THE VENEZUELAN SALT-FISH INDUSTRIES 



SECTION A 



USING PRESENT FACILITIES AND METHODS AND SUPPLYING 

 ONLY NECESSITIES FOR MAINTENANCE AND ORGANIZATION 



PRODUCTION 



Assuming that the present requirements for fishery products in Venezuela, expressed 

 in round fish as landed, is 100 million pounds, it is calculated that, vrith increased fish- 

 ing activity the catch can be doubled to yield a total of 200 million pounds. The estijnate 

 of 100 million pounds additional production has been derived from consideration and analysis 

 of information from all possible sources. The primary basis, of course, was interviews 

 with fishermen which provided data on the comparative abundance of the various species, 

 the extent of use of each, and the possible output of the individual rancherias given in- 

 creased firm markets. Catch statistics, furnished by Ministerio de Agricultura y Cria pro- 

 vided a valuable supplement to field interviews and they have been used extensively in the 

 following sections of the report. Finally, knowledge of the productivity of the various 

 types of gear in use, the characteristics of the species available for capture, and the 

 methods of processing served to intensify the accuracy of the estimate. The increase of 

 100 million pounds of round fish as landed would be equivalent to about 25 million pounds 

 of salt-fish. 



Of this quantity about 15 million pounds could be procured in the Eastern Zone, chiefly 

 at the Unare and Tacarigua Lagoons, Gulf of Cariaco, Isla Margarita, Isla Coche, and Chaco- 

 pata. Considerable quantities could also be expected from other fishing centers in the 

 same zona- 



At least 10 million pounds could be secured from the Maracalbo- Goa J ira-Paraguana re- 

 gion, chiefly from around Maracaibo and Isla Toas, 



These estimates are all based on a 12-month production after the necessary organiza- 

 tion for purchasing and collection has been established, 



CONVERSION OF FISHING GEAR AND CRAFT 



The production operations described in this section do not include the conversion of 

 fishing gear or craft. It is anticipated that fishing would continue along traditional 

 lines with some additions in manpower, boats, and gear. The increased demand for fish- 

 ery products would stimulate interest and actual development. To take full advantage of 

 the potentialities, fishing supplies and the necessary materials must be made available 

 to the fishermen at reasonable prices. The acquisition and distribution of these supplies 

 can best be handled by companies who intend to purchase salt-fish for export, 



DEVELOPMENT OF UNUSED OR UNDERUTILIZED SPECIES 



The calculated increases in production will result, to a large extent, from the ex- 

 ploitation of species now not fished for, or from those species which are now caught in 

 only small quantities due to the limitations imposed by present markets. Besides the yield 

 obtainable from unutilized fishes, an enlarged production of species which are now caught 

 in quantity for local markets could contribute to the development of an exportable surplus 

 of fishery products. 



Eastern Zone 



Species which could contribute considerably greater quantities with present fishing 

 methods are listed in Table lU. The 21 varieties listed made up /t,981,357 kilos out of 

 a total production of 6,354,625 kilos of salt-fish in 191*2. It is estimated that the catch 

 of these varieties can be increased to about 11.700,000 kilos, a gain of 6,718,643 kilos 

 (about 14,781,000 pounds). 



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