The fishery program and data collected to date are insufficient to assess the fishery resources. It will be necessary to continue collection of data on a routine long-term basis and expand the research program. The following recommendations are for continuity of the existing studies and for implementation of additional studies necessary for stock assessment and eventual optimum exploitation of the resources.
Fishing permits
It is essential that legislation be adopted that makes fishing permits mandatory. A bill concerning fishing permits has been drawn up and is now under consideration by the Fishery Advisory Board. The purpose of fishing permits is to organize the fishery which in turn makes it possible to have the fishing operations under control and future regulations efficiently enforced.
A prerequisite for obtaining an annual fishing permit should include the completion of the Fishermen's Registration Form (Statistical form No. 6, introduced by Mr. Allsopp, FAO, 1968) by each applicant. Completion of this form is needed for a survey of the fishery in respect to methods of fishing, points of landing and specifications of fishing gear, all of which are required to determine the catch potential of the local industry.
Statistics
Of the regulations which should be enforced one of the most important and immediately necessary is return of catch statistics. The collection and processing of statistics for lobster and shrimp are now routine. However, there has been no attempt to collect similar data on other major fishery products such as scale fish, conch and turtle. The amount exported, by broad species breakdown, may be obtained from the fishermen's cooperative records or Customs, but there are no records available on domestic consumption. It is recommended that the form in Table 16 be used for personal interviews with fishermen supplying the domestic market. In addition, this form should be modified as a daily log sheet to include hours fished and given to the fishermen to return upon declaration of their catch.
Shrimp fishery
Observations were begun on the incidental catch taken in conjunction with the shrimp fishery and should be repeated on a monthly basis particularly if new areas are fished. In the northern area of operation it does not appear that the incidental catch is sufficient to be of commercial importance. In addition, from the species of fish represented on the northern grounds this area does not seem to be a nursery zone for commercially valuable scale fish. This, however, may vary seasonally and an inventory should be taken.
Sampling of the catch at landing points should be continued on a minimum of one sample every two weeks, provided the fishery operates in the same area and the catch comprises the same species. If the area of operation shifts, more frequent samples should be taken to cover each area.
TABLE 16. STATISTICAL FORM FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERIES PRODUCTION OF SCALE FISH, CONCH AND TURTLE
| Name of producer: | Date: | |||||
| Name of vessel: | Date out: | |||||
| Smack, dry boat, skiff, dorey | Number of crew including self | |||||
| Based at: | ||||||
| (1) | Scale Fish | |||||
| Area fished | depth | |||||
| Weather conditions: | sunny, cloudy, calm, windy, heavy seas. | |||||
| Method of fishing: | handline, trolling, beach trap, wire trap, beach seine, skindiving. | |||||
| Species | Quantity landed (lb) | Remarks |
| Snapper | ||
| Grouper | ||
| Jack | ||
| Crevalle | ||
| King mackerel | ||
| Spanish mackerel | ||
| Grunt |
| (2) | Conch | ||
| Area fished | depth | ||
| Weather conditions: | sunny, cloudy, calm, windy, heavy seas. | ||
| Quantity landed: | (pounds meat only) | ||
| (3) | Turtle | ||
| Area fished | depth | ||
Species | Size and number | ||
| Small | Medium | Large | |
Loggerhead | |||
Hawksbill | |||
Green turtle | |||
Lobster fishery
Though there does not appear to be an immediate concern for overexploitation of the lobster stock, the continued need for its assessment should not be overlooked.
Legislation requiring return of catch statistics is necessary to assess changes in catch per unit effort. Together with catch per unit effort data the tagging studies should be continued and expanded to determine mortality and abundance estimates.
During the first months of the tagging program lobsters were released at widely distributed points in order to determine if there were areas which had limited emigration or immigration. Since it is now evident that mixing occurs, future releases in the northern waters should be confined to a maximum of five to six positions and several hundred lobsters released at each of the positions every two to three months throughout the year. It is recommended that the following northern positions be permanent release sites: east of Cangrejo; east and west of Cay Chapel; east of St. Georges Cay; Sargents Cay, and Bluefield Range. Also, releases should be made off Turneffe Island and waters along the southern reef.
It is important to tag and release commercial-sized lobsters to determine whether movement is similar regardless of size, sex, or stage of maturity.
Conch fishery
With a threefold increase in conch (Strombus gigas) production last year, and signs of a continuing demand, it is important to initiate a statistical collection of catch per unit of effort for this stock. It would also be desirable to assess conch abundance, growth, and movement, through a tagging study. This slow moving, highly vulnerable, gastropod could very easily be overexploited if some control measures are not taken. It is important that action be taken soon, for until catch statistics are compiled over several seasons, or an assessment is made and correlated with production, a realistic control measure cannot be formulated.
Publicity
The amount of backing an industry has depends greatly upon the indirect support of the public. To gain this support the populace must be informed of the contribution of fisheries to the domestic economy and to its importance as a source of foreign exchange earnings.
In British Honduras, there is a general protein deficiency which appears incongruous in the light of the country's geographical position and large fishing community. Through education of the public on the importance of readily available fish protein in the diet, and their familiarization with fishery programs, problems and general interest topics, both support for the industry and demand for its products will be generated.
It is recommended that a program of fishery publicity be started through both radio talks and newspaper releases. It would be desirable to think of this publicity not as a series, but as a continuing program.
Fishery research and management
The magnitude and importance of the fishing industry in British Honduras is on the verge of outgrowing the present Fishery Unit's facilities. The present staff of three members, from the manpower aspect alone, cannot handle the collection and compiling of the necessary statistics, conduct biological research or develop and assess management measures all of which are of immediate need for stabilization and controlled production of the industry.
It is recommended that the following steps be taken as a first measure to ensure growth of the Fishery Unit comensurate with that of the industry:
Enlargement of the Fishery Unit, now included in the Department of Agriculture, to a separate department directly under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Trade.
Expansion of the Fishery Unit to include a fishery officer, fishery biologist, statistical clerk, two fishery inspectors, fishery technologist, laboratory technician, and a vessel captain.
A portion of the duties derived from export of fishery products be used directly for fishery resources research, and management.
Enforcement and control of fishery regulations, closed seasons, and product quality. Monies required for enforcement may be derived from fishing permit and license fees.
A technical assistant in research and management be engaged for an additional six years until a local research worker is thoroughly trained in fishery research.
