweed, kelp (Laminaria japonicus), used to reach 1 million mt (wet weight). This figure shows that the country possesses a high capacity in Laminaria seedling and growout production. Kelp is a favourite marine vegetable for Koreans and over 1 million mt is needed by the domestic market to ensure food security for the rural poor. Processed kelp in pickled and dried forms can also be exported to Japan, China and Russia for foreign exchange earnings. In the future, there is the possibility of establishing an algenate extraction plant in DPRK, if the production of kelp is in excess of domestic food requirements. Algenates are used in industries such as food, dyeing, paper, and cosmetics.

Similar to other plants, the Pupo Laminaria seedling production plant in Kangryong County, South Hwanghae Province, which is the largest of its kind in the country, may be shut down in the very near future due to the poor condition of its machines. This means that kelp culture production in DPRK will return to the level of the small-scale traditional production of the early 1950s which relied on wild seed only. Seed production is essential to maintain and enhance food production from kelp mariculture. Seed production in summer using controlled low-temperature water in the seedling plant also shortens the culture period by 2-3 months. Otherwise, spore collected from the growout area in June have to wait until autumn for seedling production in naturally cold water. Therefore, the most urgent aid from donors to renew the facilities in this seedling plant is needed.

In order to increase mariculture production to meet both local and export demands, to reduce production cost per unit area by fully utilizing the water column, to reduce water pollution by minimizing animal waste, a new model, polyculture of marine organisms should be introduced to the country. The polyculture system is a rational arrangement and a combination of cultured species, facilities and growout cycle in one area. Considering the long history of kelp culture using floating rafts in DPRK, the basic facilities and skills are available for the development of this new polyculture model. Scallops Pecten yessoensis, Oysters Crassostrea gigas, and Abalone Holiotis discus are native species which can be polycultured with kelp. In order to minimize the time required for development, technologies which have been commercially successful in neighbouring countries, particularly in China and Japan, should be introduced. The NACA TCDC (Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries) concept has been widely accepted in the region as it is a fast and cost effective mechanism for technology transfer for aquaculture development.

If the renewal of the Pupo Laminaria seedling plant and the introduction of the polyculture model at its growout area are successful, the mariculture industry in DPRK could be further expanded by using foreign currency earned from exports of marine products for investment and expansion in other provinces. Donor funds for this initial programme would be seed money for further development.

OBJECTIVES

1. Immediate objectives

To improve the existing facilities of the Pupo Laminaria seaweed seedling plant

To transfer selected polyculture technologies of marine organisms which have been successful in China

2. Long-term objectives

In the long-run, this programme will promote the development of mariculture which will increase food production for both food security and foreign exchange. The living standard will be improved.

WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES

1. Renewal of the Pupo Laminaria seedling plant

As they are urgently required, the following facilities should be installed before the next seedling operation in summer 1999:

water cooling units (14X100,000 kcal/hr ammonia-compressor with 80 kw motor) including condenser

Donors or joint partners are requested to supply the above equipment and machines (worth about US$ 1 million) which are not locally available. The DPRK government will be responsible for renovation of the buildings of 6,000 m², thegreen house, seedling tanks, sedimentation tanks, filtration tanks and water storage tanks.

If the above renewal is completed before the summer of 1999, this seedling plant should produce at least 300 million pieces of young seedlings (sporelings) which woul be enough to stock 200 ha of the total 1,300 ha area in the winter of 1999. In the year 2000, production of mature kelp (sporophyte) from this plant could reach 30,000 mt. Thereafter, the plant can utilize its own foreign currency earnings from exports of kelp to import materials such as PVC ropes and floats to further expand the culture area.

2. Pilot farm for shallow sea polyculture

2.1 Polyculture models

There are many polyculture models which are suitable for the conditions in DPRK. The main input required is kelp and mollusc seed. The food production models are not reliant on any external fertiliser. Suitable models include:

Kelp-scallop model: Two species, kelp (Laminaria japonicus) and scallops (Argopecten irradians or Pecten yessoensis) are cultured at one culture site. They share environmental conditions and benefit each other. Excreta from scallops benefit kelp by acting as fertlizer while scallops feed on plankton growing on kelp leaves. The model has been popularly adopted in China and yielded high food production and income per unit area.

