The Geography of Fishing in British Honduras and Adjacent Coastal Areas
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1966 The Geography of Fishing in British Honduras and Adjacent Coastal Areas. Alan Knowlton Craig Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Craig, Alan Knowlton, "The Geography of Fishing in British Honduras and Adjacent Coastal Areas." (1966). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1117. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1117 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been „ . „ i i>i j ■ m 66—6437 microfilmed exactly as received CRAIG, Alan Knowlton, 1930— THE GEOGRAPHY OF FISHING IN BRITISH HONDURAS AND ADJACENT COASTAL AREAS. Louisiana State University, Ph.D., 1966 G eo g rap h y University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan THE GEOGRAPHY OP FISHING IN BRITISH HONDURAS AND ADJACENT COASTAL AREAS A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State university and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geography and Anthropology by Alan Knowlton Craig B.S., Louisiana State university, 1958 January, 1966 PLEASE NOTE* Map pages and Plate pages are not original copy. They tend to "curl". Filmed in the best way possible. University Microfilms, Inc. AC KNQWLEDGMENTS The extent to which the objectives of this study have been acomplished is due in large part to the faithful work of Tiburcio Badillo, fisherman and carpenter of Cay Caulker Village, British Honduras. His practical advice and skill in boat handling brought us back from more than one trip which might otherwise have had less pleasant consequences. The sober dependability and reliance on the arts of traditional seamanship which he displayed are highly commendable qualities fast fading in many fishermen who have recently found themselves caught up in the process of cultural change. Sincere thanks are extended to Dr. Richard J. Russell, Director of the Coastal Studies institute at Louisiana state University for his interest and help in obtaining financial aid made available through a grant by the Office of Naval Research. The cooperation and indispensable material assistance of Miss Evelyn Pruitt, Head of the Geography Branch of ONR, is likewise greatly appreciated. Dr. Robert C. West, chairman of the dissertation committee, provided continuous encouragement during the course of this project. His exacting standards of research in the realm of Latin American geography have been the Pl u 3 ultra aspired to but imperfectly attained. By personal example, he has provided the inspiration that carries his students into remote and fascinating byways of the field and the no less torturous paths of the archives. Dr. Fred B. Kniffen has been equally instrumental in shaping the writer's philosophical approach to cultural geography. His constructive criticism and friendly en couragement have been most welcome. The permission of Dan Milan, President of the Milan Construction Company of New Orleans, Louisiana, to use the photographs in Plate V, together with his many other courtesies, are gratefully acknowledged as is the generous technical assistance supplied by Milton B. Newton, Jr. Other individuals to whom the author is especially indebted include: Felix Bradley, Lee High, Daniel J. Martin, Jr., Henry Melhado, David M. Pendergast, Esteban ("TarlJi") Reyes, Gordon A. Roe, Melbourne Smith, David R. Stoddart, Raymond Weir, and Simeon Young, Sr. A. H. Anderson, Phillip Arzu, Melvin Badillo, Manuel w. Bass, Dudley Beene, Patricio Blease, Harrison Burgess, Pablo Canto, Waldamar Delbert, Francifsco Delgado E., Benjamin Dixon, Eustace Evans, William Eyles, Anthony Frith, Roy Fanna, David Hess, A. A. Hunter, William s. Lady, ii Raymond Lombardy, Richard A. Long, William Lundy, Daniel Mar£n, "Garai" MarlTn, Robert McNabb, Carlyle Phillips, Joe D. Power, Bertram Powery, Edward G. Purdey, Harry Quinn, Doffa octavia de Reyes, John Roberts, Maximo SoliTs, Bertram Williams, and Sir Arthur Wolffsohn made different contributions that are equally appreciated. ill TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE ACKNOWLEDGMENT ....................................i LIST OF T A B L E S ................................... vii LIST OF FIGURES .....................................viii LIST OF M A P S ..................................... ix LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS ............................... xi ABSTRACT .......................................... xv INTRODUCTION ................................... j. CHAPTER I. PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDY AREA. 7 Coastal and o£fshore Configuration. 