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THE VENEZUELAN SHRIMP INDUSTRY

by

J. J. EWALD
Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas (IVIC)
Caracas, Venezuela

Abstract

Shrimps support the most important fishery in Venezuela. The major fishery is located in the western region near the Lake of Maracaibo and the Gulf of Venezuela, and 98 percent of the national production comes from this area. In 1966, a drastic drop in production was responsible for the closure of many processing plants. Proposed restrictions around the mouth of the lake have caused concern because of their possible effect on shrimp movement. Fishing effort has increased so rapidly that many scientists are wondering to what extent this increase can continue. Primarily because of these problems, the government and industry have united to encourage investigations into the biology of the stocks that support the fishery. The Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas has been carrying out such investigations since 1963 and it is hoped that the proposed expansion of this work will supply the answer to many of the questions being raised today. Information so far obtained reveals that five out of the nine species of shrimp found in the area are present in commercial quantities, the three most important being Penaeus schmitti, P. aztecus and P. duorarum. Their distribution and relative importance are discussed.

LES PECHERIES VENEZUELIENNES DE CREVETTES

Résumé

La plus importante des pêches vénézuéliennes repose sur les crevettes. La principale pêcherie se trouve dans l'ouest, où la zone du lac de Maracaibo et du golfe de Venezuela fournit 98 pour 100 de la production nationale. L'industrie se heurte à de nombreuses difficultés, et en 1966 une forte baisse de la production a entraîné la fermeture de nombreuses usines de transformation. Un projet de construction d'ouvrages au débouché du lao a suscité des craintes, étant donné les répercussions possibles sur les déplacements des crevettes. L'effort de pêche s'est accru si rapidement que beaucoup d'hommes de science se demandent si la progression pourra se poursuivre longtemps. C'est en grande partie à cause de ces problèmes que les pouvoirs publics et l'industrie ont uni leurs efforts pour encourager l'étude de la biologie des stocks alimentant la pêcherie. L'Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas s'acquitte de cette tâche depuis 1963, et l'on espère que l'expansion envisagée de ses travaux fournira la réponse à maintes questions qui se posent aujourd'hui. D'après les renseignements obtenus jusqu'icí sur les 9 espèces de crevettes de la zone de pêche, 5 sont suffisamment nombreuses pour présenter un intérêt commercial, les trois plus importantes étant P. schmitti, P. aztecus et P. duorarum. La communication examine leur répartition et leur importance relative.

LA PESQUERIA DE CAMARONES DE VENEZUELA

Extracto

La pesquería más importante de Venezuela es la de los camarones, hallándose situada en la región occidental cerca del lago del Golfo de Maracaibo; el 98% de la producción nacional procede de esta zona. La industria tiene muchos problemas y en 1966 una grave baja de la producción dio lugar a que se cerraran muchos establecimientos de elaboración. Las restricciones propuestas alrededor de la salida del lago han causado preocupación por sus posibles consecuencias sobre el movimiento de los camarones. El esfuerzo de pesca ha aumentado con tanta rapidez que muchos especialistas se preguntan hasta cuándo podrá continuar este incremento. Debido principalmente a estos problemas, el gobierno y la industria han decidido estimular conjuntamente las investigaciones sobre la biología de las poblaciones y la pesquería. El Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas viene realizando tales investigaciones desde 1963 y se espera que la propuesta expansión de esta labor proporcionará la respuesta a muchas de las cuestiones que se plantean hoy. La información obtenida hasta ahora revela que cinco de las nueve especies de camarones presentes en la zona existen en cantidades comerciales, siendo los tres más importantes P. schmitti, P. aztecus y P. duorarum. Se examina su distribución así como su importancia relativa.

1 INTRODUCTION

Shrimp support the most valuable fishery in Venezuela. In 1965, a total national production of more than 7 million kg was reported (M.A.C., 1965). This represents a value of approximately $ 2.6 million to the fishermen and, because of its importance as an export commodity, its value to the economy of the country is substantially greater. More than 13 million lb (6 million kg) of frozen (heads-off) product were marketed outside the country in 1965. After only a very few years, this industry has developed into one of considerable importance. Such importance is reflected in the fact that a rather abrupt drop in production last year drew considerable international, as well as national attention.