Kelp-oyster model : This model uses a similar integration concept to the kelp-scallop model. But scallops are replaced by oysters (Crassostrea gigas).

Kelp-abalone model: Laminaria and Undaria seaweeds are the favourite feed of abalone (Holiotis discus) which is herbivorous. The advantage is that cultured abalone can feed on fresh and high-nutrient seaweed at the site which reduces the feed transportation costs. Abalone waste is also used as fertilizer for seaweed.

2.2 Pilot farms

Kelp-scallop: A suitable experimental scale for this model is a 10 ha area. Kelp is cultured along the floating PVC rope rafts while scallops are placed in lantern cage nets hanging from the same rafts. Within a one ha area, 150,000 kelp seedlings can be optimally stocked with 3.6 million scallop seeds. The culture period for kelp is 8 months, from November to June, while for scallops it is also 8 months, from May to December.

Kelp-oyster: A 10 ha pilot farm is stocked with kelp and oysters using the same method and stocking rates as the kelp-scallop model. The culture period for oysters is approximately 12 months, from March to February.

Kelp-abalone: One ha of kelp culture area should be reserved for experimental kelp-abalone polyculture. 900,000 abalone seeds are stocked in 1,800 abalone cages which are hung from kelp floating rafts. Kelp leaves are regularly picked to feed the abalone in the cages. Abalone takes approximately 2-3 years to reach marketable size.

Mollusc seeds can be obtained either in the wild or from the hatchery produced at the Shallow Seafarming Research Institute in Kosong.

2.3 Materials required for pilot farms

In order to establish the above pilot farms, the following imported materials (worth US$ 100,000) are required:

INPUT

1. Donor(s)/joint partner

Apart from the replacement of the kelp seedling equipment and the materials required for pilot farms, donor funds are also needed for three experts, including two biologists (seaweed and mollusc) and one engineer with over 10 years experience in marine-polyculture. They should stay at least one year at the project site.

A two-week training/study tour to the Yellow Sea Fisheries Institute in Qingdao, China for 5 key staff of the plant is also necessary.

Some operating materials which have to be imported, such as chemical fertilizer, fuel and chemicals, should be covered by donor(s) or a joint partner.

Approximately US$ 1.4 million is required from donor(s) or a joint partner for such development.

2. DPRK Government

The government will bear the costs for the renovation of the kelp seedling plant building, local operating expenses as well as 1,210 labours and 50 technical and administrative staff.

OUTPUT

From one crop, the production of a 200 ha kelp farm and its pilot farms is expected to comprise :

This is a substantial production of food with an anticipated value of approximately UA$ 3 million. The farm has the potential to generate revenue as well as food for rural people. The government will also benefit from human capacity building and the contribution of the project to rural development and food security.

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

In the past few years, plant and animal production in the country has declined mainly due to natural disasters and economic problems which have created a shortage of fertilizer, feed and fuel. Total inland aquaculture and culture based fisheries production (hatchery produced fingerlings stocked in natural waters) from a 67,000 ha areas, decreased from 13,500 mt in 1994 to 5,500 mt in 1996. Only 572 mt of Crucian carp (Carassius auratus), 264 mt of Silver carp (Hypophthalmicthys molitrix), 150 mt of Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), 101 mt of Common carp (Cyprinus carpio), 26 mt of Bighead (Aristichthys nobilis) and 22 mt of Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were produced in 1996 (Table 5). In 1996, all the hatcheries in DPRK produced 635.5 million fingerlings. The Tudan Hatchery is one of the biggest and most efficient freshwater fish breeding stations located in Pyongyang City and mainly supplies fish fingerlings to Pyongyang City and South Pyongan Province. Due to competition with grain and vegetable farms for manure fertilizer, most of the fingerlings were released in lakes, reservoirs and rivers instead of stocking the existing 12,000 ha of cooperative or state owned ponds. During this economic crisis, freshwater fish produced from integrated fish farming renders a major opportunity for providing a cheap protein source with low input. It can make an important contribution to solving the malnutrition problem in DPRK.

