WECAF Reports No. 39* ~nterregional Fisheries Development and Management Programme (WECAF Component) PROGRAMME FOR FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT IN SABA AND ST. EUSTATIUS prepared by M. Giudicelli Fishing 'l'echnofogist and L. Villegas Resource Evaluation Specialist Panama October 1981 WECAF Rep. 39 The contents of this report do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory or sea area, the delimitation of frontiers or any present or future jurisdictional claims. iii INTERREGIONAL FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAMME The Interregional Fisheries Developm,nt and Management Prbgramme begun its activities on 1 January 1980. It ha~ three components (Headquarters,CECAF ;, and WECAF) and the WECAF component is the successor of the Interregional Project for the Development of Fisheries in the Western Central Atlantic (WECAF) which was initiated in March 1975 and terminated its second phase on 31 December 1979. Its objectives are to assist developing coastal countries in assessing development opportunities offered by their available fishery resources and to formulate appropriate actions, to promote the rational utilization of fishery resources, to promote the development of technical and economic cooperation among countries of the region and to assist in the upgrading of their human resources. Its activities are coordinated by the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAF) established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1973. The Project is supported by the_ United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and FAO as the Executing Agency. As with the previous proje~t, two series of documents will be prepared to provide information on activities and/or studies carried out. This document is the thirty ninth of the s.eries WECAF Reports. The other series of documents is entitled WECAF Studies. D.A. Lintern Acting Project Directo~i iv Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Background 1 3. Justification 2 4. Objectives 3 s. The Development Programme 3 (a) Production Techniques 3 (b) Development Strategy 5 6. Expected Results 7 Annex 1 Estimates of~he Potential Yield of the Saba Bank 9 Figure 1 Map of the Saba Bank 14 Tap le 1 Estima~ed Number of Boats Fishing in the Saba Bank during 1980 15 Table 2 Estimates of Potential Yields for the Saba Bank 16 Table 3 Estimated Lobster Production per Unit Area 17 Annex 2 Fishing Gear and Equipment Estimated Costs - CIF - Saba 18 Annex 3 The Boats 20 Annex 4 Shore Inf rastr~cture 24 Annex 5 Cost, Preliminary Timetable and Plan of Operation of the Saba-St. Eustatius Progrannne 25 1. Introduction In the northern Netherlands Antilles islands of Saba and St. Eustatius fisheries are mainly occasional activities. These fisheries, which indeed occupy only a small number of active men, are essentially carried out for subsistence and pleasure purposes. Their production thus contributes only slightly to the local nutr.ition needs and leaves rather unimportant quan­ tities for exportation. Thus, fisheries do not actually contribute to the local economic and social development in the way that they could. Technically speakirg, these activit~es are almost exclusively limited to the exploitation of the demersal resources, with hand lines and traps worked from 5 to 8 m open boats driven by 25 to 110 HP outboard engines. Their field of operation is also small, limited to the narrow shelves around both islands and to the eastern edge of the Saba Bank. Very tenta­ tively, it can be estimated that they exploit barely 20 percent of the productive surface of this bank. This situation, however, can be improved by a better exploitation of the existing fispery potential. It is certainly considered that the introduction of more professional types of fisheries is possible, which could assist substantially in the diversification and strengthening of the islands' economies .. The existence of these development opportunities is appreciated by the Central Government of the Netherlands Antilles which, in November 1980, requested the technical assistance of a WECAF project mission to advise on appropriate fishing methods and gears for the Saba Bank fishery; evaluate the potential harvest;, and advise on policies for future resource manage­ ment. This mission was in the field in June 1981 and their findings,, conclusions and reconnnendations are presented in this report. 2. Background The Northern Netherlands Antilles islands of Saba and St. Eustatius are characterized by the following basic features as regards fisheries exploi­ tation and dev~lopment possibilities: (a) The absence of important land resources for animal puotein and, thus, d great dependance on'the sea for its supply; (b~ The absence of important employment opportunities, more parti­ cularly in St. Eustatius, and thus a great dependance on the sea fo.r improving this situation and avoiding the emigration of the work force which is presently taking place; 2 (c) A geographical location in a relatively productive area as regards sedentar~ demersal species and migratory pelagics, and the existence of these resources all year round in various densities according to the location and the season; (d) Close proximity to the Saba Bank which has (i) a rather large shelf extension, amounting to a total of about 2 200 km 2 in the 0 - 20,0 m interval, (ii) a total drop-off length of some 260 km, a~d (iii) an apparently rather important continental margin with an approximate surface of 1 600 km2 in the 200 - 600 m interval; (e) A small and irregular exploitation of this situation by~ the local people, who have no more than some thirty open boats and do not produce more than around 60 tons a year whilst, on the other hand, a rather intensive exploitation of the Saba Bank is carried out by a foreign fleet, the production of which might be roughly estimated at some 1 000 t a year (Annex 1); (f) A rather high potential yield for demersal and pelagic species in that could be nearly double the present catch. Silk snapper, blackfin and little tunas are amongst the species that have the highest potential (Annex l); (g) Apparently ciguatera is not a great problem as already the ciguatoxic areas of the Bank and islands are relatively well known to local fishermen and the species that show the highest potential are ciguatera free; l (h) Local active male groups which, in spite of their actual lack of fishing skill and power, show good technical levels in other fields and, thus, with an appropriate demonstration and training effort followed by an adequate development. policy, could enter modern artisanal fisheries without great difficulties; (i) The increasing interest of the Central and Local Governments of the Netherlands Antilles to put a strong emphasis on this development in order to diversify and strengthen their economy, create new employment opportunities, improve protein supplies and elevate the status of the fishermen. 3. Justification The abovernentioned conditions are favourable for an important fisheries development in Saba and St. Eustatius. It is strongly believed that the number of fishermen, their production and their productivity could be substantially increased b~ a programme with the following objectives. 3 4. Objectives The objectives of the progranune will be: i) to demonstrate the possibility for developing fishery production and productivity in the islands; ii) to initiate such development where possible; iii) to indicate the technical and financial requirements in the ~uture; and iv) to obtain data on which future management policies can be based. To attain the objectives of the development programme, emphasis should be given to the following fields: (a) Improvement, diversification and geographical extension of a modern artisanal exploitation of all demersal resources on Saba Bank and its drop-off down to 300 m approximately; (b) Improvement, diversification and geographical extension of a modern artisanal exploitation of all pelagic resources; (c) Introduction of a modern artisanal exploitation for the demersal resources of the c'ontinental upper 1Ilargins in the 300 - 600 m interval approximately; (d) Continuing¥research of the optimmµ economic feasibility of the abovementioned fisheries and practical demonstration of this feasibility to the local fishermen and to the Government autho­ rities; (e) Continuing on-the-job training of the local fishermen; (f) Routine and continuing collection of data to be used in the establishment of realistic investment programmes and stock management policies. 5. The Development Programme (a) Production Techniques At the present time the basic production techniques in Saba and St. Eustatius are limited to hand lining for bottom fish and trapping for 4 bottom fish and spiny lobster. Some surface trolling, diving for lobster and beach seining are also carried out. The typical boats used are 5 to 8 m open wooden hulls with outboard engines. These techniques are adequate for demersal species but obviously are not taking advantage of all the production possibilities offered by this potential and leave almost completely untouched the pelagic resources. During the development programme the following new techniques are to be tested for productivity and subsequently introduced if the results are positive: (1) Demersal species of the bank, the top of the shelves and., the drop-off (up to 300 ~) (i) Multiple bottom hand lines with hydraulic reels; (ii) Horizontal demersal