The important coastal fisheries of the country are located at the extremes of its 2,800 km coastline. It is here that the continental shelf is widest, and it is here that one finds the great estuarine systems of Lake Maracaibo and the Orinoco River Delta. The famous sardine fishery is located in the east and the young but rapidly growing shrimp industry is in the west.

Western Venezuela (Gulf of Venezuela, Lake Maracaibo) accounts for approximately 98 percent of the national production of shrimp. Small local seasonal fisheries exist in the Unare and Piritu lagoons in the east, and renewed effort is now underway to exploit the potentially rich waters off the Orinoco River Delta, but production from these areas is small. This report will concentrate on the western shrimp fishery because of its relative importance and because much more information is currently available on it.

2 FISHING EFFORT

Great contrast exists in shrimp fishing techniques, from the very primitive to the highly mechanized. Trawling is prohibited by law in areas where most of the inshore shrimp (camarones) are found. Instead, several types of beach nets are used: ‘atarraya’ (a small cast net), ‘copita’ (a small beach seine used by two men), and ‘mandinga’ (a large beach seine, 100 m or more in length, fished by five or six men). The mandinga is most used. Small dugout boats (chalana), frequently powered by 40 hp outboard motors, are used to transport men and gear to areas of Lake Maracaibo where shrimp are found, and to return the catch to traditionally designated landing areas. There are approximately 5,000 men fishing the Lake and 3,000 of these use mandinga to fish shrimp. The limitations of this gear prevent fishing in waters of depths of more than a few meters.

Offshore shrimp (langostino)¹ populations are fished by trawlers of two types. Stern trawlers of Italian design arrived in the Gulf of Venezuela in 1954 and fished from Puerto Cabello. They came initially for fish, but, as the fleet grew in size and fishing effort increased, the extensive shrimp resources of the area were discovered and utilized. The second type, Gulf of Mexico double-rigged trawlers, arrived from Central American ports about 1957, and fishing for shrimp began in earnest. The Venezuelan shrimp export market began in 1958 and, as a result, an important fishing industry has developed over a short period of time. Today 48 trawlers are based on Punto Fijo, on the western coast of the Paraguana Peninsula, the majority of these are of the Italian type, up to 85 ft (26 m) in length. There are 14 rather smaller Gulf of Mexico type boats based on Maracaibo. New boats are on order and it is anticipated that the trawler fleet may double in size in the next few years. Two Gulf of Mexico type trawlers, based at the new fishing port of Guiria, have recently begun fishing in the Gulf of Paria (in Eastern Venezuela) on an exploratory basis. Trinidad based boats have in the past fished off the Orinoco Delta, but with reportedly limited success.

¹ In Venezuela, this term is used for the larger Penaeidae; in Chile, it is used for Galatheidae (Ed.)

3 PRODUCTION

The Venezuelan Ministry of Agriculture (Ministerio de Agricultura y Cría) has for several years maintained local fishery offices (inspectorías) in strategic landing areas for the purpose of administering the fisheries of the country. Records are kept of production, but some of the data are of questionable accuracy due to the complexity of the fishery and to the manner in which they are collected. Procedures are being refined and more accurate data should be available in the future.

Several important facts, however, can be extracted from present information. Shrimp is by far the most important Venezuelan fishery (Table I). Though annual sardine production (43 million kg in 1965) greatly surpasses shrimp production (7.4 million kg) by weight, its value to the fisherman (3 million Bs) is less than one-fifth that of shrimp (14 million Bs). The snapper (pargo) fishery ranks second in value but produces only half the revenue of shrimp. Of the 7.4 million kg of shrimp produced in 1965, 7.1 million kg (or 96 percent) were taken from western Venezuela (approximately two-thirds of this from the Gulf of Venezuela and one-third from Lake Maracaibo).

TABLE I

The major Venezuelan fisheries in order of their production and value, and the species contributing to these fisheries (Source: Ministerio de Agricultura Y Cría, 1965)

Sardine (Sardina) - Clupanodon sp., Harengula sp., Sardinella sp.
Shrimp (Camarón, Langostino) - Penaeus schmitti, P. duorarum, P. aztecus and P. brasilensis, Xiphopenaeus Kroyeri
Croaker (Curbina) - Cynoscion sp.
Snapper (Pargo) - Lutjanus analis, L. aya, L. griseus
Mackerel (Cariet) - Scomberomorus maculatus
Manamana - Suprasinelepichthys laticeps
Arca (Pepitona) - Arca sp.
Tuna (Atún) - Caranx crysos, Thunnus albacares, T. thynnus, T. obesus
Grouper (Mero) - Epinephelus striatus
Jack (Jurel, Jurelete) - Caranx sp.

