National report of Saint Lucia

Christopher James
Fisheries Department
Castries
Saint Lucia
Tel: 758 452 6172 / 468 4144 / 454 7439

INTRODUCTION

The Saint Lucia economy continues to rely heavily on agriculture, despite efforts to further diversify the economy by developing tourism and manufacturing. The agricultural sector continues to be the main contributor to the G.D.P providing 22% as compared to the other sectors - manufacturing (9%), tourism (8%) and construction (7%).

Within the agricultural sector, a fishery contributes 25% to the G.D.P and provides employment for over 3 000 persons. It is felt that the fisheries sector has the potential to play a crucial role in the whole balance of payment problems if one has to examine the supply high importer of fish. Saint Lucia provides less than half of its fish demands; but an increase can be realized, if it is able to better exploit its marine resources and make better provisions for marketing, distribution and fish processing. The relative importance of the fisheries sector is influenced by its relationship to other economic activities. For example the tourism sector is dependent on the fisheries, which supplies the bulk of locally produced animal protein consumed in hotels and restaurants.

Preliminary estimates indicate that the quantity of fish landed grew to approximately 1 860.1 tons in 2000 compared to 1 718.14 in 1999. About 70% of these landings are made up of migrating pelagic species namely dolphin, kingfish, tunas and flyingfish. The other 30% of the landings are reef and bank species like snappers, groupers and jacks.

The Fisheries sector in Saint Lucia can be described as being artisanal, with a fishing fleet of about 994 vessels at the end of 2000. Out of that total 470 are fibreglass pirogues 5-8 meters long; 94 have transoms 3-6 meters long and 356 are the traditional Carib dug-out canoes 5-8 meters long; plus 4 longliners. The majority of the vessels are powered by outboard engines ranging 15 - 115 HP, while inboard engines of 125 - 250 HP power the longliners.

Fishing activities take place in all ten coastal villages in Saint Lucia and the vessels are operated by about one thousand nine hundred and ninety three (1993) registered fishers, 75% of these are full-timed and the remaining 25% part-time, mainly employed in construction, shipping and farming. The dug out canoe, which once formed the bulk of fishing fleet, is considered highly unsuitable, since it has a small carrying capacity, is very unstable, and difficult to adapt to the use of improved gear methods. Attempts are being made by the Fisheries Department to encourage local fishers to purchase more stable fibreglass pirogues. The Fisheries Department is at present assisting local fishers in obtaining special funds, which are available at the Saint Lucia Development Bank for the purchase of fibreglass pirogues at duty free concession. Bon-a-fide Saint Lucian fishers receive duty-free concessions on all fishing gear, vessels, engines and fuel used and all fishing equipment.

The Extension Unit is set up to disseminate information, effect technology transfer, provide fishers training and solve technical problems in the fishing industry. The Unit is at present staffed by five officers. Fisheries extension officers are engaged in experimental fishing development and researching appropriate fishing gears, fishers training, visits to landing sites and assisting other units within the Department in accomplishing work programmes. Extension officers are responsible for the registration of fishers, licensing of vessels, and performing a host of regulatory functions. Some of the functions performed by the officers are spot checks at hotels and restaurants during the closed seasons, inshore surveillance, determining undersized species at marketing depots, serving as court prosecutors/witness in illegal fishing case and determining detrimental fishing gears.

Fishers still engaged in traditional fishing methods like trolling, netting and pots. Training programmes are developed to encourage fishers to adapt more scientific methods, like long lining, which has proven successful in targeting high priced under-exploded species. Training programmes in navigation and safety are offered to fishers so they could have better access to fishing grounds. Regulations governing basic safety requirements by fishers have been approved and gazetted. This will help in encouraging fishers to obtain safety equipment and reduce loss of life and search and rescue operation cost.

TYPES OF FISHERIES

Shallow reeffish fishery: This is done mainly on or around shallow coral reefs, targeting species such as hinds (Serranidae), parrotfish (Scaridae), and squirrelfish (Holocentridae). The gear used is the fish trap and the hand line. There are also other minor, but important fisheries such as lobsters, conch and sea urchins.

Deep slope fishery (Bank): This is done mainly near the edges in the insular landmark areas or deep slopes, targeting species such as snappers (Lutjanidae) and groupers (Serranidae). The gear used is “Palang”.

Coastal pelagic fishery: This fishery targets the inshore pelagic fish species that are found along the coastline such as jacks (Carangidae), herring (Clupeidae), silversides (Atherinidae), and ballyhoo (Hemiramphus sp.). The gear normally used is beach seine and or the fillet net.