Integrated freshwater fish farming in China is a traditional technology which has been improved and modified by the Asian-Pacific Regional Research and Training Centre for Integrated Fish Farming (IFFC), Wuxi. This system combines rationally the energy from the sun, plants, animals and microorganisms. As a result, there is more output such as different types of fish (silver carp, bighead, grass carp, common carp and crucial carp), ducks, chickens and vegetables with lower operational costs. Waste materials like manure, feed residue, and pond waste can be fully utilized in this ecological system. Most of the 10,938 million mt of freshwater fish produced in China in 1996 was a product of this system. Since its beginning, NACA has focused on this technology and selected IFFC as its Regional Lead Centre for training and research on this particular subject because it is considered most appropriate for rural development and poverty alleviation.

The large water resources in DPRK are quite good for aquaculture development. Besides the Daedong, Chongchon and other major rivers, there are hundreds of lakes and over 1,700 man-made reservoirs as well as many irrigation canals distributed all over the country. It was estimated that there is a total area of over 500,000 ha suitable for freshwater aquaculture. At present, a very small portion of these areas is used for pond culture. The Tudan Station is one of 120 freshwater fish hatcheries which has many skilled technicians and facilities for freshwater fingerling production Most of the hatcheries have adopted the natural fertilization method for common carp propagation and the artificial insemination method for grass carp, bighead and silver carp propagation. Pond culturing fish is more convenient and efficient than stocking fish in natural waters. Therefore, integrated fish farming is the most suitable mechanism for increasing the protein source for the rural community in DPRK.

OBJECTIVES

1. Immediate objective

2. Long-term objectives

Through the large increase in carp which is a low cost protein source, poverty will be alleviated and food security improved.

WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES

1. Size of pilot farm

The total area required for a pilot farm is 28 ha, including 20 ha for fish ponds, 7 ha for embankments and 1 ha for poultry, livestock and housing. A chicken farm comprising pens, cages and a house for 10,000 egg layers, a clinic and roads requires approximately 0.5 ha. A pig farm with a maximum capacity for fattening 250 pigs at the rate of 1.5-2 cycles per year requires 0.3 ha. If a pig farm is not desired, a dairy farm with a cattle barn and outdoor grounds of the same size (0.3 ha) is adequate for 75 cows with a mean weight of 350 kg per head. An alternative is to divide this plot of land equally using half each for pigs and cattle. A 0.2 ha area is reserved for staff housing, roads and open ground.

2. Fish ponds

The 20 ha area for fish ponds as stated above is divided into 4 ha for seed nursery and brooder ponds and 16 ha for growout ponds. The size of each nursery and brooder pond is similar (0.2-0.3 ha), but the depth of the nursery ponds (1.5 and 1-1.2 m) is shallower than the brooder ponds (2.5 m and 2.0 m). The shape of the growout ponds is preferably rectangular in an east-west direction with a length of 100 m and a width of 64 m. The depth is 2.5 m with water at a maximum depth of 2 m. Following the wind direction, the horizontal dikes should extend be from east to west while the vertical dikes should be north to south. The horizontal dikes are also utilized for grass and vegetables using pond water for irrigation while the vertical dikes serve as roads. The width of the horizontal dike is preferably 20-32 m but a 3 m wide vertical dike is adequate for a cart, small truck, or hand tractor. The pond slope should be 1:2. The total earthwork for the fish ponds, embankments and canals is estimated at 170,000-200,000 m³.

3. Recommended models for integration

3.1 Chicken-pig/cattle-vegetable/grass-fish model

In general, all animal manure can be utilized for pond fertilizer to increase the levels of both phytoplankton and zooplankton for fish feeding. Chicken manure after being disinfected and deodorized can be used for 30% of pig feed. Vegetable wastes can be utilized for feeding pigs, fish and chickens. Fresh chicken manure can also be used for fly and maggot production for omnivorous fish supplementary feeding. Pig manure and cow dung are used in planting rye and Sudan grass for cattle grazing and feeding grass carp as well as directly for vegetable growing. Cow dung can also serve as a base material for mushroom production. These base materials can be processed for fish culture. Herbivore excreta is used directly for filtering fish. Pond mud is applied as fertilizer for grass/vegetable production. There is no waste in this integrated process which is a highly efficient food production system.

Grass carp and Wuchang fish (Meglobrama amphelacephlus) are major herbivorous stocking species with minor stocking of omnivorous fishes. The stocking ratio should be decided in the light of local conditions and available pond input. Stocking density of all fish should be 6,000 fingerlings/ha.

