THE CA RIB DEAN AREA 



length and from 1 1/2 to 3 feet in width or depth. "Hie framework is inade of locally- 

 procured wood, with mangrove wood favored. Usually the framework members are lashed with 

 wire or native fibers and sufficient cmss menbers and uprights are used to make the frame 

 rigid. The covering of the pots varies. Formerly, and now with the lade of other mater- 

 ials, woven mats of wild cane or bamboo are used* These were made usually by the fisher- 

 man or his family. The weave gives a hexagonal mesh with a width of about one inch. The 

 covering eind frames are fastened together with native fibers or with wire. As far back 

 as 1931, many fishermen wei* using galvanized chicken wire as the covering for their pots. 

 The mesh used is hexagonal and varies from 1 to 2 inches. In a few areas, drawn wire, 

 usually discarded cable wire, is used in making the pots. 



A variant of the type described above is used to a considerable extent in the Britidi 

 West Indies. This has a shape of a figure "S". A tunnel is placed at each concavity 

 giving entrance to the pot from two opposite sides. The constmction and mateidals are 

 otherwise the same as the single-tunnel trap. Occasionally, rectangular pots are used. 

 Usually these are considerably smaller than the arrowhead type and many have a single- 

 tunnel entrance or one tunnel at each end. It is reported that the v;eaving and construction 

 of a bamboo pot requires about one week, while a wire pot requires considerably less time 

 to build. About 100 square feet of chicken wire is needed for an average-size pot (21 feet 

 of material 5 feet in width). 



Fish pots are set on the bottom in depths up to 50 or 60 fathoms. In some areas 

 they are buoyed and in others they are not. In the latter case, the pots must be retriev- 

 ed by grappling. When buoys are used, they are made of bamboo or light wood (bois flot) 

 and they are attached to the pot by means of a line made of vines or local fibers. Wooden 

 pots usually must be weighted down and rocks are used for this purpose. In some localities, 

 the pots are baited while in others they are not. When bait is used, it consists of any 

 one of a nunter of things. The white pulp of the cactus plant, a broken piece of white 

 chinaware, and other like objects are often used as decoys. Scrap fish allowed to become 

 stale or crushed spiny lobster may also be used. The reasons for not using bait are that 

 it tends to attract sharks or that crabs and other animals rob the traps. The smaller 

 traps are used in shallow water and teike the smaller-sized fish, •vrtiile the larger traps 

 are set at greater depths and catch larger fish. In some areas the traps are lifted each 

 day; in other places they may be fished on alternate days or even less frequently. 



Pots are allowed to remain in the water, without being dried out or repaired, until 

 they are no longer usable. Wooden pots are reported to last from 4- to 6 months and chicken- 

 wire pots up to 18 mionths, while drawn-wire ones last even longer. Even under normal con- 

 ditions, however, many pots are lost and some are destroyed by large sharks or by other 

 means. Pots are not alwa^ fished the year around but some pot fishing is probably always 

 carried on for personal use. The catch per pot varies considerably, but catches of from 

 20 to 30 pounds of fish per day are a good avei^ge. The fish taken are of the bank and 

 reef types — groupers, snappers, grunts, surgeon fish, squirrel fish, etc. The gear is not 

 selective and many small and immature individuals are taken. Pots are perhaps the most 

 efficient type of gear devised for reef-fishing and they are used by many of the poorer 

 fishermen since they are relatively inexpensive to construct and keQ3 up. 



One fishing boat may fish as many as 12 to 30 pots per day but usually handles less. 

 Some fishermen have two sets or ranges of pots which are hauled on alternate days. The 

 pots are placed by the fishenuen on spots which they can recognize by experience as good. 

 Small pots are sometimes stiring in a line but the large pots are usually placed singly. 



Some complaints regarding the use of fish pots were heard. These were usually to the 

 effect that pots were depleting the stock of fish to the extent that hodc and line gear 

 could not catch any fish. While no detailed study on the question has been made, it can 

 be stated that the coral reef areas are not very productive in any case and that any con- 

 siderable fishing strain would cause depletion. Too, many useful species c.umot be taken 

 by any other means. Cn the other hand, fish pots take small and immature fish which most 

 often are not returned to the water. 



Perhaps the greatest specialization in fish pots is to be found in Jamaica. Here 

 there have been developed a number of types, each designed for fishing in a specific 

 location and taking specific kinds of fish. The largest traps found in the Caribbean are 



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