THE CABIBBEAN AREA — EL SALVADOR 



POTENTIAL FISHERY INDUSTRIES 



The possibilities for any great increase in fish production in EL Salvador are some- 

 what limited. This is due to a relatively limited coastline and fishing area, the sharp 

 seasonal occurrence of many varieties of fish, the lack of trained fiahennen and efficient 

 boats and gear, the high incidences of malaria on the coast, and the absence of any great 

 demand for fishery products. 



There seems to be, however, sufficient fishery resources to justify greater fishing 

 effort both in the lagoons and on the coast, as well as offshore. There are certainly 

 definite possibilities in the tuna fisheries, but the entrance into this field would call 

 for the investment of relatively large sums of money. The inshore fisheries for snook, 

 mullet, grunts, and other species could be enlarged both as to fresh fish and to salt and 

 dried fish. T/fith organized methods of production, distributicHi, and marketing, the daily 

 consumption, which is at present only 500 pounds for the 100,000 persons in San Salvador, 

 could be increased. 



Hith meat prices low, it would be difficult to increase sales of fresh fish without a 

 lowering of prices, flihether fish prices can be reduced and still leave enough margin to 

 pay for all operations incidental to fishing, transporting, and selling the fish is pro- 

 blematical. It would probably be necessary to use mass^roduction fishing methods to 

 lower unit-producing costs. 



It is considered possible that the coastal fishery resources of EL Salvador are 

 sufficiently rich to support mass-production fishing on a scale suitable to fill all local 

 fresh-fish demands . It is also possible that they can support a canned-fish industry with 

 tuna and sardines, a fish-ineal industry, and an export business in frozen and canned fish. 

 Certain abundant fishes might well be salted for marketing as a low-priced product to pro- 

 vide food for the poorer people of the country, 



FRESH-ISATER FISHERIES 



The fish populations of the lakes and streams of EL Salvador have been levied \ipon 

 for years both for home use and for sale in the larger population centers. The supply, 

 however, has not kept pace with the demand and, therefore, year by year the fishery re- 

 sources in the lakes and streams have become more and more depleted. 



Hildebrand (Manuscript - 1924) writes: "El Salvador is, indeed, fortunate in having 

 many beautiful lakes within its boundaries, but from an econcxnic standpoint, the value of 

 the fish which may be produced therein can never be great." 



The Isike fishermen utilize small rafts or "balsas" and fish with ho(A and line or with 

 castnets (atarrayas). they are very expert in the use of the latter and are reported to 

 fish them under the water as well as at the surface. 



The fish caught are small in size and the number of fish taken is also small. Hildebrand 

 names the more iiq)ortant species fouid. Ihese are Astyanax fasciatus (plateada or sardina); 

 Galeichthys guatemalensis (bagre); Rhamdia guatemalensis (filin); various Cyprlnodontes 

 (chijiibolas)j Ihyrina gui.ja. a silverside (pepesia, manjuda, alfiler, rovaleto); Mugil cephalus. 

 mullet (liebre ancha, liza); Agonostomus monticola. fresh-water mullet (tepemechin, chimbera, 

 liza)j several species of Centropomus. the snooks (robalo or rovalo); the family Cichlidae . 

 or mojarras (burro, achiba, chamarra, chincoys, conga, mojarra, guapote, istatagua, moro, 

 pando; and the species Gobiomorus macula tus. goby (guvina). All of these fish are small. 



llany are sold fresh, but salting and drying is also in^ortant. In the market of San 

 Salvador, fresh-^ater fish command relatively high prices, and there is a strong and regular 

 demand for them. 



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