Fisheries and aquaculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: Situation and outlook in 1996. Fisheries Circular. No. 921.
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 groupings.