THE VENEZUELAN SALT^ISH INDUSTRIES 



INTRODUCTION 



Background for the Surrey 



Early in 1942, difficulties occasioned by the war threatened to cut ofr, or at least 

 to curtail drastically, the normal supplies of imported salt-fish for the Caribbean area. 

 With immediate action necessary to relieve that deficiency, it was soon realized that very 

 little definite information was available concerning the possibility of supplying all or 

 a part of the local needs for salt-fish products by the expansion of local fishery indus- 

 tries .i' To provide such information, afield survey of the Caribbean rim countries was com- 

 pleted in October 1942^/ The reports of the survey party, published by the Office of the 

 Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, are now available for restricted distribution and 

 may be consulted for supplementary information •2'' 



As one finding of th« above-mentioned study, it was concluded that the marine fisheries 

 of Venezuela offered very definite possibilities for expansion of several fishery industries 

 and especially for the export production of brine-salted and dry-salted fish. 



Thus, in a preliminary report to the Government of Venezuela, and also in its final 

 report, the Caribbean Fishery Mission recommended that "improved techniques for the drying 

 and salting of suitable fish be undertaken in order to prepare more acceptable products 

 for export and local consumption. Salted fish ♦ ♦ * « could not be regarded in general 

 as conforming with export standards. Improvements in color and odor should be accomplished 

 easily and would result in a much superior product." ^ 



On June 7, 1943, the Ambassador of Venezuela transmitted the following note to the 

 Secretary of State: 



(Translation) 

 No. 2185 



Snbassy of Venezuela 



Washington 



The Ambassador of Venezuela presents his compliments to His Excellency the Secretary 

 of State and has the honor to request his good offices with the Fish and Wildlife Service 

 of the United States Department of the Interior in order that the services of an expert 

 in the preparation of salted and pickled fish might be secured to go to Venezuela at the 

 expense of the Venezuelan Government . 



In the report submitted by the United States Mission of Fish Experts which recently 

 visited Venezuela, it was recommended that "a mission of experts from the United States 

 should be contracted for the study of the Venezuelan fisheries to assist the Venezuelan 

 Government to organize the administration and development policy." The Government of Vene- 

 zuela considers that the assistance of the expert is very necessary for the development 

 1'' The Caribbean area normally imports about 150,000,000 pounds of fish, chiefly dry-salted 



and brine-salted, from Canada, Newfoundland, the United States, Norway and Iceland. 

 2/ Financed by funds transferred to the Fish and n'ildlife Service by the Office of the Co- 

 ordinator of Inter-American Affairs. The field survey was conducted by Milton J, Lo- 

 bell, Fishery Engineer, and Clarence R. Lucas, Fishery Economist, of the Fish and Wild- 

 life Service. Reginald H. Fiedler, who was the nominal chief of the Mission, accom- 

 panied the party during its studies in Haiti and in the Dominican Republic. 

 ^/ "The Fisheries and Fishery Resources of the Caribbean Area: With Recommendations for 

 their Expansion and Development." A Report of the Caribbean Fishery Mission, Washington 

 1943- Mimeographed. 