4 REGULATIONS

Both governmental and self-imposed regulations are in effect on the shrimp fisheries. Each year both trawler skippers and small boat owners are required by the Venezuelan government to obtain new licenses to fish. Licenses can be revoked for failure to abide by certain established rules on the type of gear used, on the size of netting, on prohibited areas, and also for failure to submit records of catch.

Probably the most controversial of these rules prohibits fishing by trawlers south of an imaginary line running from the mouth of the Paijana river (on the south-western shore of the Gulf) to Punto Adaro (on the Paraguana Peninsula). The rule also prohibits trawler fishing within eight miles of the shoreline north of this line. This theoretically eliminates Lake Maracaibo and a considerable area of the Gulf from trawler fishing. In practice, the government finds the rule impossible to enforce, and it is not greatly interested in its enforcement. The rule resulted from the bitter conflict that erupted several years ago when trawlers first moved into the area, and the small boat fishermen were afraid their fishing grounds would be destroyed. Originally, all the Gulf was ruled off-limits, but, as trawling increased and small boat fishing decreased, the rule has been relaxed a number of times. Permits are now given to a few boats to fish south of the line for exploratory purposes, and one small trawler fished in the Lake in 1964.

In the past, the most powerful control over fishing pressure on the shrimp population has been the relative inefficiency of the gear used. The mandinga is effective in shallow waters but can not be used in deeper waters, and therefore most of the area of Lake Maracaibo is not fished. The Italian trawlers were designed to catch fish and, without modification, their effectiveness as shrimp boats is quite limited. In the last two years, most of these boats have changed over to double-rigged otter-trawls, at great expense. This change has made them quite competitive with the Gulf of Mexico type boats because of their extra horsepower.

5 MARKET

About 6,000 lb (about 2,700 kg) of shrimp (heads-on) are consumed daily in Venezuela, principally in Maracaibo and Caracas. Because of the lack of adequate refrigeration, and because of custom, they are marketed (heads-on) in the same way as fresh fish. Three small canning stations (one in Maracaibo, two in Caracas) process small shrimp for the local market. The vast majority of the production is headed, frozen in 5 lb (2.3 kg) cartons, and shipped to the U.S.A. (Table II). Some headson, frozen shrimp are shipped to the European market, principally Spain (Table III). At the present time, U. S. import records are probably the most reliable means of showing Venezuelan production.

With the entrance of Venezuela into the export market in 1960, foreigners and Venezuelans alike hastened to set up processing facilities in order to take advantage of this promising new fishery. By 1962 there existed 27 processing plants, far more than the industry could support. All were small and had little capital reserve to see them through recessions in the international market or times of low production. Most of these processing plants closed down shortly after opening, and only those with efficient management and capital survived. Most of these have grown into modern, efficient, relatively large shrimp processing plants. Today, six plants are in operation in Maracaibo and one in Punto Fijo. The largest has a daily capacity of about 70,000–80,000 lb (32,000–36,000 kg), but seldom works at full capacity.

TABLE II

U. S. imports of shrimp from Venezuela (1951–1956)
(Source: U. S. Bureau Comm. Fish)

TABLE III

The destination of Venezuelan shrimp exports (Source: Venezuelan Development Ministry)

Most fishermen, both large and small operators, are independent of the processors. This has resulted in a fiercely competitive primary market. The local buyers can outbid the freezing plants and therefore fill up their trucks first; what is left goes to the plants. Since the local consumption is quite steady, the plants are in a much more favorable bargaining position when production is high. Some plants are now buying their own boats, or contracting others, in order to insure a more steady income.

