THE CARIBBEW; AREA. — VENEZUELA 



Gill nets (iiletes) are used to a considerable extent — particularly around Isla 

 iJargarita. These are used in capturing carite, cabana, sierra, anchoa, and other fish. 

 The filetes are made of heavy linen thre?.d and hung from corklines strung from wooden 

 floats. The nets are not treated and are dried in the sun. The average size is about 

 90 feet long and 9 feet deep. 



Castnets (atarrayas) are used to a considerable extent, chiefly in fishing for bait. 



Handlines, using a number of hooks, are regularly employed in certain bottom areas 

 for taking pargo and mero. From 4. to 6 men fish in each boat. The bait is usually arenque. 

 Most often the lines are of heavy cotton and carry 5 hooks of sizes from No. 3 to No. 10. 

 Some handline boats have taken as high as 1,600 kg. of fish a day. Depths of water fished 

 in are up to 4-0 fathoms. 



Trolling lines are used to a considerable extent, chiefly for carite and sierra. 

 Usually the lure used is shaped like a sardine. Most of the trolling boats are equipjped 

 with outriggers and in this way they can fish 3 to 4. lines per boat. The lines utilize a 

 very long wire leader — up to 20 or 30 feet in length. Ordinarily, 30 to 40 fish may com- 

 pose the day's catch but catches of a ton or more are not unknown. Trawl lines are used 

 only as "palangres" to catch sharks. Much of the equipment used was purchased in the 

 United States and the form and construction of these long lines is practically identical 

 to the Florida shark-fishing apparatus. A galvanized chain, about 3/4 inch size, is used 

 as a ground line. This carried 20 to 40 large hooks fastened by means of snap hooks on 

 chain gangions. Porpoise meat is used as beiit. 



Fish pots (nasas) are used to a limited extent. They are of chicken wire with wooden 

 frames. Nasas are set without buoys and are located with grapnels. Buoys are not used 

 because the fishermen feel that their pots will be robbed by other fishennen if they can 

 easily be found. 



Fishing with live bait (arenques) is practiced very generally and gives excellent 

 resuJ-ts. Arenques are seined and impounded in a piragua that is filled with water. Fresh 

 salt water is admitted from time to time in order to keep the arenques alive. The fishermen 

 go out to the fishing grounds in this piragua and when fish are sighted, the live bait is 

 dipped out to attract them. Short lines baited with a bone lure or other lure are used at 

 this point to capture the fish attracted by this device. The fishermen often catch anchoas 

 by using the legbone of a bird threaded to the shank of a hook. This is called fishing 

 "guapeando" . 



Harpoons are used at times, particularly in taking porpoises for bait. 



Severeil of the larger fishing companies have introduced purse seines but these were 

 not in use in 1942, Attempts have been made also to use otter trawls, but these have failed. 



Prices 



Venezuela has an estimated annual consumption of fish (in fresh-fish equivalents) of 

 30 pounds per person. This compares with a total of about 30 to 35 pounds (in fresh-fish 

 equivalents) per person in the United States and 69 pounds per person in Puerto Rico. In 

 active cattle industry and widespread home raising of poultry make fish relatively unimportant 

 in some sections but in other sections fish constitute virtually the only flesh protein food 

 available. The comparatively low price of fishery products makes them attractive to the 

 consumer. In Caracas in June 1942, high-grade fish sold at retail vTith a maximum price of 

 1.20 Bolivares per kilogram (I6-I/3 cents U. S. per pound). In production areas on the coast, 

 select fresh fish were retailing at O.5O Bolivares per kilogram (7 cents U. S. per pound) 

 and cheaper species sold from O.I5 to 0,30 Bolivares per kilogram (2,0 to 4.1 cents per 

 pound). Locally-prepared salt fish retailed at coastal points of production for, 0. 50 to 

 1.00 Bolivares per kilogram (7 to I4 cents U.S. per pound). The Maracaibo market on 

 June 16, 19-i2, posted the following maximum retail prices for certain fresh fishery pro- 

 ducts and beef. 



73 



