THE CARIEBE&N ARE& 



So far as can be determined, this is the first extensive fishery survey utilizing air 

 travel as a basic means of transportation. The advantages were many. Days of valuable time 

 were gained irtiich otherwise would have been spent in awaiting transportation and traveling 

 by slower means. Some areas, such as British Honduras and the Caribbean coasts of Nicaragvia 

 and Honduras, are practically isolated but can be reached by airplanes with ease. An ex- 

 cellent perspective is gained by aerial views of sea and land areas for fishing banks, fishing 

 boats and ports, and even concentrations of bix^is and fish can be observed. 



In each country, local Qovemment olficials and the Diplomatic Mission of the United 

 States were contacted on arrival. With information gained from these associations, a working 

 itinerary was set up and the necessary travel to fishing centers was madei, Usually, basic 

 information was compiled by Diplomatic Missions, by the Commission of Inte]>-American Develop- 

 ment of the country, or by a Government agency of the country, and this was given to the 

 Mission during its stay. In spite of war-time restrictions on travel, excellent cooperation 

 resulted in little time lost in traveling, and practically every locality outlined in the 

 original itinerary was visited. Customs and immigration formalities were usually perfunctory 

 when the nature of the work was established, and no delays were caused. 



Acknowledgments 



Literally hundreds of individuals assisted the liission. Officials of the countries 

 visited were unfailingly interested and cooperative in furthering the wortc. The Commissions 

 of Inte]>-American Development in the countries visited and the United States Diplomatic 

 Missions collected basic data and arranged for travel and interviews with interested persons. 

 Grateful acknowledgement must be made of the services extended by the Armed Forces of the 

 United States at several points in the itinerary. Adherence to the fixed schedule was 

 possible only through the assistance of the representatives of Pan-American Airways, the TACA 

 Coo^jany, the Standard Oil Ccmpany of Venezuela, and the United Fruit and Standard Fruit 

 conqjanies. 'While it is in^jossible to list the individuals by name in this general section, 

 this is done in the separate country reports. To all of these and many others not included, 

 the Mission is indebted, for it would never have been possible to make this survey without 

 their assistance . 



Geography 



For the purposes of this report, the Caribbean area is regarded as the land and water 

 masses included roughly between 60 and 92 degrees west longitude and between 8 and 2^ degrees 

 north latitude. Strictly, however, it would include only the countries washed by the waters 

 of the Caribbean Sea. This body of water is bounded on the north and east by a chain of 

 islands forming an arc and known as the Antilles. The Greater Antilles occupy the northern 

 position in the chain and include Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Ptterto Rico. The Lesser 

 Antilles run along the eastern edge of the Caribbean and include the Virgin Islands, the 

 Leeward Islands, the Windward Islands, and various French and Dutch possessions in this 

 general area. On the south, the Caribbean is limited by the islands of Trinidad and Tobago, 

 northern South America, including Venezuela and Colombia, and a part of Central Ameilca. 

 On the west, it is bounded by Central America and a part of the Yucatan Peninsula. The 

 greatest length, from east to west, is about 1,600 miles; and the width, from north to south 

 varies between ^00 and 800 miles. In total area, the Caribbean contains about 800,000 

 square nautical miles. 



Access by sea is gained through a number of relatively narrow passages. The principal 

 on^s are the Yucatan Channel, the Windward Passage, Mona Passage, Anegada Passage, Jungfem 

 Passage, and the various others in the Leeward and V^ndward Islands. The widest channel is 

 the Yucatan Channel which stretches about 120 miles between Cuba and Yucatan. The rim of 

 the Caribbean is about 8,500 nautical miles in extent and, of this distance, aalj about 600 

 miles represents water gaps between the land masses. Ihe arc of the Antilles extends about 

 1,800 miles, and the remaining 6,700 miles is made up of the coasts of North, South, and 

 Central America. Thus, the Caribbean Sea is practically landlocked. Because of its central 

 position and its outlet to the Pacific through the Panama Canal, it has been and always will 

 be the strategic key to the Americas. 



