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Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles The Republic of Haiti

 

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Source of information

• United Nations Geospatial Information Section http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
• Imagery for continents and oceans reproduced from GEBCO, www.gebco.net

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers and boundaries. Dashed lines on maps represent approximate border lines for which there may not yet be full agreement.

Part I Statistics and main indicators

1. Country brief
2. General geographic and economic indicators
3. FAO Fisheries statistics

The Profile (2005)

Additional information

2. FAO Thematic data bases
3. Publications
4. Meetings & News archive

⇧Part I Statistics and main indicators

Part I of the Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profile is compiled using the most up-to-date information available from the FAO Country briefs and Statistics programmes at the time of publication. The Country Brief and the FAO Fisheries Statistics provided in Part I may, however, have been prepared at different times, which would explain any inconsistencies.

Country briefUpdated 07-2017

Haiti has a maritime coastline of about 1 500 km, including the many islands and islets spread over the whole coastline. The continental shelf has an area of approximately 5 000 km², with a width not exceeding one kilometre from the shore in many places of the coastline. The narrowness of the continental shelf in part explains the weakness of coastal demersal fish resources. Oceanic pelagic resources are only present seasonally and catches are limited and uncertain. Another concern is the gradual degradation of mangrove areas, mainly at the river mouths. The country has nearly 20 000 hectares of natural and artificial water bodies and nearly 800 hectares of temporary ponds that fill during the rainy seasons.

Capture fisheries in Haiti remains exclusively artisanal, and no basic legislation exists on durability or protection of funds and marine ecosystems. The Haitian maritime fleet consists of about 24 550 small units. From 2009, with the increase in catches of oceanic pelagic following the implementation of fish aggregating devices (FADs), the annual production of marine fisheries is about 15 000 tonnes. Inland fishing is 600 tonnes per year and employs directly, with aquaculture, nearly a thousand people per year.

The catch collection system consists of depositing ice in the main sites where fishers land their catch and handing it over to agents who store the goods on ice. At least once a week, the product is transported by boat to Port-au-Prince. The agents also sell basic fishing gear to fishers located in isolated areas.

Aquaculture in Haiti has significantly increased production since 2011. The devastating earthquake in 2010 led to understanding the importance of aquaculture in support of food security and nutrition. The production of aquaculture was estimated at 1 220 tonnes in 2015, with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) being the most important species, followed by Pangasius catfish and the common carp.

Haiti had an average consumption of fish of 5.8 kg/per caput/year in 2015 and is one of the lowest consumers in the Caribbean. Nonetheless, there are great disparities between coastal regions and those located inland. National production contributes about one third of consumption, the rest being imported. In 2015, the value of imports of fish products was estimated at USD 45 million and exports around USD 9 million. These exports consist mainly of lobsters, shrimp and various species of high commercial value exported to the Dominican Republic.

According to a 2006 study by the World Bank, Haiti is one of the most vulnerable countries prone to natural disasters. fishers and their communities are exposed to numerous disaster risks such as cyclones, drought, landslides, earthquakes and tidal waves. The fisheries and aquaculture sector was relatively unaffected by the earthquake of 12 January 2010. Ice factories and cold stores suffered damages and losses, due to lack of electricity. Some fishers lost their FADs and some farmers suffered damage to their aquaculture ponds and material losses. The industry indirectly felt the effects of this disaster primarily because of the interruption of commerce and a strong decline in demand. The impact of Hurricane Matthew in the autumn of 2016 had larger impacts on the fisheries sector as significant losses of vessels and general infrastructure occurred.

In recent years, the Haitian government seeks to promote sustainable development and responsible fisheries and aquaculture, but the sector remains under-supervised, particularly with regards to the existing support structure within the Ministry of Agriculture, despite the fact that, according to available data, more than 60 000 people live directly in these areas and nearly 20 000 people are involved in the marketing of fish products.

Since July 1996, Haiti is part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982). Haiti is a member country of the Fisheries Commission for the Western Central Atlantic (WECAFC).

 

Membership in Regional Fishery Bodies

1. Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM)
2. Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC)

Updated 2005⇧The Profile

This country profile provides statistics and indicators produced through FAO’s Statistics programmes, supplemented with information derived from national and other sources and valid at the time of compilation.

⇧Additional information

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