6 SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION

In 1957, Milton Lindner made a brief survey of the Maracaibo area and thus became the first biologist to concern himself with Venezuela's shrimp fishery (Lindner, 1957). In 1963, Davant published an illustrated key to the fresh and salt water shrimp of the eastern part of the country; Khandker (1965) made observations on shrimp distribution in lagoons of the same area. The La Salle Foundation (Cervigon, 1965) has conducted exploratory fishing off the Orinoco River Delta. Concerted effort on the scientific investigation of the important shrimp stocks of the country has, however, only recently developed.

In 1963, the Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, with assistance from the University of Miami, and financed by the Fondo Nacional de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, began the first biological study of the shrimp populations that support fisheries in the Gulf of Venezuela and Lake Maracaibo. This work has continued to the present time, and a comprehensive account of investigations up to about two years ago is given by Ewald (1965). The following is a brief resumé of the results of this investigation as it stands today.

Examination of the commercial catch of the area has revealed that it consists of nine species of shrimp (seven penaeid, two caridean), five of these in commercial quantities. They are, in order of importance: Penaeus schmitti Burkenroad, camarón (or langostino) blanco; P. duorarum Burkenroad, camarón rosado; P. aztecus Ives, camarón marrón; P. brasiliensis Latreille, camarón rosado con mancha; Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller), siete barbas; Trachypenaeus similis (Smith) and Sicyonia stimpsoni (Bouvier). Two species of Macrobrachium (M. acanthurus (Wiegmann) and M. amazonicum (Heller)) have been found in commercial catches from the Lake.

In government statistics no distinction is made as to species, and the local market sells all penaeid species as ‘camarones’ (juvenile penaeids) and ‘langostinos’ (adult penaeids). For export, the tails are packed as white or brown shrimp, depending on color, which is quite variable. There is, therefore, no manner in which commercial catch records can reveal the relative importance of each species. Efforts have been made to sample the various fishing areas and the analysis of these samples gives an idea of relative importance of different species in different areas (Fig. 1).

In order to understand this distribution, one must have an idea of the physical parameters which might affect it. Lake Maracaibo empties into the Gulf of Venezuela through the Straits of Maracaibo and the Bay of Tablazo. Practically all the fresh water for the system comes from the southwest area of the Lake, where rainfall reaches 180 cm/year and where lush rain forests abound. The northern part of the system is arid and barren, with a maximum rainfall of less than 30 cm/year. The Lake itself has a fairly uniform superficial salinity of approximately 4.0‰. Since 1957 (which marks the opening of the ship channel) there has been an alarming increase in salt water intrusion into the Lake. In the Bay and the Straits the salinity ranges from about 4‰ in the south to about 26‰ at the entrance to the Gulf. The Gulf is divided into two parts by a sill in depth running north to south from Punta Espada to slightly west of Punta Campana. To the west of this sill the ‘Ensenada de Calabozo’ reaches 27 m in depth, and to the east the ‘Outer Gulf’ gradually drops to a depth of 80 at its entrance. The Ensenada de Calabozo is greatly affected by the fresh water outflow of the Lake. The clockwise, trade-wind-driven circulation of the Gulf pushes the outflow into this part of the Gulf and salinities range from 26‰ in the south to 32‰ at the edge of the sill. At the sill there is much mixing and beyond it sea water salinities are found. Hypersaline waters are frequently found in the southeastern Outer Gulf, especially in the Golfete de Coro. This is a very effective evaporation basin with its high velocity trade winds, slight rainfall and high year-round temperatures.

Fig. 1 Percentage species composition of commercial catch for different areas of the Gulf of Venezuela and Lake Maracaibo.

Shrimp distribution is clearly affected by this salinity distribution. Fig. 1 graphically presents data obtained from samplings taken during 1964 and 1965 and shows the relative numbers of each species (males and females), expressed as percentages. Unfortunately, this does not show seasonal trends, but this aspect is being studied.

P. schmitti is dominant (as juveniles) in the Lake and (as adults) in the Ensenada de Calabozo. In 1965 this species accounted for more than half of the production. The species is fished year-round, but maximum production occurs during March, April and May in the Gulf, and during the latter half of the year in the Lake. Information from histological examinations of gonads, size distributions, and a survey of larvae and postlarvae, have established that spawning takes place on the northwestern édge of Calabozo, in waters of 20–26 m in depth, and that the shallow waters of the Lake and Bay of Tablazo are the principal nursery areas for the species. In October and November 1966, fairly large numbers of P. aztecus were found in the northern part of the Lake and in the Bay. As the salinity in the Lake increases there appears to be a deeper penetration of P. schmitti into the southern parts and an invasion of P. aztecus into the northern part. P. duorarum is dominant in the catches in the Outer Gulf. Some sampling has been undertaken in the Golfete de Coro, where small P. duorarum and X. kroyeri were taken. P. brasiliensis and P. aztecus have been found in the samples, at times in large numbers, but their distribution is inadequately known.

