The Fisheries and Fishery Resources of the CARIBBEAN AREA ra" ;-^*. ,-nt,- - -- FISHERY LEAFLET 259 FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR The Fisheries and Fishery Resources of the CARIBBEAN AREA United States Department of the Interior, J. A. Krug, Secretary Fish and Wildlife Service, A. U. Day, Director Fishery Leaflet 259 Washington 25, D. C. September 194.7 fflE FISffiRIES AND FISHERY RESOURCFS OF THE CARIBBEAN AREA (A Report of the Caribbean Fishery Mission of 1942 ) l/ By Reginald H. Fiedler, Chief of the Mission and Economist Milton J. Lobell, Assistant Chief and Fishery Engineer Clarence R. Lucas, Fisherj' Economist TABLE OF CONTENTS Page THE CARIBBEAN AREA Introduction 1 Acknowledgments 2 Geography 2 The Fishery Resources 3 The Oceanography of the Caribbean 4 Species and Distribution 13 The Fishery Industries 2U Fishing Gear 37 Potential fishery Industries 4^9 Unused Resources 50 Possibilities for Enlarging Caribbean Fishery Commerce 51 1/ The Caribbean Fishery Mission was conducted during the year 194-2 by the Fish and Wildlife Service in cooperation with the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. This is a republication of the report which was issued in mimeographed form in August 1943 by the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs. Page VENEZUELA Introduction 6^ Fishery Resources ,, 64 Oceanography 64 Ecology 65 Principal Species and Distribution 66 Present Fishery Industries 67 Production 67 Distribution 69 Fishermen 69 Boats 70 Fishing Gear 71 Prices , 73 Uariceting 75 Canning 75 Salting and Drying 77 Shark Products 78 Pearl Fishing 79 Exports 79 Imports 80 Per Capita Consumption 80 Die Organization and Activities of the Fisheries Service of the Venezuelan Government ,, 80 Law Enforcement 80 Exploration 80 Technology 81 Fish Culture 81 Potential Fishery Industries 83 Unused Resources and Potential Markets .... 83 Recommendations 85 General Recommendations 85 Specific Recommendations 86 COLOUBIA Introduction ^ 89 Fish Resources 89 Oceanography suid Ecology 89 Species and Distribution 90 Comparative Abundance of Species . 91 Fishery Industries 91 Distribution and Marketing 92 Processing 92 In^Dorts and Exports 92 Production 92 Per-Capita Consumption of Fish 93 Prices 93 Fishermen 93 Boats 94 Gear 94 Potential Fishery Industries 95 Unused Fishery Resources 95 Potential Markets 96 Game Fishing 96 Fishery Activities of the Colombian Government 97 Recommendations 97 Page PANAMA Introduction 98 Fishery Resources 99 Character of the Coasts 99 Caribbean Coast 99 Species and Distribution 105 Present Fishery Industries 108 Production 109 Distribution 109 Fishermen 110 Boats 110 Gear 110 Potential Fishery Industries Ill Unused Fishery Resources Ill Potential ilarket 112 Game Fishing 112 General Conclusions and Recommendations 314 Reoonnnendation for Inmediate Action 114 Long Range Recommendations 115 A Plan for the Development of the Fisheries of Panama 115 COSTA RICA Introduction 119 Fishery Resources 120 Character of the Coasts 120 Species and Distribution 122 Fishery Industries .• 122 Distribution 122 Exports 123 loQXjrts • 123 Prices 123 Fishermen • 12^ Boats 124 Gear 12A Canning and Preserving 125 Potential Fishery Industries 125 Recommendations 126 NICARAGUA Introduction 127 Fishery Resources 127 Character of the Coasts 127 Species and Distribution 130 The Fishery Industries 133 Fishermen 133 Boats 13^ Fishing Gear 134 Potential Fishery Industries 135 Potential Markets 136 Conclusions and Recommendations . 136 Page HONDURAS Introduction 137 Fishery Resources 138 Character of the Coasts 138 Species and Distribution 1^0 Bie Fishery Industries 141 Fishei^en 142 Boats 143 Fishing Gear 143 Potential Fishery Industries 143 Unused Resources 143 General Conclusions and Recommendations 144 BRITISH HONDURAS Introduction 14.5 Fishery Resources 146 The Character of the Coast I46 Species and Distribution 147 Fishery Industries . , I48 Fishermen 149 Boats L49 Fishing Gear 149 Potential Fishery Industries I50 Unused Resources I50 Potential Market 150 General Conclusicsis and Recommendations 151 EL SALVADOR Introduction 152 Fishery Resources 153 Character of the Coast 153 Species and Distribution 153 Fishery Industries 153 Boats ' 154. Gear 154 Fishermen 154 Fish-Handling Facilities I54 Prices 155 Potential Fishery Industries I56 Fresh-.Yater Fisheries I56 General Conclusions and Recommendations 157 GUATEllALA Introduction , I58 Fishery Resources 159 Character of the Coasts I59 Species and Distribution 159 The Fishery Industries 160 Production 160 Distribution I60 Fishermen IfcO Boats 161 Fishing Gear 161 Fish in the Economy of Guatemala 161 Page Potential Fishery Industries . 161 Fresh-rfater Fisheries 162 Conclusions and Recoomendations 162 CUBA Introduction 163 Fishery Resources .... 