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FAO Fisheries Circular No. 921 FIPP/C921

Rome, 1996

ISSN 0429-9329

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: SITUATION AND OUTLOOK IN 1996
by
Fisheries Department
FAO, Rome, Italy

PREPARATION OF THIS PAPER
The FAO Fisheries Department has prepared a major review entitled The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, which includes eight regional summaries. This Fisheries Circular provides more detailed information for the region of Latin America and the Caribbean and was used as a basis for preparation of the summary for that region for the The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture.

The preparation of the circular has been the responsibility of a Departmental Working Group consisting of: B. Chakalall (SLAC), K.L. Cockrane (FIRM), J. Csirke (FIRM), E. De Boer (FIIT), R.J Grainger (FIDI), H. Josupeit (FIIU), M. Martínez (FIRI), A. Mena Millar (RLAC), E. Ruckes (FIIU), A. Smith ( FIIT) and R. Welcomme (FIRI). The Working Group has been led by A. Gumy (FIPP), who also was the principal writer.

The FAO Fisheries Circular is a vehicle for the distribution of a short or ephemeral notes, lists, etc., including provisional versions of documents to be issued later in other series.

 

FAO Fisheries Department.
Fisheries and aquaculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: situation and outlook in 1996.
FAO Fisheries Circular. No. 921. Rome, FAO. 1996. 54p.

ABSTRACT
Fisheries development has not been homogeneous in Latin America and the Caribbean. Besides historical, economic, social and political aspects, development has been conditioned by the nature of aquatic resources, providing common patterns as well as significant differences among fisheries sector structures. While Latin American fisheries are mainly export oriented, there are also several net fish importing countries, notably in the Caribbean.

For industrial fisheries, the main resources are shrimp, small pelagics, demersal fish, and large pelagics. Small-scale fisheries are concentrated along the region's coastline albeit with geographical and climatic variations.

The modern, capital and technology intensive fisheries industry is geared to export to international markets. It often exists uneasily alongside labour intensive small-scale fisheries which frequently supply weaker domestic markets. While the industrial sector contributes significantly to the balance of trade, the small-scale fisheries sector is a qualified source of employment and food.

This study aims at providing an overview of the situation, trends and issues concerning fisheries in the Latin American region. To facilitate part of the analysis, it was necessary to define some sub-regional country groupings1.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION A. CURRENT FISHERIES SITUATION
1. THE ROLE OF FISHERIES IN THE ECONOMY AND SOCIETY: SITUATION AND TRENDS
1.1 The role of regional fisheries in world fisheries
1.2 The role of fisheries in the regional economy
2. CAPTURE FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE
2.1 Regional fishery primary production
2.2 Marine fisheries
2.3 Inland fisheries
2.4 Aquaculture
2.5 Fish utilization and marketing
2.6 Domestic consumption and nutrition
2.7 International trade of fishery products
2.8 Technology and infrastructure
2.9 Investments in the fishery sector
3. POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 Macroeconomic and fishery sector policies
3.2 Current national policies for fisheries conservation and management
3.3 Regional fishery organizations and arrangements
3.4 National fisheries administrations in Latin America and the Caribbean
3.5 Fisheries research and training
3.6 Economic and technical cooperation in fisheries
SECTION B. ISSUES
1. MANAGEMENT OF EXCESS FISHING CAPACITY
2. BY-CATCH ISSUES IN SOUTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
3. ENVIROMENTAL IMPACTS ON MARINE FISHERIES WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE EL NIÑO PHENOMENON
4. DEVELOPMENT OF SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
5. RURAL AQUACULTURE
6. FISHING ON THE HIGH SEAS FISHERIES
SECTION C. OUTLOOK
TABLES
Table 1. Latin American and Caribbean (LA/C) fish exports value as a proportion of world exports value. 1984-1993
Table 2. Value of Latin American and Caribbean (LA/C) fish imports as a proportion of world imports value. 1984-1993
Table 3. Evolution in the number of fishing vessels (over 100 GRT) in selected years and countries of LA/C
Table 4. Fishery administrative units in Latin America and the Caribbean
Table 5. Technical and financial assitance to the fisheries sector by types of cooperation schemes. LA/C region. 1989-1994
Table 6. Technical and financial assistance to the fisheries sector by field of application. LA/C region. 1989-1994
FIGURES
Figure 1. Latin American and Caribbean annual fish and shellfish harvest as a proportion of world harvest. 1950-1994
Figure 2. Total world fishery production by region. 1950-1994
Figure 3. World and Latin American and Caribbean fish exports Annual rate of growth. 1984-1993
Figure 4. Fish supply per caput and as share of animal protein supply in Latin America and the Caribbean, and world total in 1990
Figure 5. Fishery production by main fishing countries. Latin American and Caribbean region. 1950-1994
Figure 6. Fishery production. Latin American and Caribbean region. 1950-1994
Figure 7. Total production of selected species groups in the Western Central Atlantic (Area 31), in metric tonnes, years 1950-1994
Figure 8. Share in production volume of main regional producers in 1994
Figure 9. Latin American and Caribbean region main producers and share in terms of value
Figure 10. Latin American and Caribbean fish utilization, per caput consumption and population growth. 1961-1993
Figure 11. Consumption of fish proteins in relation to other proteins in the Latin American and Caribbean region. 1961-1993
Figure 12. Value of fishery exports by main countries in the LA/C region
Figure 13. Value of exports by major fishery commodity groups in the Latin American and Caribbean region. 1976-1994
Figures in Annex
Figure 1. Total annual fish production in selected FAO Areas directly accesible to Latin American and Caribbean countries, in metric tonnes, years 1950-1994
Figure 2. Share of total fish production in slected areas taken by Latin American and Caribbean countries, in percentage, years 1950-1994
Figure 3. Total production of selected species groups in the South Atlantic (Area 41), in metric tonnes, years 1950-1994
Figure 4. Total production by selected groups of species in the Eastern Central Pacific (Area 77), years 1950-1994
Figure 5. Total production of selected species groups in the South East Pacific (Area 87), in metric tonnes, years 1950-1994
Figura 6. Total production volume and composition by main species groups
Figura 7. Total production value and composition by main species groups


1 Central America and Mexico: Mexico, Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.

Greater Antilles: Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Dominican Republic.

Lesser Antilles and others: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands (USA), Virgin Islands (UK), Martinique, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago.

South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru.