THE CARIBBEAl'! AREA — VHJEZUELA 



In 1936, the Vaiezuelan Government reported that 1,285 craft ranging frcai 1 to 5 tons 

 each were licensed for fishing. This figure did not include xinregistered boats or those of 

 less than 1 ton. Since there are many small boats used in the coastal fishery, and since 

 there has been considerable expansion of fisning since 1936, the present size of the fishing 

 fleet is probably considerably greater than was reported. The Mission estimated that at 

 least 3,000 craft of all types were in regular use for fishing in 19^2. 



All of the larger boats used in the Venezuelan fishery are of sailboat types — some are 

 equipped with auxiliary motors, especially those used in transporting fish. These vessels 

 range from ^0 to 50 feet in length. These sailboats are known generally as "goletas". 



Some motor boats of other types are in use as cannery tenders. At least 10 small motored 

 fishing launches were in use in the shark fishery at Isla Margarita. These average about 18 

 feet in length and are only partially decked. 



Smaller sailboats ranging from 15 to 20 feet are much used for trolling and handline 

 fishing. At Isla Margarita these boats utilized a lateen sail. Here also the trolling boats 

 were equipped with outriggers for spreading the lines. These sailboats were well constructed 

 in local yards, utilizing for the most part imported woods. Their design is most adaptable to 

 th« type of fishing carried on. Sailboats of much the same type were seen in use very gener- 

 ally on Lake Maracaibo region but they were equipped with centerboards and those in other places 

 were not. A type of boat in use in the Gulf of Cariaco and the Isla Margarita is the "piragua". 



Fishing gear 



The great abundance and ready availability of the marine fishes on the coast of Venezuela, 

 coupled with the large number of fishermen, have made it unnecessary to employ highly mechanized 

 forms of fishing apparatus. The gear now in use varies somewhat from place to place, but it is 

 all of more or less simple tj-pe. Many of these have been used since Colonial times. Chiefly, 

 they are beach seines ( chinchorros ) , small specialized haul seines (mandingas), gill nets 

 (filetes), pots (nasas), and handlines (cordeles). 



Lake Maracaib o; — The predominant kind of fishing appeiratus in use is a modification of the 

 chinchorro (haul seine) used here as a gill net. This net is set in the late afternoon and 

 hauled back in the early morning, l^en great schools of fish, such as the curbina, gather, the 

 fishermen combine their nets to form one large net. With this they circle the school and then 

 frighten the fish into the meshes. 



Each chinchorro is 20 fathoms in length and 3 fathoms in depth. The mesh measurement is 

 8 to 10 cm. stretched (3.2 to U inches) and the netting is made of 15-thread cotton twine. 

 Formerly the nets wei^ made of linen thread. The floats are of corkwood (madera de corcha) 

 placed every 30 inches on the corkline, Ihree-ounce leads (sheet lead) are fastened at 

 intervals of about 30 inches on the lead line. These nets are tanned with an extract made 

 from red mangrove bark. At Isla de Toas a concrete teinning vat was in use — the only install- 

 ation of this kind seen in the Caribbean, \7hen the nets are not in use, they are hung from 

 drying racks wliich are constructed over the shallow water, about 300 feet offshore. Miles of 

 these racks were observed, paralleling the shore of the Lake. 'I'jhen the nets are to be repaired 

 or tsinned, they are brought ashore. 



In fisning these nets, a unit or "tren" is employed. Each tren consists of a canoe 

 (piragua) displacing about 1.5 tons, together ydth 9 to 10 nets. Each piragua is manned by 

 3 men. The ovniers of the trenes usually do not engage in fishing themselves but hire them out 

 to flshemen. The owner receives half of the proceeds and must keep the nets and boat in 

 repair. The other half goes to the 3 fishermen. In June 1939, the nets were estimated to 

 cost about UQ Bolivares each. Since then the price has mounted with the greater scarcity of 

 materials. In 1939, 218 trenes were in use in various parts of the Lake. This would represent 

 about 2,180 nets. Since this date, the number has probably increased, 



Handlines are used to a somewhat lesser extent than the chinchorros but their contribution 

 to the catch is considerable. Usually these lines are fished from a "cayuco". Sharks are some- 

 times taken on special handlines. One such line was observed at Isla de Toas made up of insulated 



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