As mentioned above, pond dikes and slope areas can be utilized for crop production at the rate of 30-50% of the total pond area. The total production area for planting crops can reach 8 ha with a total rye and Sudan grass production of 1,800 mt which is more than enough to produce 106,000 kg (6,625 kg/ha) of fish (81,500 kg or 5,095 kg/ha of herbivorous fish, 24,500 kg or 1,530 kg/ha of filtering and omnivorous fish).

On this pilot farm, 10,000 egg-laying chickens are kept for 12-18 months for one cycle. A total of 375-500 pigs per year are fattened on this pilot farm.

3.2 Fish-duck model

One 6,400 m²fishpond is constructed for fish-duck farming. Simple duck pens are constructed on the embankments and corners of the dike for "dry run" activity; with pen space of 0.25 m²/duck or 250 m²/pond. The water area adjacent to the duck pens should be fenced for "wet run" activity with an average space of 0.3-0.4 m² per duck or 300-400 m² per pond. The duck waste in the pens should be swept into the ponds for feeding the fish and fertilizing the pond water. The duck droppings during swimming in the fenced area in the ponds can be directly consumed by the fish. The ducks will be fed partially with vegetables and occasionally with unwanted fish harvested from the ponds.

Common carp should be used as the major stocking species. This model should also be polystocked with filtering fish and Wuchang fish. The stocking density of all fish is 5,000 fingerlings/ha. Rotatory harvesting of the fish is generally practised. A total of 1,000 ducks including broilers and egg layers, should be stocked per pond. The favourite strain is the Khaki-Cambel cross. A pond of 6,400 m² is expected to produce 4,500 kg of fish (common carp, silver carp, big-head carp and Wuchang fish).

INPUT

1. Donor contributions

It was estimated that approximately US$ 400,000 is required from donors in order to pay for the following:

2. Government contributions

NACA and Chinese MOFTEC can provide the funds for two DPRK biologists per year to attend the 3-month integrated fish farming training course at IFFC in Wuxi, China.

OUTPUT

It is estimated that there will be the following output per year from the pilot farm:

Apart from income generated from the above production, DPRK will benefit from staff training, facility development, new technology transfer and increased capacity for food production for the rural poor.

PROJECT IDEA III: SHRIMP HATCHERY AND EXTENSIVE PONDS

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

Since the 1970s, penaeid shrimp have been important for earning foreign currency due to the very high demand in international markets. There are about 8-10 species of penaeid shrimp which can be cultured. Among them, Penaeus chinensis (former orientalis) is the economically important species dwelling in the Yellow Sea/Korean West Sea which has been cultured in China since 1978. The expansion of growout shrimp farming areas in China followed the success of the mass production of shrimp fry. However, viral diseases attacked the shrimp farming industry in China which caused the annual production to decrease sharply from 200,000 mt in early 1990. It is believed that poor pond conditions caused by excessive shrimp feed waste and uneaten feed in semi-intensive ponds accelerated the spread of viral diseases. It is also not economical to use better quality feed with high protein for the intensive culture of P. monodon or P. japonicus because there will be a lot of feed loss in larger semi-intensive ponds. It is not possible to remove regularly the polluted bottom of large semi-intensive ponds in order to eliminate disease. Therefore, the extensive culture system is now widely accepted in China as it is does not cause self-pollution; there are less disease problems and the investment requirements are lower.

Korea is suitable for the culture of Penaeus chinensis which is a temperate species. Along the west coast, there are over 100,000 ha of tidal land which may be suitable for the extensive culture of shrimp. Extensive culture is most suitable because there are no pumping costs and it is a low technology system requiring low input. Extensive farming is also more suitable during the early stage of shrimp farming development. It usually takes time to educate and train farmers who have no background in shrimp farming. Many new shrimp industries have collapsed because they started with high technology, intensive culture. During the economic crisis, the extensive system which requires no water pumping, aeration or feeding is the most suitable culture system for DPRK. There are also plenty of wild spawners available in the Korean West Sea area. Its fertile water resources are far from industrial, agricultural and municipal pollution. Water salinity in the coastal area is brackish which is mainly caused by the runoff of many major rivers. This can solve the problem of high pond salinity caused by evaporation while water exchange is minimal. Shrimp is the only promising cultivable species for export to international markets and a controlled and sustainable development of shrimp aquaculture in suitable coastal areas can contribute to the generation of foreign currency for rural development.

