14 Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 



(les< than 5 fathoms). The Sawfish 2 has a great ten- 

 dency to congregate near the mouths of rivers where it 

 feeds upon refuse flowing down from the interior. The 

 Tiger Sharks will be most frequently found near the en- 

 trance to harbors or near canning factories and slaughter 

 houses from which waste is dumped. 



It is best, therefore, to fish in deep waters (15 fathoms 

 or more) and in waters which are free from refuse and 

 far from mouths of rivers. Since the greatest number 

 of species and specimens in the Caribbean are to be found 

 near the outer slopes of the islands and reefs, it might 

 be well to concentrate fishing at these offshore banks 

 where there is little likelihood of finding waste materials 

 to feed on, but where there would be many types of food 

 fish upon which sharks could prey. 



HOW TO IDENTIFY SHARKS 



Among all the important sharks to be found in the 

 Caribbean, there is wide range in appearance, size, ac- 

 tivities, feeding habits and migratory movements. 



There are pigmy species that do not grow more than 

 a couple of feet long, and there are such giants as the 

 Man Eater, the Basking Shark and the Whale Shark. 

 The Whale Shark reaches a length of 60 feet and is by 

 far the largest of fishes. Some, such as the Mako and 

 the Black-Tipped are strong swift swimmers; others are 

 sluggish. 



A few sharks, including two of the largest, the Bask- 

 ing and the Whale Shark, feed partly or wholly on 

 minute organisms. A few others, such as the smooth dog 

 fishes, feed chiefly on Crustacea (crabs, lobsters, etc.). 

 The great majority, however, are fish eaters, some prey- 

 ing chiefly on small fish and others on large fish, as well 

 as on sea turtles and seals. Several species have the 

 troublesome habit of biting great pieces from other 

 sharks that have been hooked or entangled in nets. The 

 Tiger Sharks and the large Hammerheads are particu- 



2 The Sawfish is not further described in this Section or in the Appendices 

 since it is easily recognized by the bony saw at the end of the snout. It is 

 a rather infrequent visitor to Caribbean island waters and its liver and liver 

 oils are completely valueless. 



