THE AGK]«jrLTUKAL NEWS 



AvGL'ST -li, ;?1: 



tish is excellent, but the iiuaniiiy of rish CAiight 

 is seldom more than sutticient to satisiV local de- 

 mands for the fresh article, while no provision is 

 made to snpply from local sources the dried, salted, 

 or pickled tish which I'orms such a lari:;e item in the 

 ■dietary of the popnlaticin. An enormous import trade 

 in salt fish is carried on, chiefly with British North 

 America. In view of this demand for cured tish, the 

 "•juestion very naturally arises as to whethei' some com- 

 bined eti'ort miffht not bi' made to utilize to a wreater 

 ■•legree than at present the natural resources of the 

 islands in marine products. 



."Some 3 ears ago an etlbrt was made in Barbados, 

 under the auspices of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture for the West Indies, to set on foot the 

 regular curing of tish in that island, especially flying 

 tish, which are often caught in large (juantilies. This 

 -fctTort at tirst appeared to meet with some success, but 

 eventually it failed, owing it would seem to the lack of 

 -co-operation amung the numerous individual inasters of 

 fishing boats. 



In .lamaica also, in the year l<S!tS, a private 

 Fisheries Development Syndicate, receiving a sub- 

 sidy on certain conditions fiom the (Joverninent of 

 the island, began operations with a steam trawler 

 in t)ie seas around Jamaica. Trawling however was 

 found to be absolutely impo.ssible except in very 

 limited areas, owing to the almost imiversal occurrence 

 of coral growth. 



It is not liki'ly that the fisheries of the W.-st Indies 

 could I'ver reach the proportions of those of temperate 

 regions with their vast supplies of cod, mackerel, her- 

 ring, and allied tish. yet it would appear that fuller 

 knowledge of the habits and life-history of the native 

 tish, the conditions under which they occur in nurnbeis, 

 along with experiments as to the best means of captur- 

 ing them, together with cooperation, not only in 

 capturing but in cuiing th<ui. might result in consider- 

 able extension ol the fishing industry ot the West Indies, 

 thus supplying a much-needed increase of local food- 

 stiifi's. 



As was noticed above, wherever coial is plentiful 

 trawling will be found to be impossible. It would 

 seem also that in tropical seas such bottoni flat-fish :is 

 ^re obtained by trawling in northern seas do not exist 

 in any abnn<lance. Line fishing is very successful, but 

 the length ot lines iiuployed with advantage is far 

 less than that of temperate feas. Fish caught on long 

 lines in tropical seas are very apt to be .-.napped 

 off V)V liredacef'ii'- fi'^h' " -•■•h h as shai'ks and liarrnco ita*;. 



The use of the seine and other nets along the shores 

 and on shallow banks yields good returns, as schools of 

 certain tish. such as the sea-mullet and the jack, are 

 rn.'t with in such situations at certain times, but more 

 knowledge is required as to the habits of these migra- 

 tory species. Probably most of the tish at present 

 caught in these islands are captured in fish pots, many 

 of which are of very primitivi' construction, though 

 apparently fairly effective for the purpose for which 

 they are desi'.,^ned. 



Throughout the West Indies the fishing industry is 

 almost entirely in the hands of private individuals, and 

 is conducted \vitho\it oiganization, capital, or enteiprise. 

 In most cases the fishermen are content to earn merely 

 enough to maintain existence, and hence pursue their 

 calling in a very desultory manner. Any development 

 of the fisheries should aim at the introduction of 

 co-operation among the fishermen, whk-h might attract 

 capital such as is available for the industry elsewhere. 



One of the great neeils of West Indian marine 

 industries is scientific investigation. In almost all 

 other countries the fishery ■Mganizations have been 

 evolved by government assistance and encouragement. 

 The well-known beneficial result of Imperial supp.jrt 

 for West Indian agriculture would seem to justify .-^ome 

 such support for the marine possibilities of these 

 islands. The products of the sea must be treated in 

 like manner as those on the land. We know whan 

 improvements in agiiculture h.-ne lesulted tiom im- 

 proxed cultivation ami intinduetion of new varieties, 

 and similar results might well be expected from simi- 

 lar attention to marine proi:Iucts. 



Besides lish, in the strict sense of the Word, there 

 are other harvests which might be reaped in increas- 

 ing i|uantity froiri the tropic seas, if attention was 

 paid to the cultivation of them, and the protection 

 of certain areas for the purpose of increasing the 

 supply. Among i,hese there are large possibilities 

 of increasing the supply of turtle, two species of 

 which, the green turtle and the hawksbill. aie valua- 

 ble, the one for its flesh, the other tor its shell. Jt is 

 <|uite probable from what is known of the habits of 

 these animals, that the hatching and rearing ot rheni 

 would readily permit of control. 



From the ceaseless capture of the adults before 

 they have had time to lay their eggs a greater .scarcity 

 must in time result. The fenu^le turtle lays from :?0() 

 to oOO eggs during the season. Hut onco the young 

 j»re free they .tre subject to innumeiab't fnemiff.', ^.> 



