1HE CARI3BEA1J AREA — NICARAGUA 



TriE nSHERY INDUSTRIES 



With fishery resources fairly plentiful at all times, fish unquestionably have played 

 an iniportant part in the feeding of the people of Nicaragua in the past. The Indian 

 populations of Central America have a long history as hunters and fishermen. The bow and 

 arrow and spear are reportedly relied on by the many Indians still living along the rivers 

 that flovr into the Caribbean Sea. 



During recent iaies, development of the fishery industries has been very limited. Some 

 trade in fresh fish has been established on a very restricted and sporadic scale from the 

 Pacific coast ports to centers of population along the railroads. What fish does appear in 

 these centers, however, seems to "oe mostly the product of local streams and lakes of the 

 immediate area. Agricultural products provide the main foods of the people of Nicaragvia 

 and fish are used only occasionally as they become available to capture in simple forms 

 of fishing gear. Most of the fish caught are, undoubtedly, utilized by families of the 

 fishermen. It is estimated that the normal commercial catch of fish in Nicaraigua totals 

 about 300,000 po'ands yearly. 



Some home salting and smoking of fish is done by the fishermen, mainly to preserve 

 their ovm catch for home use. 



In^jorts of fishery products are normally relatively small. In 1940, 75,000 pounds of 

 these items, valued at about $9,000 in U, S. currency were received, and in 19'il, 150,000 

 pounds, valued at about $20,000, arrived. Export trade, mainly in turtles from Bluefields 

 on the Caribbean coast, was valued at $8,000 in ig-iO and $7,000 in 19A1. 



Ihe people of Nicaragua consume less than one pound of fishery products per person 

 per year. This is extremely low. 



Salt-water fish are available in small retail stores and from peddlers in the coastal 

 villages. On both coasts, fish sell for the equivalent of 5 cents 11. S. per pound. Spiny 

 lobster demands 10 to 15 cents 1/ each. Ueat, poultry, and eggs also sell at low prices, 

 but as the average wages of the working classes are low (40 to 60 cents per day), purchasing 

 power for such foods is limited. 



Undoubtedly, a factor in the low, per-capita consumption of fish in Nicaragua is the 

 comparatively high duty imposed on imported fishery food products. Dried, salted, and 

 smoked itmes must absorb a charge of 12 cents per kilogramj canned salmon, 14 cents; canned 

 tuna and mackerel, 28 cents; and canned sardines 30 cents. 



Fishermen 



It is impossible to state, with any degree of accuracy, the number of fishermen engaged 

 in fishing in Nicaragua, but probably fewer than 100 or so are employed as regular, coiimercial 

 fishenuen. On the Caribbean coast, full-time native fishermen are few. Many ol the Indians 

 and some of the townspeople may fish for their personal use from time to time or collect 

 oysters for sale. The available market is so small that there has been no great incentive 

 for fishery development. In adiition, fishing must compete with labor demands for stevedoring 

 and for the banana plantations. Such organized fishing as is conducted is carried on by 

 fishenuen from the Cayman Islands who catch turtles and collect sponges. These may also fish 

 for groupers and snappers wliich they transport oo the Canal Zone in live-well boats. On the 

 offshore islands, spiny lobsters are collected for sale in export markets. At Puerto Cabezas, 

 a group of Miskito Indians supply fish and spiny lobsters to the to>m at irregular intervals. 



On the Pacific side, fishing is a little better developed and there are a few regular, 

 full-ti.e fishermen engaged, particularly at Corinto and possibly in the Gulf of Fonseca. 

 During normal times, however, fishing as a vocatiOTi has strong competition from stevedoiring 

 and agricultural occupations, liore recently, interest in shark fishing and disruptions of 

 shipping has awalcened greater interest in fishing. Until a regular demand for fishery pro- 

 ducts is created within the country, there is little opportunity or excxise to increase the 



1/ United States curi-ency equivalents are used in this report. 



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