THE CARIBBEAN ARE& — COSTA RICA 



ELshennen 



There exist no definite figures on the number of fishermen employed in the fisheries 

 of Costa Rica but the number of full-time workers is doubtless verj"- small, probably not 

 more than 150. For the most part, fishing is carried on as a secondary or subsidiary 

 occupation along Tri-th eigricultural and stevedoring work. On the isolated section of the 

 coast it is almost entirely a personal subsistence fishery. Most of the fishermen on the 

 Caribbean coast are West Indian negroes who have drifted into fishing by choice. On the 

 Pacific side, the Indian mixtures are most predominaint . All the fishermen live on a 

 narrow margin of existence. On the Caribbean coast the seasonal abundance of turtles has 

 provided a cash crop of same in^ortance, and on the Pacific coast a limited development 

 of fresh-fish trade with the interior and the acti-Tities of the Pacific Refrigeration 

 Company has bettered the economic conditions of the fishermen somewhat. 



The fishermen of the Caribbean coast are not organized into a formal group but infor- 

 mally they have agreed among themselves as to the amount of fish they should land and the 

 prices for which they sell their catch. It is said that this groi^) has taken punitive 

 action on a number of occasions against violators of their agreements. 



The United States high-seas tuna fleet calls from time to time at Puntaren2^ and, in 

 addition, there have been some units of this group based at Puntarenas and delivering 

 tuna to the freezing plant there for processing and delivery to the United States. Former- 

 ly, Japanese fishermen had been employed in the operation of a tuna vessel based At 

 Puntarenas. Since the war, however, they have been replaced by Costa Ricans. In 19^ j 

 there were a nun;ber of fishermen from the United States fishing in Costa Rlcan waters 

 using vessels of United States registry based at Puntarenais. 



It was reported in 19A2 that Indians were engaged in shark fishing at Rio Colorado. 



Boats 



The native fishermen use only the most simple types of boats. On the Caribbean side, 

 these are mostly dugout canoes or cayucos. Oftentimes, they are fitted with sails and at 

 other times they are rowed, poled, or paddled. Probably the total number of fishing craft 

 does not exceed 100. 



On the Pacific side, particularly at Puntarenas, boats of better types are used. Small 

 sailboats up to 20 or 25 feet in length are used for fishing for sharks. A few small boats 

 are used to take fish for sale in San Jose. It is reported that small launches are used In 

 fishing, but none was observed. 



In 19^, a number of United-States-owned and registered small tuna clippers and purse- 

 seine type vessels were engaged in fishing for tuna and sharks for the Pacific Refrigeration 

 Plant. Another vessel, the Victoria II (formerly the "Amano") was taken over by the Costa 

 Rlcan Government from its Japanese operators. This vessel was first operated entirely by 

 Costa Ricans and was later leased to California interests and captained by an. American 

 citizen and crewed by Costa Ricans. Later information indicates that this boat was lost at 

 sea during the early part of 19^3. 



There is a shipyard and facilities for construction small vessels at Puntarenas, but the 

 lack of suitable supplies of wood and fittings makes boat building operations slow at this 

 time. 



Gear 



Fishing apparatus is of simple type consisting primarily of hook and line gear. This 

 basic type is used in handline fishing on or near the bottom, in trolling from small sail- 

 boats, and in series in line trawls or "palangres". 



Nets are used to a more limited extent and consist chiefly of small haul seines or 

 "chlnchorros" and hand castnets, "atarrayas". On the Pacific side, weirs are sometimes 



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