Because of the large area involved and limited resources available, for the past year and a half efforts have been concentrated on a thorough study of P. schmitti. This currently involves a tagging program which is designed to define migration routes and growth rates. Information thus recently obtained will be published shortly.

In 1968 a UNDP/Special Fund project will begin in Venezuela, and considerable effort will be made to increase all branches of fishery research, including shrimp investigations.

7 PROBLEMS THAT CONFRONT INDUSTRY

Several important problems confront the industry and it is these that have made both the industry and government aware of the necessity for information on the biology and dynamics of the populations that support the fishery.

It is being proposed that the entrance to the Lake (The Bay of Tablazo) be enclosed by a system of dikes to prevent further intrusion of seawater and to correct a problem of sedimentation that currently exists in the ship channel. How will these structures affect shrimp migration? Will resultant lower salinities in the Bay and Gulf eliminate access to certain nursery areas?

The explosive development of the shrimp industry in western Venezuela has meant a rapid increase in fishing effort. There are plans to at least double the present fleet. How many more trawlers can be brought in?

In 1965 the Venezuelan shrimp industry was in its glory. A total production of twice the amount of the previous year had placed the country just behind Mexico and India in shrimp exports to the U. S. A. Plants were working full-time, local prices were cheap and the world market quite favorable. Plants were making rapid plans for expansion, new trawlers were ordered. Then, production began to drop, but people were unconcerned until the spring run of white shrimp failed to materialize. Brown and pink shrimp production was also lower than usual that year and production for the first nine months of 1966 was only 18 percent of that of the corresponding period of the year before. Disaster hit the plants, which had only recently installed new freezer capacity, and the enlarged trawler fleet. The Lake fishery was also greatly reduced. Did overfishing have something to do with the scarcity of shrimp? Was the increased salinity in the Lake affecting the nursery areas?

Questions like these are frequently very difficult to answer. With the little amount of information we have at present on this fishery, we cannot begin to answer them; we can only make educated guesses.

Venezuela has a valuable resource in its shrimp fishery. The biologist can contribute a great deal towards the understanding of this resource if he has sufficient funds, if he obtains adequate assistance from the industry and government and if he has time at his disposal. Present plans should guarantee such conditions, and as understanding of the biology of the shrimp populations increases, biologists should be better able to assist those involved in the rational exploitation of those populations.

Meanwhile, the industry remains optimistic. Last year's drop in production has weeded out most of the inefficient operators and forced others to reduce their costs by modernization. Fortunately, the fishery is not dependent on one species alone, but three. In the early months of 1967, white shrimp have shown only slight improvement over 1966, but pink and brown shrimp are keeping most plants operating full-time at present.

8 REFERENCES

Cervigon, F., 1965 Exploratory fishing off the Orinoco Delta. Proc.Gulf Caribb.Fish.Inst., 17:20–23

Davant, P., 1963 Clave para la identificación de los camarones marinos y de rio, con importancia económica en el oriente de Venezuela. Cuad.oceanogr.Univ. Oriente, (1):1–57, en ingles (1):59–113

Ewald, J.J., 1965 Investigaciones sobre la biología del camarón commercial en el occidente de Venezuela. Infme a Fondo nac. Investnes agropec., Caracas, 2:1–114, 139–47

Khandker, N.A., 1965 Some observations on the distribution of penaeid shrimp in eastern Venezuela. Comml.Fish.Rev., 27(7):12–4

Lindner, M.J., 1957 Survey of shrimp fisheries of Central and South America. Spec.scient. Rep.U.S.Fish Wildl.Serv.(Fish.), (235):166 p.

Ministerio de Agricultura y Cria (M.A.C.), 1965–66 Producción pesquera de Venezuela. Centro de Investigaciones. Boln.Pesca Minist.Agric.Cria,Caracas, pp. 6–11