THE CARIBBEAN AREA 



the fishermen are predondnantly of white blood and there is also some Negro blood represent- 

 ed. All of the Haitian fishermen are of Negro stock and the fishermen of the Dominican 

 Republic are mixed Negro and white stock. 



Political refugees fixsm Spain and elsewhere have gone into fishing and fishery industries 

 in a number of Caribbean cour.tries. With them they have brought new techniques, new enthusiasm, 

 and new methods. Their activities will probably have a beneficial effect. 



As a general rule the fishemen of the Caribbean are excellent seamen and very good fish- 

 ermen. They make most of their equipment by hand and exhibit considerable ingenuity in using 

 local materials in their vrork. Very few, if any, of these men will sell the fish in the market 

 since they feel that this is a woman's duty. Usually fishermen limit their catches to the 

 amount they know can be sold at a good price. Often they agree amongst themselves not to ex- 

 ceed a certain quota. If one transgresses he is likely to be roughly handled by the others. 

 In the Latin-American countries, fishermen have sometimes organized jjito "gremios". These 

 are in the nature of a guild organization but are not true cooperatives. They represent the 

 fishermen in religious, political, and in other ways. In Cuba amd Venezuela, gremios are 

 relatively widespread and have acccwqslished, to a certain extent, the task of unifying the 

 fishermen for their material benefit. 



In many regions the fishemen or their families till a piece of ground as a supplement 

 to their fishing activities. In the Gulf of Cariaco region in Venezuela, however, and in 

 other like regions, the inhabitants subsist entirely from the sea and are truly peasants of 

 the sea. Many of the fishermen in the more isolated regions are migratory. They follow the 

 runs of fish from place to place and salt and dry their catches. 



Among the best fishermen of the Caribbean are those living on the Cayman Islands. They 

 have a long history of boat-building and fishing activity. In normal times they fish almost 

 throughout the Tiestern Caribbean and land their catches in Jamaica, the United States, or in 

 the Canal Zone. The fishermen of Saba Island are quite akin to the Cayman Islanders in their 

 ability. 



As a result of the work of the Mission, it has been found that the fishennen of the 

 Caribbean can assimilate new techniques easily and that they, as a group, would be worthy of 

 increased attention from the various governments. 



Boats 



Estimates from various sources indicate that a total of some 30,000 craft make up the 

 fishing fleet in the Caribbean. The greatest number, 12,000 or 40 percent of the total is 

 fo\ind in Cuba. 



The most common form of fishing boat is the dugout canoe (.cayuco or dori boat). These 

 are found practically throughout the area and are much used for fishing. Most frequently 

 they are used in sheltered waters but they are also used in open waters to a considerable 

 extent. The length ranges up to about 35 feet. Usually the beam is relatively narrow—not 

 more than 3 or il feet. The depth may be 2 to 3 feet and there is sametimes a shallow keel 

 extending for practically the entire length of the bottom. Dugout canoes vary greatly in 

 details of design. Some are pointed at both ends — others at only one end. Some have an 

 outboard tiller — others are steered by a wide-bladed oar. Actual construction varies con- 

 siderably. In most of Central America, the finished craft is made of one piece of wood. 

 There may be a few thwarts added. In the West Indies, strengthening ribs are often fitted 

 inside of the shell and the depth of the craft increased by adding strakes all around the 

 gunwale , 



In Trinidad, the only dugout portions are the keel and gsa-boards. The remainder of the 

 hull is built up of hardwood stem, stem, and frames of local hardwoods with planking of 

 broad lengths of imported wliite pine fastened in clinker fashion. These boats are known as 

 "lambias" or "shellboats". They range from 15 to 22 feet in length and they are designed 

 primarily for lightness in hauling up on beaches and for ease in rowing. Sails are seldom 



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