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Although theWest Indies has limited resources in terms of developing a large-scalefishing industry, the value offish and sea products as a source of food has long been recognized. AllCaribbean territories therefore have fishing industries.
Most Caribbean fishermen ply their trade from smallboats (4–11 meters). These small craft, often without protection from sun or rain, are forced to remain very close to shore, seldom going more than 16 kilometers offshore.
Several methods for catching fish are used:
The method offishing depends on the type and size of the fish to be caught. Trawling is used to catchshrimp, carite,snapper andcavali. The main catches from seine andgill nets areking fish,shark and carite. Fish pot catches arered snappers andjacks. Fishing is a year-round activity in the Caribbean and it directly employs thousands of people.
A number of different methods of selling are used in the Caribbean. Most small-scale fishermen take some of the catch for their families and sell the rest at the beach. If there is a delay between catching the fish and eating it, then some form of processing has to take place. The three processing methods that are common in the Caribbean are:
The fishing industry in the Caribbean is harmed by the persistent presence of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. These practices are often unsustainable to the region's aquaculture and result in lost economic benefit to the territories. For example, in February 2020, fishing in theDominican Republic was a 93.4 million USD industry, but illegal activity by both local and foreign fishers from Honduras, Nicaragua, and South Korea have caused a deficit in fish; as a result, the country is forced to import fish that could otherwise by caught or farmed within its sovereign borders.[1]
Aylin Ulman, a researcher at theUniversity of British Columbia, has warned that territories such asTurks and Caicos Islands are drastically under-reporting their catches. Fishing has historically been the main industry in Turks and Caicos, involving up to 75% of locals in some areas. Tourism has contributed to greater demand for seafood, and this has placed increased pressure on marine life.[2]
