the section policy implementation gaps seeks to further develop the policy issues that are associated with the globalisation process in the harvesting sector this follows from the fact that fleet measurement length tonnage type of vessel fishing gear used can vary substantially and small vessels are often not registered in addition on a global scale fleet statistics have been collected by the fao but have not been updated for some time hence in the following careful interpretation of figures is required tables and provide an overview of the number and distribution of the world s fleets and fishers asia accounts for upwards of of all craft