are of inferior quality » Labor is poorly paid but production costs 

 are highj owing to the use of antiquated machinery and inefficient 

 production methods,, 



ECUADOa 



Although the waters around the Galapagos Islands and near 

 Ecuador's much indented 500-mile coast. line contaiin abundant quanti- 

 ties of tuna, the country's fishing industry is small and unorganiz- 

 ed o Along the coast the temperatures are oppressive and most fishing 

 is done at night o Fishing vessels are small dugouts, propelled by 

 sails, and only one or two Diesel-powered vessels are available for 

 fishing offshore waters., Local fishing is done on a small scale with 

 hook and line, the catch being sufficient only to satisfy the needs 

 of the fishermen and other coastal people » About a thousand people 

 are employed in the fishing industry » 



Statistical data are not available to indicate the amount of 

 tuna and tunalike fishes caught » Fresh or dried and salted albacore 

 and bonito are sold in Guayaquil and other coastal towns c Despite 

 Ecuador's proven tuna resources, the country is a net importer of 

 processed fishery products, mainly from Peru and the United States. 



Because of the successful tuna fisheries conducted by the United 

 States vessels in Galapagos waters and the progress made by Peru in 

 its tuna fisheries and tuna export trade, Ecuador's leading govern- 

 ment and business organizations have become more conscious of the 

 country's tuna resources. A desire exists for the establishment of 

 a local tuna industry, but prospects for such development are not 

 promisingo Fresh water is lacking for the operation of canning and 

 freezing plants, trained fishermen and skilled labor are not avail- 

 able, and a labor law is in existence which tends to increase pro- 

 duction costs without increasing the productivity per person. Attempts 

 made in the past to establish fish-canning plants in Ecuador have all 

 failed. 



COLUMBIA 



Because Colombia's small fishing fleet is handicapped by lack of 

 equipment and small operating range, the country's tuna resources 

 have never been utilized or assessed » However, extensive tuna re- 

 sources probably exist in waters off both the Caribbean and the 



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