164 Oceanography and Ecological Conditions .... I64. Species and Distribution I65 The Present Fishery Industries 166 Production 166 Distribution 166 Fishermen 166 Boats 167 Fishing Gear 167 Prices 168 Marketing 169 Canning and Preserving 169 Exports I69 In^orts 170 Per-Capita Consumption . 170 Cuban Fisheries and the War 170 Relations to War Economy 170 Potential Fishery Industries 171 Unused Resources 171 Potential Market 172 Game Fishing 172 Conclusions and Recommendations 173 Discussion 173 Tfar Program 175 HAITI Introduction 176 Fishery Resources 177 Character of the Coast 177 Species and Distribution 178 Present Fishery Industries 182 Production 182 Distribution 182 Fishermen 182 Boats » 183 Fishing Gear 183 Income ^ 184 Prices lb;4 Imports 184 Per-Capita Consumption I85 Marketing 185 Potential Fishery Industries . 185 Unused Resources 185 Governmental Fishery Activities 186 Conclusions and Recomoiendations 186 Page DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Introduction 187 Fishery Resources 188 Character of the Coast 188 Species and Distribution 189 The Fishery Industries 191 Production 192 Distribution 192 Fishermen 192 Boats 193 Fishing Gear 194 Prices 195 Canning and Preserving 195 Exports 195 Imports 195 Marketing and other Economic Considerations . 196 Potential Fishery Industries I96 Game Fishing 197 Conclusions and Re commendations 197 BRITISH ^VEST INDIES Introduction I98 The Area in General 198 Leevfard Islands 203 Dominica 204 St. Lucia 205 St. Vincent 206 The St. Vincent Grenadines 207 Grenada and Carriacou 207 Trinidad 208 Barbados 210 THE CARIBBEAI^! AREA INTRODUCTION A general inventory of the natural resources of the Americas is being made to further economic and social cooperation eunong the nations of the Western Hemisphere. Increasing interest in the utilization of the aquatic resources of the New World is manifested by many of our neighbors to the south. This interest has led, in many instances, to requests from these coxintries for technical assistance and advice in surveying and evaliiating tbeir fish resources, with the view toward expanding fishery industries on sound lines. In attempting to assist in this work, the Fish and Wildlife Service found that little factual information regarding the fisheries and fishery resources of Latin America was available, With the coming of War, the acquisition of such data became more urgent, for it was soon evident tliat local production of foodstuffs was of great necessity—particularly in the Caribbean area. Thus, it was considered essential that a rapid, fact-finding survey of the Caribbean fisheries and fishery resources should be made to determine where possibilities for increased production of fishery products existed. Funds for this purpose were transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service of tl-ie United States Department of the Interior by the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs in the early part of 19^+2. The Caribbean Governments were approached by the United States Department of State prior to the survey, and each expressed interest and offered cooperation in assisting the Uission to the fullest extent. The Mission was headed by Reginald H. Fiedler, Chief of the Division of Fishery Indust- ries of the Fish and Wildlife Service. He was assisted by Milton J. Lobell, Fishery Engineer, and Clarence R. Lucas, Fishery Economist. The field survey was comnenced on April 24, 1942 at St. Johns, Antigua, in the British West Indies and was terminated in Puerto Rico on October 28, 1942—a total peiuod of about seven months. By feir, the greatest distance, about 25,000 miles, was covered by air travel. The remainder, about 5,000 miles, was accomplished in schooners, sloops, trains, gas-cars, automobiles, dugout canoes, oxcarts, aujd on horseback. Every capital city was visited, and field surveys of the actual fishing areas were made in practically every country. Hundreds of government officials, storekeepers, fishermen, and other interested persons were inters viewed. Files of the various Governments relating to fisheries and economic conditions were made available. Original 1 y, plans were made to survey only the Latin-American Republics in the Caribbeai area. However, because of emergency war conditions and at the request of the Anglo-American Caribbean Coi;imission, the British Colonies in the Caribbean were included. No survey work was conducted by the Mission in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands since the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Insular Government of Puerto Rico maintain a research staff at Mayaguez, P. R. which is engaged in carrying on a long-range fisheries program. Information an the fisheries and fishery resources of these areas are contained in reports of the U. S. Bureau of Fisheries as indicated in the bibliography