OBJECTIVES

1. Immediate objectives

Coastal resource assessment to evaluate potential for sustainable shrimp aquaculture, followed by site selection for both a pilot shrimp hatchery and growout farm on the west coast.

Development of a pilot hatchery to provide healthy postlarvae and a pilot growout farm for demonstration purposes.

2. Long-term objective

The long-term objective is sustainable shrimp production so as to earn foreign currency which can be used for rural development and contribute to the increase of other food production.

WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES

1. Preliminary work

An assessment of sites, opportunities and constraints for environmentally sustainable shrimp culture development in DPRK, including the identification of suitable locations for a pilot hatchery and growout farm should be urgently implemented.

2. Pilot hatchery

An indoor pilot hatchery with a production capacity of 5 million postlarvae per crop is recommended. The total capacity of postlarval (PL) production tanks is 225 m³. It is expected that only two crops can be produced each year due to a cooler water temperature than in China. The hatchery site should be convenient for transportation of wild spawners caught by gill nets from the sea. Catching of spawners by trawlers as generally practised in many countries, may not be possible at this stage due to the shortage of fuel and mechanized boats. The hatchery should be located close to a fishing port or fish landing area where seawater is clean and clear. This site should also be accessible by road and have electricity. The hatchery site must definitely be accepted by an expert before construction begins. In general, PL production of P. chinensis is less complicated than it is for P. monodon. The feeding regime is also easier.

3. Pilot growout farm

The tidal range on the west coast is approximately 6.0 m which is more than enough to fill up the ponds in tidal areas without any pumping. For pond construction, it is possible to use the ground level as the pond bottom in order to minimize earth moving work. The earth moving work for each pond is excavating the inside peripheral ditches adjacent to the dike position and using this soil to build the pond dikes. This method is easier than earth removal by grading the ground from the pond centre to build the dikes. During culturing, shrimp will converge at the deeper area of the ditch to avoid the heat during the day time. The shallow part at the center can be used to produce benthic organisms grazed by shrimp on the pond bottom. Another advantage is easier harvesting because shrimp will accumulate in this ditch after discharge of the pond water.

The optimal size of an extensive pond is 10 ha. One inlet and one outlet gate following the wind direction are needed for good water circulation. Only one crop of shrimp from April to October can be cultured in DPRK. Stocking density is 2-4 postlarvae/m² or 20,000 to 40,000 PL/ha. Therefore this pilot farm requires 2-4 million PL annually to stock 10 ponds. With an average production of 500 kg/ha, this pilot farm (100 ha) can produce 50 mt of shrimp annually. Due to poor road conditions, it is necessary to have a refrigerated truck to transport the frozen products from the cold storage to the export harbour. This will also be used to transport shrimp harvested from other farms to the project cold storage. During non-shrimp harvesting seasons, this cold storage can be utilized for other fishery products.

INPUT

1. Hatchery

2. Growout ponds

OUTPUT

Total postlarvae production will be 10 million per year based on two production cycles/year. As a pilot farm requires only 2-4 million PL per year, the rest can be supplied to other cooperative/state owned farms. Revenue from selling shrimp fry will be used to produce the next crop.

Anticipated pond production will total 50 mt per year which can yield approximately US$ 500,000 foreign exchange from exports. This income will be re-invested in the step-wise expansion of hatchery and growout ponds.

PROJECT IDEA IV: STRENGTHENING OF THE MARINE FISHERY RESEARCH CAPACITY OF DPRK

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

Although DPRK has only 15 percent arable land used mainly for agricultural production, the country is fortunate to have seas on both its east and west sides. The East and West Seas of Korea have been a major source of food supply for the Korean people for a long time. The important role of fisheries as a provider of food, employment and income was recognized by the late President Kim Il Sung and the current Chairman of the Korean Workers Party and Defense Committee, Mr. Kim Jong Il. Fisheries development has, therefore, been an integral part of the country's economic and social development plans since the birth of the country in the early fifties.

To provide food for its population, DPRK has exploited marine fishery resources in both its exclusive economic zone and the high seas. The Ministry of Fisheries is assigned by the Government to oversee the rational use and conservation of the fishery resources. Fish production is the responsibility of the three bureaus of the Ministry, namely, the State Bureau of Fisheries, the Cooperatives Bureau and the Freshwater Fisheries Bureau. Marine capture fisheries in inshore and coastal waters is carried out by the State-owned fisheries companies as well as by the Cooperatives Bureau fisheries plants. However, fishing operations in the deep sea and in distant waters are under the responsibility of the State Fisheries Bureau.

