THE CARIBBEAN' AREA 



HAITI 



(e) Inshore . pelagic ; 



pompano 

 anchovies 

 halfbeaks 

 spade fish 

 weak fish 

 porgies 



(f) Brackish, estuarine ; 



mullet 



halfbeaks 



grunts 



jacks 



herrings 



barracuda 



sergeantfish 



tripletails 



butterfish 



snook 



anchovies 



croakers 



mullet 

 sardines 

 bone fish 

 grunts 

 croakers 



mojarra 



shsLTks 



silversides 



harvestfish 



snook 



Names of Haitian Fish ; Haitian fish names are based on French sources. As is usual witii 

 local, common nomenclature, there is often wide variance with the true taxonomic relations. 

 Ihe same species may go under a number of names depending upon color variation, size, sex, or 

 locality. Several species, more or less similar, may have only one name. The local names 

 vary from place to place. 



Distribution and Abundance ; &iormous schools of round herrings (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia ) 

 silversides, sardines, and bumpers are found in the outer parts of Port-au-Prince Bay and are 

 seined or dynamited. Lane snappers are reported as abundant, with otiier snappers also present 

 in substantial numbers. Sharks and rays are taken in some quantities for the market. Eels 

 are present, both the Anguilla and moray types. The latter are taken in traps or by spearing. 

 Croakers and grunts appear in the markets occasicaially and mullet frequently. Jacks, harvest 

 fish, cutlass fish, soapfish, hinds, groupers, barracuda, threadfin, snook, mojarras, gobies, 

 and tangs appear quite regularly. 



The majority of catches made at the present tijne falls into classes (d), (e) and (f), as 

 given in the preceding outline (page 178), with only very small contributions from the other 

 groups. 



According tc reports submitted by M. Andre Audant, the most important fishing centers, 

 the principal species caught, and seasons are these listed on page 181, 



The abundance of fishes in the most easily- reached and easily-fished areas is doubtless 

 very low. This was indicated by the catches observed in Port-au-Prince, The majority con- 

 sisted of small, immature reef species. When the more enterprising fishermen visited the 

 less frequented areas, good catches of choice fish were taken. 



^Vhile fairly intensive fishing is carried on in some areas, there is every indication 

 that better boats and gear would increase the catch, by opening new grounds and by making a 

 greater range of species available. Moreover, greater advantage could be taken of the 

 seasonal abundance of certain species such as jacks. 



179 



