THE CARIBBSAI! AREA — COLOMBIA 



Shrimp are now taken only in the cienagas or lagoons. Larger and better shrimp will 

 doubtless be found along the coast in deeper waters. 



Sardines, anchovies, and other herring-like fishes appear to be abundant and probably 

 could furnish a good deal of fish Yri.th proper production methods. 



The offshore pelagic fish such as tunas, dolphins, swordfish and others may be avail- 

 able to Colombian fishermen. Certainly the schools of kingfish and Spanish mackerel along 

 the coast are non used to a very limited extent. 



Shorefishes such as snook, mullet, croakers and others are now taken to some extent 

 but not nearly to the limit of their possible yield. 



Indeed, it may be said, that with the exception of certain very Hamited intensively 

 fished regions, the entire coast of Colombia has xinused fishery resources of one kind or 

 another. Their development awaits only the need for the products they can supply. 



Potential Llarkets 



There appears to be little need and incentive for a concerted effort to enlarge 

 Colombia's fisherj' industries at the present time. Local food supplies are apparently 

 sufficiently large to meet local demands. Difficulties in obtaining equipment for more 

 modem fishing efforts make such activities impractical during the present emergency, 

 Colombia may well lay plans for the development of use of her fishery resources after the 

 war, however. Other nations would import frozen langosta, or spiny lobster, and fillets 

 and steaks from snappers, groupers, and other fishes. These, catfish, and other species 

 can be salted more effectively and sold on local and foreign markets. Sharks can be 

 caught and the products used in local industries. The west coast might be the site of a 

 cold storage unit for tuna en route to the United States. 



It is believed that through introduction of modern gear, operated in conjunction 

 with cold storage facilities and improved marketing facilities, that fresh fish can be 

 made more abundant on the markets and prices can be lowered, thereby making fish more 

 generally available to low-salaried consumers. This development could coincide with a 

 move to build up export trade in special frozen products. 



The foregoing projects appear to be feasible to enlarge local industry and income. 

 They would also, particolarly insofar as they increase local use of salt-water fishes, 

 improve the nutritional standards of the Colombian diet. 



It is suggested as a means of improving the efficiency of the shipment by air of fresh 

 coastal fish to interior points, that fillets be used instead of whole or gutted fish. 

 This would eliminate the paying of high-priced transportation charges on inedible portions 

 of the fish, which cost is ultimately paid by the consumer. The saving in trainsportation 

 charges should cover filleting costs and permit the choice meat portions contained in the 

 fillets to sell to consumers at a price much the same as was charged for whole fish pre- 

 viously, 



GALS FISHING 



Captain Tom Gifford, fishing guide of Florida has made a report on the big-game fish- 

 ing possibilities around Barranquilla. He indicates that tarpon are more abundant in this 

 region than in any other that he has seen. Also, he writes that there should be possibilities 

 for fishinj tuna and other game fish offshore. TTith the excellent hotel accommodations offer- 

 ed in Barranquilla and other conveniences readily available, Barranquilla csin probably develop 

 great activity in sport fishing. He writes that "The Fishing off Barranquilla will be divided 

 into three seasons: 



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