DPRK has a small distant-water fishing fleet comprising eight large-sized fishing vessels, operating in the deeper waters of the East and West Seas and in the Bering and Okhotsk Seas. The majority of the mechanized fishing boats used by both the State Bureau of Fisheries and the Cooperatives Bureau in coastal water fisheries are small and medium-sized, totaling slightly more than 1,500. The majority of the medium-sized vessels with 200 HP or more are equipped with trawl nets. The smaller vessels used in coastal and inshore waters have low-power engines, on the average 30 HP, and are equipped mainly with a stationary type of gear.

The fishery landings of DPRK were highest in 1989, being approximately 3.7 million mt. Of this total, marine capture fisheries contributed about 2.9 million mt whilst the remainder was from marine and inland culture. The marine fishery production declined sharply reaching the lowest level of around 180,000 mt in 1997. It is interesting to note a similar decline in marine catches in the inshore and coastal waters of the Republic of Korea during this period. The DPRK Government authorities attributed the cause of the decline in the landings of several marine fish species including Alaska pollack to overfishing. Other causes include the change of oceanographic conditions induced by recent climate change, which may have had implications on the distribution of several fish stocks exploited, and the long-term fluctuation in the abundance of some species of economic importance. The shortage of fuel oil and spare parts due to the prevailing economic difficulties and natural calamities, as well as the age of many of the small and medium-sized fishing boats that require frequent repairs and maintenance may be the other factors limiting the capacity of the fleet to produce. There has been no conclusive evidence from any study or research carried out by the country's fishery research institutes on the causes of the decline in the abundance of the marine fish stocks exploited. It is noted, however, that the East Sea and West Sea Fishery Research Institutes are mandated to provide the Ministry of Fisheries in the spring of each year relevant information and a forecast on the state of the exploited fish stocks to facilitate the Ministry's planning for fishing activities for the following year.

Judging from the present fleet size and its condition, it is felt that marine capture fisheries production in the DPRK exclusive economic zone can be increased over the 1997 level, but a precautionary approach has to be adopted by the Government through the implementation of effective fisheries management systems, so that the fish stocks will be exploited at the optimal level, thus ensuring the sustainability of the exploited resources.

In so doing, the role of the East and West Sea Fishery Research Institutes, as providers of a sound scientific basis for production expansion and for resources management must be strengthened. Furthermore, in the future, the situation will require DPRK to increase cooperation with neighboring countries and others in adopting suitable sub-regional or regional fisheries management schemes in compliance with the 1995 Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks as well as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. This cooperation will definitely require both reliable information and data on the DPRK fisheries as well as experienced research scientists in the assessment of the fishery resources commonly exploited.

The Mission was not able to examine the information and statistical data accumulated by the fishery research institutes. But from the selected data requested from the authorities, it was felt that there is a need to develop a suitable database from which fishery information and data can be retrieved easily. Moreover, there is definitely a need to improve the accuracy and coverage of the data accumulated.

The Government authorities pointed out the lack of experience of scientists in collating and analyzing the data collected and in the use of modern techniques to detect and locate fish schools as well as in the assessment of fishery resources for both exploitation and management. The Mission agreed that the scientists of the two institutes have been working in isolation for a long time and need to be acquainted with new methodologies and techniques employed in resources appraisal.

The natural calamities and economic difficulties experienced by DPRK in recent years have seriously affected the work of the two Fishery Research Institutes. The Ministry of Fisheries authorities conceded that, with limited budget due to the economic difficulties, the Institutes could not afford to acquire new scientific equipment and instruments essential for the conduct of research on fish stocks. Many instruments and equipment are now worn-out. A case in point is the echo sounder, provided by the FAO/UNDP project in the 1985 fishery resources survey of the East Sea Research Institute, which has for several years been out of order due to damage to one of the electronic components which cannot be replaced. As a result, the East Sea Fishery Research Institute has had difficulty conducting investigations on the distribution of commercially important fish stocks and estimating the sizes of the stocks to be exploited.

