ABSTRACT
A broad spectrum of societal factors influence the exploitation of marine resources, as is the case for most natural resources. Because of this, rational fisheries management cannot depend solely on biological, oceanographic and meteorological information. By the late 1960s, the Peruvian fishing industry had developed into one of the most productive in the world. Factory ships involved in fish reduction have been implicated in the demise of some important pelagic fisheries, such as the Californian Pacific sardine fishery and the pilchard fishery off the coast of Namibia. The historical record shows that the rapid development of the Peruvian fishing industry was spurred by the collapse of the Californian Pacific sardine fishery. Fishing industries have developed around the world based on the production of fishmeal, which under favorable circumstances can command a high price in the international marketplace, thereby producing sorely needed foreign exchange.