9 Climate and Weather ............... 14 Tides and Currents ............... 19 V e g e t a t i o n ........................ 22 Fish H a b i t a t ...................... 23 II. EVIDENCE OF ABORIGINAL FISHING ACTIVITY .......................... 31 Previous Work .................. .. 32 Site Descriptions ................. 37 Aboriginal Fishing Techniques .... 56 III. DEVELOPMENT OF FISHING IN THE COLONIAL PERIOD ................... 63 B u c c a n e e r s ........................ 64 Evidence from Early M a p s ........ 6 6 iv PAGE T u r t l i n g ........... 71 Manatee .................. ..... 77 Fishing Equipment. ........... 79 Food Habits and Preservation .... 80 IV. SHIPBUILDING AND THE EVOLUTION OF BOAT T Y P E S ........................... 87 Construction Techniques............. 90 Wood Preferences .................... 93 The P i t p a n ........................... 97 The D o r e y ........................... 97 The Creau ....................... 100 The Bay islands Dorey................... 101 The Botalon............................. 101 The Belizean Sm a c k ...................... 104 V. CONTRASTS IN SETTLEMENT PATTERNS AND FISHING PRACTICES ................ 112 Settlement History .................. 113 Distribution of Culture Areas. 116 Mestizo Settlement Pattern ......... 120 Creole Settlement Pattern ......... 126 Black Carib Settlement pattern . 130 Settlement on Guanaja ............. 133 Contrasts in Fishing Practices . 135 VI. THE SCALE FISH INDUSTRY .............. 140 Contemporary Equipment and T e c h n i q u e s ..............................145 Seasonal Fish Concentrations .... 156 v PAGE The Bon ito F i s h e r y .................. 165 VII. THE SPINEY LOBSTER INDUSTRY......... 170 Lobster Habits and Habitat ......... 170 Origin and Development of the I n d u s t r y ............................. 173 Trap Design and Construction .... 176 Trapping Techniques ................ 179 Processing and Marketing ........... 185 VIII. SECONDARY EXPLOITATION OF MARINE RESOURCES............................. 193 Contemporary Turtling................ 193 The Conch Industry .................. 202 The Sponge industry.................. 207 Present Status of Manatee........... 213 IX. CONCLUSIONS.............. 218 REFERENCES CITED.................................. 232 APPENDIX I ...................................... 241 APPENDIX I I ...................................... 243 VITA............................................... 246 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE I Site Classification - Salt Creek Lagoon Area 5 0 II Diet of Prisoners at Hard Labor 82 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE I Sketch of the "Mai Golpe" by Simeon Young, Sr. 103 viii LIST OF MAPS PAGE MAP NO. 1 : Regional Location Map. 2 MAP NO. 2 : Location Map - Northern Area. 8 MAP NO. 3: Location Map - Central Area. 1 0 MAP NO. 4: Location Map - southern Area. 1 1 MAP NO. 5: Distribution of Rainfall, Currents and Winds. 2 0 MAP NO. 6 : Distribution of Aboriginal Sites. 33 MAP NO. 7: Hick's Cay Site. 40 MAP NO. 8 : Cay chapel Site. 43 MAP NO. 9: Aboriginal Sites in the Colson Point 45 Area. MAP NO. 1 0 : Aboriginal sites in the Salt Creek Lagoon Area. 48 MAP NO. 1 1 : "Caio Cosina" in 1764. 67 MAP NO. 1 2 : New Description of the Coast from Cape Caroaron to the River of Balis in Honduras - 1753. 69 MAP NO. 13: Private Map of the Bay of Honduras for the Use of Jamaican Smugglers - 1780. 70 MAP NO. 14: Part A; The Bay islands. 96 Part B; Roatan - 1794. MAP NO. 15: Distribution of Culture Areas and Fishing Practices. 117 MAP NO. 16: Cay Caulker Village in 1965. 1 2 2 PAGE MAP NO. 17: St. George1s Cay in 1945. 128 MAP NO. 18: Barranco in 1945. 132 MAP NO. 19: Distribution of Fishing Grounds. 141 MAP NO. 2 0 : Distribution of the Spiny Lobster. 172 MAP NO. 2 1 : Distribution of Secondary Marine 195 Resources. LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS PAGE PLATE Is 222 Fig. A: Preparing a half-model. Fig. B: Sharpening a hoe adz. Fig. C: Detail of deadwood construction. Fig. D: Shrimp clipper construction - Guanaja. Fig. E: Smack construction - stern view. Fig. F: Smack construction - planing of pine planking. PLATE lit 223 Fig. A: Dorey design - "silk-cotton" (ceiba) wood. Fig. B: Large seining dorey with out board bracket - La Ceiba. Fig. C: The "creau" or sailing dorey. Fig. D: Sail plan of small Black Carib dorey. Fig. E: Motorized doreys - Belize Harbor Fig. F: Motorized dorey - “The Town“, Guanaja. PLATE Ills 224 Fig. A: The "Lion R." and "Cruzita" - Cay Caulker. Fig. B j Detail of the "Lion R."'s live well-Cay caulker. xi PAGE Pig. C: The "Lion R." becalmed near Hick's Cay. Pig.