THE VENEZUELAN SALT-FISH INDUSTRIES 



TRANSPORTATION 



One of the chief difficulties in Venezuela facing extractive industries in general 

 is transportation. At present the usual transport difficulties are aggravated due to war 

 conditions. Fish and fishery products are moved entirely by boat or by truck. Usually 

 catches are transported to the primary processing place in the boats of the fishermen, which 

 are usually sail or row boats. Fish may be brought into the canneries by motor vessel — 

 either by towing piraguas or by carrying the fish in the hold. Most often, fish destined 

 for the fresh-fish market, are acquired by middlemen who operate launches or trucks. The 

 launches are often equipped with iced hold space and the trucks carry insulated ice boxes. 



Salt-fish usually is taken to the first buyer either in the boats of the fishermen, 

 by boats of local head men (armadores), or in the boats of the buyer. These vessels are 

 almost always sailing craft. To meet the demand for salt-fish in the interior, when it 

 occurs, the salt-fish are loaded into and transported by trucks. Occasionally, as at El 

 Hatillo, trucks obtain salt-fish direct from the fishermen, 



A local steamship line operates along the coast of Venezuela and calls at all ports. 

 In addition, many small, medium, and large goletas and tres punos are occupied in coast- 

 wise freighting. 



There follows a tabulation of transportation tariffs for canned and salt-fish which 

 was furnished to the mission by the Ministerio de Agricultura y Cria; 



From Maracaibo to : Ba per 100 kilos 



Puerto Cabello 4 .00 



La Guaira 4,50 



Quanta 5.50 



Cumana 6.00 



Porlamar or Carupano 6,50 



Caripito 7 . 50 



Tucupita 9.00 



Ciudad Bolivar or San Felix 10 .00 



From Ciudad Bolivar to; Bs per 100 kilos 



Tucupita 2 ,00 



Caripito 4,00 



Carupano 5 'OO 



Porlamar or Cumana ,... 5.50 



Guanta 6, 00 



La Guaira 9.00 



Puerto Cabello 8 . 50 



Maracaibo 9 .00 



It should be noted that the foregoing rates are for merchandise including salted or 

 canned fish. Iced or fresh fish is transported in the private vessels of dealers. Coastal 

 vessels of the country are not equipped to transport refrigerated fish. 



Transportation by motor truck, on which much of the interior depends at present, is 

 very expensive due to the scarcity of tires. "Camiones" (trucks) are able to reach many 

 points under favorable conditions. Roads are very good in some places, but in other lo- 

 calities they can be used only during the dry season. Between some points the ocean beaches 

 are used as roads. 



Railroads are not used at present for fish transportation and it is doubtful that the 

 present lines could be used to any great advantage. 



As far as can be determined no regular shipping service is maintained between Vene- 

 zuela and the remainder of the Caribbean area. Vessels now usually arrive on irregular 



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