September 1966 



COMMERCIAL FISHEEIES REVIEW 



45 



International (Contd.): 



UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPlVlENT PROGRAM 



UNDP/FAO CARIBBEAN FISHERIES 

 DEVELOPME NT PROJECT: ___ 



This project is sponsored by the United 

 Nations Development Program (UNDP), for- 

 merly the United Nations Special Fund (UNSF). 

 The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 

 is the executing agency. The Special Fund is 

 contributing about US$1,800,000. The par- 

 ticipating governments are supplying close to 

 the equivalent of US$800,000, and a like 

 amount in kind through the provision of per- 

 sonnel, services, and facilities. 



The participating countries in the project 

 are French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe 

 and their dependencies (r ep r e s e nt e d by 

 France); Guayana; Surinam; Trinidad and 

 Tobago; the Netherlands Antilles; Dominica; 

 St. Vincent; Grenada; Jamaica; the Dominican 

 Republic; St. Kitts; Montserrat; Antigua; St. 

 Lucia; Puerto Rico(representedby the United 

 States); and Barbados. 



The project, which is described as a com- 

 mercial feasibility project, consists essen- 

 tially of three parts: (1) Exploratory and 

 demonstration fishing; (2) marketing study 

 and demonstration; and (3) training. In addi- 

 tion, during the course of the project, advice 

 will be given to participating countries on 

 sources of investment financing. 



Under the general direction of FAO, the 

 exploratory fishing part of the project is be- 

 ing organized and supervised by the U. S. 

 Bureau of Commercial Fisheries under a 

 contract with FAO. About two-thirds of the 

 available funds for the project is earmarked 

 for this activity. 



Four deep-sea vessels are being supplied 

 by the Development Program; 2 are about 82 

 feet in overall length and 2 about 56 feet over- 

 all length. Exploratory and demonstration 

 fishing will be carried out in those waters 

 considered to be potentially the most prom- 

 ising fishing grounds, namely the waters off 

 the northeast coast of South America, the 

 southern part of the Caribbean Sea and wa- 

 ters near the island chain from Grenada to 

 Jamaica including offshore banks. Such bio- 

 logical and oceanographic observations as 

 are considered practicable and desirable 

 will be made by the exploratory fishing ves- 

 sels. 



There are 10 internationally recruited 

 personnel directly associated with the ex- 

 ploratory fishing activity. The vessels will 

 fly the flags of Trinidad, Jamaica, the Neth- 

 erlands Antilles, and Barbados, and will have 

 their home ports in those countries. In this 

 context, home port means the port at which 

 the vessels will be based and from which 

 crews will be hired. 



The marketing part of the project will em- 

 phasize the demonstration of improved meth- 

 ods of handling, storage, and distribution of 

 fish and fishery products. Demonstrations 

 will be made of the potential of various local 

 species in export markets within and outside 

 the area. Much of the success of this phase 

 of the project will depend on counterpart per- 

 sonnel in the various participating countries, 

 but from time to time expert advice will be 

 solicited from short-term consultants to cope 

 with specific problems identified by the Mar- 

 keting Officer. Already, some of the partici- 

 pating countries have taken positive action to 

 establish proper handling and storage facili- 

 ties. Barbados, through its Marketing Cor- 

 poration, has a substantial cold-storage de- 

 pot, as has Jamaica. The Government of Trin- 

 idad and Tobago has a program for the estab- 

 lishment of a fishing port in Port-of-Spain 

 together with the necessary supporting facil- 

 ities on shore. Trinidad has been supplied 

 with a marketing man for one year to start 

 this program. 



As for the training part of the project, this 

 is possibly of the greatest interest to the par- 

 ticipating countries. They recognize that 

 lack of properly trained personnel is prob- 

 ably their greatest handicap. In cooperation 

 with the Governments and the Ministries, the 

 training of some 75 Master-fishermen and 30 

 Fishery Officers has been undertaken. Most 

 of the training will be done on board the proj- 

 ect vessels, but this is being supplemented 

 by shore-based courses in Barbados, Jamai- 

 ca, Curacao, and other participating coun- 

 tries. 



The total number of people directly asso- 

 ciated with the project is 181, of whom 14 

 are international and 167 local, including 105 

 trainees. In addition to the 14 international 

 staff, provision is made for 50 man-months 

 of consultants. 



Through the cooperation of the Govern- 

 ment of Barbados, headquarters for the proj- 

 ect is located at Barbados. Office facilities 



