THE CARIBBEAN AREA — HAITI 



FISHERY RESOURCES 

 Character of the Coast 



Haiti, which occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola, lying between 

 Cuba and Puerto Rico, is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south by 

 the Caribbean. To the west is the V.lndward Passage and to the east, its neighbor, the 

 Dominican Republic. The Haitian coastline extends from the Bay of Uanzanillo to Cape San 

 Nicolas Mole on the north and iroia Pedemales to Cape Tiburon on the south. Practically 

 the entire west coast is included in the Gonaive or Leogane Gulf and Gonaive Channel. 

 The total coastline measures about 1,100 miles. Off the coast are three large islands, 

 Tortuga Island on the north coast, Gonaive Island on the west coast, and Vache Island on 

 the south coast. There are also some smaller islands such as the Grande Cayemite and La 

 Grosse Caye, 



Very limited shallow-water fishing areas are to be found. In general, the 100-fathom 

 curve is found but a short distance off the coast. On the north coast, there is a belt of 

 shallow water three to live miles wide from about Fort Liberte to Port Paix. On the west 

 coast, the areas from Porta Piment to Pointe Diable, from Dasque to Goave (Port-au-Prince Bay) 

 within the Bay des Cayemites, and from Cape Dame Marie to Cape Carcasse offer the only shallow 

 waters except for very narrow coastal strips on the southwest coast. On the south coast, 

 there is a considerable shallow-water area from Trou Grosse Pierre to Point des Flamands and 

 a lesser one from Jacnel to the Dominican border. 



Many small bays and coves are found along the coastline, and there is good shelter for 

 small fishing boats. A considerabel portion of the coast is fringed with reefs; and channels 

 which can be used by small vessels are present. The coast itself is, in general, cliffy, 

 but there are large areas of sandy and gravelly beach and low-lying marshy areas and mangrove 

 swanks. "Ihe hinterland \isually rises rapidly to form high ridges. Fairly extensive areas of 

 muddy and sandy bottoia are found close to shore, but often these are surrounded and spotted 

 with rocks, coral heads, and reefs. Many small streams and rivers enter, but few, if any, 

 are navigable since they usually have extensive bars at their mouths. There are few off- 

 lying banks. The coastal fringe of shallow water does not deepen gradually as a rule. In- 

 shore depths are shallow and drop off very quickly at the 100-fathom line. Surf and sea 

 conditions are often so heavy as to render small-boat fishing impossible. This is particualar- 

 ly true on the south coast and on the north coast. 



Climate ; The prevjiiling winds are from the northeast from December to April and from the 

 east the remaining time. Iheir force averages 12 knots in the first and third quarters of the 

 year and 10 knots in the second and fourth qiiarters. "Hiere are few calm days but no extremely 

 heavy gales, with the rare exception of hurricanes which affect the coastal regions. 



The tides on the Haitian coast have a range of between two and three feet with the flood 

 usually setting to westward and the ebb to eastward. 



the range of temperature and the amount of rainfall is much effected by the rugged 

 topography of Haiti. The trade winds bring to the north coast a more equable marine climate 

 than that of the south and west coasts where temperatures have reached 90 degrees or higher in 

 every month of the year, with extremes of 100 degrees on the west coast in July and August. 

 Between December and March, cool spells occur, with temperatures of 60 degrees, accompanied by 

 average daytime temperatures of 80 degrees and above. At midsummer, the night temperatures 

 average around 72 degrees, and day tanperatures about 92 degrees on the west coast, with some- 

 Tiiat warmer nights and cooler days on the remainder of the coast. The rainfall varies greatly 

 from place to place, even on the coast. The driest areas are Mole St. Nicholas, Gonaives, and 

 Tiburon which receive only 20 to 25 inches of annual precipitation; the amounts rise to as 

 much as 60 indies elsewhere on the south and west coasts. Rainfall seasons are quite irregular, 

 but, in general, the months from December to March constitute the driest part of the year on 

 the south and west coasts, whereas the least rain falls in June or J\ily along the north coast. 



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