nffi CARIBBEAN AREA 



trade in the coxintries in which it is packed. Venezuelan canned products are sold to the 

 exclusion of in^orted canned fish in many retail outlets throughout Venezuela. Some of 

 that country's canned fish has been shipped to Trinidad in recent years. 



Dry-salted or smoked fish is used within the limits permitted by the cure of the pro- 

 ducts. Usually the cure is miM and the product suitable only for quick sale and limited 

 transportation. Almost without exception the salted products seen were quite moist, iiith a 

 brown coloration evidencing oxidation of fat in the tissues. These products serve local 

 trade in an acceptable manner, but their enlarged use would be difficult without improve- 

 ment of the curing process. 



Transportation facilities are undeveloped. Fishermen undoubtedly suffer considerable 

 loss of fish from decomposition after the catches have been made. The great majority of the 

 fish is carried frora fishing ground to landing points by sailboat, and when the wind fails, 

 even iced fish may become spoiled. This factor of loss does not appear very important, how- 

 ever, as prevailing winds are fairly reliable in the Caribbean Sea. Fishermen soon learn 

 the keeping capabilities of the fish they catch and limit their fishing operations to 

 grounds from which they can transport the fish safely. For fishing at greater distances 

 frcffli port, ice is used, gasoline or diesel engines employed, or live-well vessels constructed. 

 The latter devices are employed only by a rather restricted group of more ambitious fishermen, 

 where the rewards in large catches or exceptional marketing opportunities justify the extra 

 expense and effort. 



Landing facilities are no more elaborate than the fishing operations demand. In many 

 places fishermen may moor their small boats alongside the public markets. In most others the 

 boats are run ashore and the fish unloaded into baskets to be transported to the market 

 place. A few ports have docking facilities for unloading vessels. At Havana fioh from live- 

 well vessels are transferred into floating crates or live cars that hold them alive until 

 maricet demands are favorable for their sale. At other points, turtles and spiny lobsters 

 are collected and held in similar manner. 



Virtually all communities in the Caribbean region have public markets at which goods 

 may be displayed and sold for no charge or for a small fee. In the corimiinities founded by 

 Spaniards these market places are much more elaborate than those in the areas settled by 

 peoples of other original nationalities. These markets usujilly are located on or near the 

 waterfront as marketing in the area has always relied on water-bourne commerce for most of 

 its goods. Fish are usually displayed at general produce markets, although in many places 

 where fishing is important, special fish markets have been provided adjacent to other market 

 facilities. While running water has been piped to most markets, some are entirely lacking in 

 these facilities, and fish must be cleaned along the v/ater's edge or in water carried in 

 buckets to the market place. Concrete display benches are usually provided. These are 

 occasionally tile topped and may be equipped individually with sinks with running water. 



In several communities, special market stalls have been provided for use by a few fish 

 vendors. One of these in Ciudad Trujillo in the Dominican Repiiblic, contained refrigerators. 

 Most of the others seen had facilities for icing fish. 



Most public markets are covered with gcilvanized sheet-iron roofing, tile, or concrete, 

 and are open on all four sides. All have concrete floors. Virtually all are operated under 

 strict sanitary regulations and are ?rashed by hose after each day's business. Inspection of 

 products is often provided. In some maricets insulated storage boxes are provided for holding 

 fish in ice overnight. Such facilities are not widely used, however, as it is cowman ex- 

 perience that fish displayed one day deteriorates in quality too much to be appealing to 

 buyers on the next day, Ifost of the fish handled fresh la the entire area are sold in the 

 maxicet on the same day they are caught. 



There are only a few private fish maricets. Some of these appear to have been established 

 because of inadequacies in the public markets. These markets are built with much better 

 facilities for handling fish than are the public markets. Most of them use ice and cold- 

 storage facilities. They are under less strict sanitary control than the public markets. 



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