Acoustic surveys to assess the abundance of the exploited pelagic fish stocks have been conducted by several countries in Asia and the Pacific. In the late seventies, the FAO/UNDP South China Sea Fisheries Development and Coordinating Programme was instrumental in promoting acoustic surveys in the South China Sea. With its assistance, acoustic equipment was installed in a number of research vessels of the countries bordering the South China Sea, and several training courses on the application of acoustic surveys in resources appraisal were conducted for the benefit of these countries by the South China Sea Programme. Since then the technologies involved in this survey method has been advanced a great deal. It is felt that DPRK will benefit from the use of acoustic techniques in the survey of fishery resources and the results can be used in formulating appropriate fisheries management and development plans in the future.

It is believed that the above rationale justifies a development assistance project aimed at helping DPRK to achieve self-reliance in fishery resource research such that the results can be used effectively in the rational development and management of the fishery resources to ensure their sustainable production, and thus reinforcing the country's food security.

OBJECTIVES

Long-term Objective

The long-term objective of the project is to assist the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to achieve self-reliance in the rational development and management of their marine fisheries so that its contribution can benefit the country in terms of food supply and income on a maximum sustainable basis.

Immediate Objectives

To strengthen the capacity of the research scientists of the East and West Sea Fishery Research Institutes in fishery resources appraisal by acquainting them with recent methodologies and techniques employed in data processing and stock assessment;

To install acoustic equipment (an echo sounder, an echo integrator and a recorder) on board each of the two research vessels of the East Sea Fishery Research Institute and train selected scientists and technicians in the operation and maintenance of such equipment;

To train the scientists to conduct acoustic surveys and interpret the results in order to assess the density of fish stocks and their potential and to use this information in developing fishing plans or monitoring existing fisheries.

PROJECT DURATION

WORKPLAN

Component 1: Training of scientists appointed by the East Sea Fishery Research Institute and the West Sea Fishery Research Institute in data processing and stock assessment

It is proposed that the above training be held at the East Sea Fishery Research Institute at Wonsan. The training course will be planned and guided by an expert who is very familiar with stock assessment techniques. He will be assisted by two lecturers in the conduct of the training course. The course duration will be approximately one month. The training course will introduce the trainees to a new data processing technique using the project computers and to the recent methodologies and techniques employed in research on stock assessment. The training will include the use of a software package developed by FAO and the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) called FiSAT (FAO-ICLARM Stock Assessment Tools). It is hoped that the training course will enable the scientists to better provide sound scientific advice to the Ministry of Fisheries. The expert will assist the Institute in outlining applied research on fish stocks, utilizing the available data of the Institute. He will revisit the country before the end of the project to follow up on the progress achieved in the conduct of the research and assist the scientists involved in resolving pending issues. He will cooperate with the specialist on acoustic surveys to prepare a terminal report of the project.

Component 2: Installation of acoustic equipment on each of the two fishery research vessels of the East Sea Fishery Research Institute and the undertaking of acoustic surveys in the East Sea of Korea

The project will provide a specialist who is very familiar with acoustic equipment and its use in the surveying of fish stocks. He will assist the Research Institute in the selection of the acoustic model, installation of the equipment on board research vessels, calibration of the equipment and conduct of experimental fishing simultaneously with acoustic surveys. The specialist will also conduct a training programme for selected scientists in the use of the equipment in surveys of the distribution of the pelagic fish stocks in the East Sea of Korea.

When the project commences, the specialist will travel to DPRK to make a detailed inspection of the two research vessels for the purpose of installing a suitable model of the acoustic equipment. He will make a decision in consultation with the authorities of the Institute and the Ministry of Fisheries on a suitable model of the acoustic equipment to be purchased for the project. This part of his activity will take about 2 weeks. After the purchase and delivery of the equipment, he will supervise the installation of the equipment on board the research vessels; this part of the activity will be take 2 weeks. After the equipment is installed, he will collaborate with the Institute in the calibration and test fishing and conduct training for selected scientists in the operation and maintenance of the equipment. The last activity will be take 4 weeks. The specialist will draft a work plan for the Institute to use in conducting surveys for the remaining part of the project. After the aforementioned assignments, he will return to his home country and then return to DPRK again to follow up on the progress made by the Institute in the implementation of the survey plan and help rectify problems encountered in the surveys before the end of the project. He will assist the expert of Component 1 to prepare the project's terminal report.

