FISHERIES AND MARKET FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS IN MEXICO, ETC. 91 



There are no fishing banks or other spots near this island where fish 

 are known to be especially plentiful, so that the fleet operates along 

 the entire coast. Modern American-made nets are in general use, 

 and in addition a limited number of hand lines are employed. None 

 of the fishing vessels carry ice for packing fish; consequently they do 

 not remain out of the port more than a few hours. The prmcipal fish 

 caught in local waters are red snapper, gilt heads or dorado, barracuda, 

 perch, shad, and jurel. The three first-mentioned classes retail at 50 

 cents a pound; the others, at 30 cents per pound. The daily con- 

 sumption of fresh fish in Santo Domingo, the capital and largest city 

 of the Republic, does not exceed 150 pounds. No fish are caught in 

 any of the Dominican rivers. Occasionally small sea crabs are 

 offered for sale in the public markets, but neither oysters, clams, nor 

 shrimp are obtainable. Fish are neither cured nor exported. 



Fish imports into the Dominican Republic aggregate nearly 

 $1,000,000 per annum, and at least 95 per cent of these imports origi- 

 nate in the United States. Owing to the absence of highways, which 

 renders transportation slow and costly, and also to the fact that very 

 few merchants in the interior towns possess ice boxes or other means 

 for keepmg fresh fish, the residents oi these towns rarely ever see Do- 

 minican fish and depend entirely upon imported sea foods. 



The following table shows the classes, quantities, and values of fish 

 importations into the Dominican Republic during 1919 and 1920: 



Smoked products (bloaters) brought into this country are packed 

 in 15-pound wooden boxes and retail at from 3 to 5 cents each, 

 according to size. Haddock is the principal dried or salted fish im- 

 ported into this market. It is packed in 120 and 480 pound drums 

 and retails at 12 cents per pound. Salmon and tuna constitute the 

 great bulk of tinned importations. Ordm^ry grades sell as low as 

 20 cents, while the best quality brings 75 cents per pound. Sardines 

 are generally sold in i and ^ pound tins, at from 15 to 60 cents, de- 

 pending on quality. There are no reexports of fish products. Ameri- 

 can fish products are widely and favorably known in the Dominican 

 Republic, but at the present prices they are bey^ond the reach of the 

 laboring classes. Lower prices would result in greatly increased 

 consumption. 



GUADELOUPE. 



[By John S. Calvert, consul, September 24, 1921.] 



Fish are caught for immediate sale and consumption in the waters 

 surrounding Guadeloupe. They are never preserved and are not 

 dried in commercial quantities. Imported dried fish are consumed. 

 Refrigeration is not in use. No fish are found in the small rivers of 

 the island. Fish obtainable in Guadeloupe resemble in variety and 

 kind those usually found in West Indian waters. The best fishing 



