FISHERIES OF CHILE 255 



It is evident that with so low an income many fishermen do not 

 earn their hvings and are forced to devote part of their time to other 

 jobs. 



b) Craft. 



In December 1951, out of a total of 4338 fishing craft used, approx- 

 imately 64 were engine driven vessels of medium size (10 to 200 gross 

 tons, including 12 whale catchers), 917 motorized small craft (most of 

 them with portable gasoline engines), and 3357 open boats with oar and 

 sail, representing 77 per cent of the total fishing fleet were in operation. 

 The census taken in 1943 recorded 385 motorized and 2554 non-motor- 

 ized vessels. 



Almost all the present fishing fleet was built in Chilean yards from 

 domestic materials and by local labor. Since the inception of the trawl 

 fisheries in the early forties and the building of new processing plants, 

 several large steel trawlers and some wooden purse seimers were im- 

 ported, most of them from Belgium and Germany. The local ship- 

 yards have also been active in building new power-driven craft. Un- 

 fortunately some of these large boats have been wrecked or lost at sea. 



Present types of boats appear to be adequate enough to supply the 

 existent demand for fresh fish. However, due to the very low prodvict- 

 ivity per man and year of the small non-powered craft and the increased 

 demand for raw material from the processing plants, both for canning 

 and fish meal, if production costs are to be maintained at an adequate 

 level, motorization of the fishing fleet is imperative and acquisition of 

 larger and modern craft is necessary for fishing in distant grounds to 

 supply fish varieties at lower price. Such boats could be built in Chilean 

 shipyards if technical assistance is provided. 



c) Gear. 



The am.ount of fishing gear in Chile has been estimated in 1945 as 

 including approximately 600 units of longlines ("palangre" or "espinel") 

 used almost exclusively for cusk eel ("congrio"); about 400 gill nets 

 ("amalladeras" or "trasmallo") of different types; about 1000 harpoons 

 which account for practically the entire catch of swordfish; ring nets 

 ("boliche") for bonito, sardine and anchovy, numbering 120; beach 

 seines ("chinchorros de playa") of various types numbering about 250; 

 otter trawl nets, exclusively used in the hake fishing; trolling lines for 

 tuna fishing; lobster traps in Juan Fernandez Island; traps ("nasas") 

 for crabs and shrimp, and about 200 diving outfits used in the shellfish 

 fisheries. 



