THE CARIBBEAN AREA — VENEZUELA 



Imports 



Lnpc«rted fishery products reach consumers through regular trade channels, needing no 

 special refrigeration or handling facilities. In 1^0 almost 100,000 cases of canned 

 sardines were in?)orted, all other itmes being comparatively negligible. Imports are sub- 

 ject to high duties (16-1/3 cents U. S. per pound for canned salmon, dry-salt cod, and many 

 other fishery items; 3.8 cents per pound for canned sardines). 



Venezuelan customs records list a total of 7,809,000 pounds of fishery products import- 

 ed in 19i+0. The value of these imports was $570,^54^.00. Of the total, 6,567,000 pounds, 

 valued at $407,000, was received from the United States. Canned saixiines formed 86 percent 

 of the imports, by weight, and of the United States shipments 88 percent was of this product. 



Per capita consumption 



Using the calculated total catch figure of 100 million pounds and add.ing to it the 

 7,809,000 pounds of fishery products imported, the per capita consumption of these products 

 is calculated at about 30 pounds annually. This figui^ is considered lew since about 20 

 percent of the population is said to live from the sea. Most of these persons catch their 

 own fish, aJid these products do not enter into commerce. 



Venezuela's fishing industry provides a very important element in the country's diet. 

 The 30 poimds of. fish per person supplies a large part of the essertial proteins and minerals 

 for body building. In this country of predominantly low-wage workers, the price of food is 

 an important factor in public health. Fish, the lowest-priced, flesh-protein food, is relied 

 on for a basic and indispensable part of the diet by the greater part of the population. 

 This factor and the income and employment provided by the fishery industries make the fishery 

 industries very inqwrbant to the life and welfare of Venezuela. 



THE ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITIES OF THE 

 FISHERIES SERVICE OF THE VENEZUELAN GOVERNUENT 



Functions concerning fisheries in genersil are placed in the Ministerio de Agriculture 

 y Cria (Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry). The Servicio de Pesqueria (Fisheries 

 Service) is one of a number of services under the Direccion de Ganaderia (Division of Stock 

 Raising), The work of the Servicio de Pesqueria is divided into the following categories; 

 Law Enforcement (Control y Vigilancia), Exploration (Exploracion), Technology, (Capacitacion), 

 and Fish Culture (Piscicultura) . Ihese various divisions conduct the following activitiest 



Law Enforcement 



1. Protection and conservation of marine species. 



2. Rational exploitation of the fishery resources. 



3, Statistical information. 



4. Inspection of the f'jnctioning of the Service, 



Exploration 



1* Discovery of fishing grounds. 



2. Investigations on industrial possibilities of marine products, 



3. Study of fishing grounds. 



4> Observations on the habits and migrations of the fish, 



5, Determinations of spawning times. 



6, Taxidermic preparation of fish for scientific classification, 



7. Study of the tides, winds, temperature and salinity of the waters, aquatic faxma, 

 and plankton abundance, etc. 



8, Study of certain water conditions which at times destroy fish (turbio). 



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