INPUT

1. Project's input

1.1 Expert in data processing and stock assessment techniques, 2 m/m, US$ 26,000;

1.5 5 sets of desk top computers and accessories⁴ (266 MHz., 64 MB RAM, 3.2 GB Enhanced IDE Hard Disc, Built-in 20X CD-ROM, Built-in 1.44 MB FDD, Built-in 56 Kbps Fax/Modem, high resolution monitor and utilities software packages, 2 ZIP kits to enhance memory), US$ 35,000;

2. Government input

1.1 Facilities for holding the training course at the East Sea Fishery Research Institute;

1.2 A sufficient number of scientist nominated for the training courses in stock assessment and in acoustic surveys;

ANTICIPATED BENEFITS FROM THE PROJECT

With the modernization of the major equipment necessary for applied resources research and training and enhanced capability of scientists of the Institutes, it is hoped that the East Sea and West Sea Fishery Research Institutes will be in a better position to provide concrete scientific advice to the Ministry of Fisheries, thus enabling the latter to plan fishing programmes and implement various fishery management measures with more confidence, thus contributing towards the sustainable development of fisheries and food security. The strengthening of the capability of scientists of the Institutes will also enable DPRK to participate effectively in future sub-regional and regional cooperation in implementing the recent global initiatives and instruments related to the sustainable use of ocean resources.

1 The Foreign Assets Control Regulations of the United States, authorized under the Trading with the Enemy Act, established economic sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ("North Korea") in 1950.

2 Professor Chen was funded by NACA to participate in the Mission at the request of a DPRK Mission to NACA in February 1998.

3 Expert provided by NACA to assist the Mission in sea farming and integrated freshwater fish farming activities

4 Three computers will be transferred to the West Sea Fishery Research Institute after the conclusion of the training programme at the East Sea Fishery Research Institute.

REPORT OF THE FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING MISSION

Table of Contents

BACKGROUND

General information about the DPRK fisheries sector

I. STATUS OF THE FISHERIES INDUSTRY AND FISHERY PRODUCTION TRENDS

1. General information

2. The DPRK Fishing Fleet

3. Fishery Production Trends

4. Post-harvest technology development

5. Import and export of fishery products

II. FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK OF DPRK

Government policy with respect to the fisheries sector

2. Laws and regulations

3. Fisheries development and management authorities

4. Activities, programs and projects in support of the fisheries development and management framework

4.1 Fisheries plants and cooperative farms

4.2 Research support

4.3 Fishery information and statistical data support

4.4 International cooperation and external assistance

III. ASSISTANCE NEEDED BY THE DPRK GOVERNMENT

IV. VIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MISSION

Source: Ministry of Fisheries

Source: Ministry of Fisheries

Marine fish Pollack

Crustaceans

Bivalves

Seaweeds

Source: Ministry of Fisheries

Table 4. Fish production in DPRK sorted out by source of production

Appendix 1

Terms of Reference

Appendix 2

Stichopus japonicus

Ctenopharygodon idella

Theragra chalcogramma

Stromateoides argenteus

Appendix 3

Appendix 4

OBJECTIVES

1. Immediate objectives

2. Long-term objectives

WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES

1. Renewal of the Pupo Laminaria seedling plant

2. Pilot farm for shallow sea polyculture

2.1 Polyculture models

2.2 Pilot farms

2.3 Materials required for pilot farms

INPUT

1. Donor(s)/joint partner

2. DPRK Government

OUTPUT

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

OBJECTIVES

1. Immediate objective

2. Long-term objectives

WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES

1. Size of pilot farm

2. Fish ponds

3. Recommended models for integration

3.1 Chicken-pig/cattle-vegetable/grass-fish model

3.2 Fish-duck model

INPUT

1. Donor contributions

2. Government contributions

OUTPUT

PROJECT IDEA III: SHRIMP HATCHERY AND EXTENSIVE PONDS

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION

OBJECTIVES

1. Immediate objectives

2. Long-term objective

WORK PROGRAMME AND ACTIVITIES

1. Preliminary work

2. Pilot hatchery

3. Pilot growout farm

INPUT

1. Hatchery

2. Growout ponds

OUTPUT

PROJECT IDEA IV: STRENGTHENING OF THE MARINE FISHERY RESEARCH CAPACITY OF DPRK

BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION