THE VENEZUELAN SALT-FISH INDUSTRIES 



1/All or majority salted in brine 



2^ost "carite" in this son* seon to be klngflsh rather than Spanish mackerel. 



Anchoa (bluefish) taken in Venezuela are probably of the same genus, Pomotomus , as 

 those bluefish taken off the Atlantic Ooast of North America, and they may possibly be the 

 same species, saltatrix . Anchoa are well-liked by Venezuelans, particularly as dry salt- 

 fish. The flesh is quite dark and very oily. When salted the flesh quickly turns dark 

 brown and assumes an oxidized fish-oil odor. Salted anchoa does not store well since it 

 turns rusty and rancid within a relatively short time. In the opinion of the mission, anchoa 

 as now prepared would not be suitable for export. Most anchoa is now caught by trolling, 

 by live-bait fishing methods, "guapeando", and by chinchorros and filetes. Those seen in 

 the fishing camps in Venezuela were magnificent fish of large size. The small individuals 

 are called "anchobetas." At Guaca, on the mainland Just southeast of Isla Coche the months 

 of greatest abundance are June, July, and August, At Puerto Santo, further to the east- 

 ward on the mainland the best season is May, June, and July. Evidently the schools travel 

 in a westerly direction from the region of Trinidad and Tobago. Their appearance is charac- 

 teristic of a pelagic species which is influenced by various oceanographic conditions. 



Arenque are now taken only for canning and to a much lesser extent for bait. This 

 species, averaging about 7 inches in length, belongs to the herring family and it is similar 

 in shape to the North Atlantic herring. The flesh is quite similar to the northern herring, 

 being quite oily. It assumes an off-white color when processed. The bones are quite numer- 

 ous but small and soft. The center of distribution is in the Gulf of Cariaco and schools 

 also are reported to occur along the coast to the eastward during certain seasons. Several 

 schools were seen at Puerto Santo in November, Arenque are reported to be abundant in the 

 Gulf of Cariaco throughout the year, but present fishing methods are not always successful 

 in catching them. The best season seems to extend from January to August or September, 

 The catch reported in 1942 was 1,434,500 kilos and practically all of the yield was canned. 

 Considerable increases in the catch can be made with present gear and methods. 



Arenque are best canned but should make a good brine-salted product. It is doubt- 

 ful if dry-salting would produce a good product but it should be tried — particularly as 

 a hara-dried, hard-salted, low-cost item handled in bulk. Arenque are now caught almost 

 exclusively by chinchorros and mandingas but they could be taken with ease In ring nets, 

 lamparas, and purse-seines. 



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