IHE CARIBBEAJi AREA — laCARAGUA 



On the Pacific coast the greatest possibilities lie in prosecution of a tuna fisherj' 

 offshore. This fishery, however, is a highly-modernized activity, requiring a considerable 

 investment in boats, equipment, personnel, and processing plants. The shore fisheides might 

 be an important factor, too, for supplying fresh fish to the interior via railroad. 



An increase in fresh-fish use could be developed by the use of railroad transportation 

 for iced fish to Uanagua and other interior centers. It is felt that there is sufficient 

 abundance of easily-caught shore fish to take care of these needs. Costs of production, 

 handling, transportation, and marketing, however, must be kept low enough to enable the lower- 

 income groups to purchase fish regularly. 



The fishery for stiarks offers opportunities, particularly if the flesh is processed by 

 drying or salting. The shark livers can be sold on foreign markets for extraction of vitaniin A. 

 A fishery for shrimp can probably be developed with the catch being dried. The development of 

 these new fishery industries, possibly, must aweiit the return of more normEil conditions because 

 of present difficulties in obtaining equipment. 



Potential Uaiicets 



While Nicaraguana like fish, it has never been the principal factor in the feeding of 

 the interior parts of the Republic, The limited coastal populations have been able to procure 

 marine fish either by their own efforts or by purchase from fishermen. The interior population 

 has long used the fresh-water fishes, but the basic protein is land-produced beef, pork, Jind 

 poultry, Nicaragua is primarily an agricultural, stock-raising country, and Nicaraguana rely 

 on those products for practically their entire diet. There is no doubt, however, that the 

 consumption of fish can be increased if it is sold at reasonable prices. The outstanding 

 problem is whether the relatively limited markets would justify considerable investments in 

 boats and gear. 



The Caribbean coast is practically isolated from the rest of the Republic in regard to 

 fish transportation. The limited population already uses considerable fish. It appeaTB that 

 the only outlets for increased production would exist in the export market. It would have to 

 be determined whether such markets can be entered by Nicaraguan-produced fishery products on a 

 profitable basis. 



The Pacific coast is in direct rail commvinication with the largest population centers in 

 the interior. Therefore, any fish to suprply those centers would have to come from this coast. 

 There is great demand for frozen tuna and for shark livers in the United States. It is quite 

 possible that Nicaragua could participate in suppljing this demand if freezing and storage 

 facilities were available. Corinto could be made the site of this activity. 



CONCLUSIONS AND RECOUUENDATIONS 



Both coasts of Nicaragua offer fairly extensive fisn resources, but the lack of 

 population and poor transportation and handling facilities make consnercial utilization of 

 these resources difficult. Large agriciiltural production has supplied the population with 

 enough proteins to make the establishment of large-scale fisheries unnecessary. With the 

 exception of coastal settlements and the region lying along the railroad between Corinto and 

 the interior, there is little chance that perishable fishery products could be distributed 

 on any large scale within the country. 



The chief premise for Nicaragua's fishery development lies in export markets, taking 

 advantage primarily of spiny lobster, turtles, shrinqD, red snapper, and grouper. On the 

 Pacific coast, the offshore fisheries can provide the basis for export industries in frozen 

 tuna. The shark fishery might be developed, particularly for vitamin-potent oil and the flesh 

 could be salted and dried for domestic use. 



It is recommended that the Government of Nicaragua appoint an officer to assist in the 

 development of fisheries in the Rqjublic and to collect fishery statistics. 



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