Offshore/Oceanic pelagic fishery: This type of fishing in done offshore, for the large migratory species that are found in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Saint Lucia. The target species include tunas (Scombroidei), billfish (Istiophoridae), dolphinfish (Coryphaena Hippurus) and wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri). The gears used are the tuna longline and the trolling line.

DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM

Onsite, data is collected by the Department of Fisheries data collectors located at eight fish landing sites around the island, namely Gros Islet, Castries, Choiseul, Laborie, Vieux-Fort, Soufriere, Micoud and Dennery. The types of information collected include: total number of boats out per day, size of crew per vessel, time departed and time returned, vessel identification number, fuel used, zone fished, gear used, volume of catch (actual weight, fisher estimate or data-collector’s estimate) per vessel, species weight, and price per pound of fish.

Data collectors are given collection booklets, which must be completed, at the end of each working day. These booklets must be submitted to the Department of Fisheries. It is the responsibility of the collector to submit his/her collection booklet at the end of each month ahead of or on the deadline stipulated by the Department of Fisheries. The collected fisheries data are entered into the Tip Interview Programme TIP database programme.

Due to the number of vessels at some landing sites it is impossible for data collectors to do all boats. Fisheries have organised a strategy by which collectors sample every boat returning from sea. Fish landing data are collected for fifteen randomly selected days per month. When calculating total landings a monthly raising-factor is used to raise the monthly-observed weight to an estimated total for the month.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ISSUES

Most of the fish landed in Saint Lucia is sold fresh. This may involve direct sale of the catch to the Saint Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation, or to middlemen, householders, or to local hotels and restaurants.

Presently, Saint Lucia does not export any fish but instead it imports a certain amount of the other fish products, which are not available locally.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS IN USE

Saint Lucia has a moratorium on the catching of sea turtles, and an annual close and open season for spiny lobsters. There was also a moratorium on the harvesting of sea urchins, but due to a significant increase in numbers, recently, there was an open season for four (4) days during the month of September 2001.

Fisher and vessel registration

Fishers register once, and are issued with Identification Cards after registering. A fisher is registered through the extension officer responsible for the area where the fisher lives or the site where he will be based. The registration requirements are: proof of engagements in fishing activities and or sea going, proof of identification, a registration number from the National Insurance Scheme, proof of citizenship and a small fee to cover the cost of processing the Identification card.

Vessels are registered once also, however they are licensed on a yearly basis. Upon registering, a vessel is issued a registration number, which must be displayed on the vessel. Licence documents and stickers are issued after a vessel is found fit for sea going, and possesses basic gear and safety equipment. A small fee is also collected for licensing of vessels. Vessels are registered and licensed through the extension officers responsible for the areas where they will are berthed. For vessel registration an owner must have proof of ownership of the vessel, owner’s proof of citizenship, type and size of engine to be used, and proof of engagement in fishing prior to purchasing vessel. Information on Fisher registration and Vessel Licence and registration are entered into the licensing and Registration System (LRS) database of the Department.

Catch data

Tables 1 and 2 gives summaries of capture fisheries and aquaculture production in Saint Lucia for 2000. Table 3 gives the ex-vessel value of the landings, while table 4 gives the record of fisher and vessel registration for 2000.

STATUS OF DEVELOPMENT OF MOORED FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES

Saint Lucia had as many as 12 moored Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) until recently. Many of them were lost due to boating traffic. The one that has remained is heavily used. Fisher interest in moored FAD has been such that the government of Saint Lucia is in the process of facilitating repairs or replacements for many of the damaged or lost units.

The remaining FAD is a French donated unit, which has lasted for more than 14 months. It is deployed near the Souffriere Marine Management Area (SMMA), which also receives technical assistance from the French.

All of the catch data from the FAD around Saint Lucia was not reported by the fishers, but the available records from the unit close to the SMMA indicate that 36 marlins ranging in weights from 36.4 to 386.4 kilograms were caught around it. Two of the lost FAD units were Japanese designs, but because proper monitoring and catch records are unavailable comparisons with the French designs are not possible.

Recently, both official and unofficial exchanges between fishers from Martinique and Saint Lucia have resulted in changes in the fishing methods previously used around moored FAD in Saint Lucia. As a result local fishers are reportedly landing specimens of bigeye tuna.

The Fisheries Department is in the process of developing a strategy to collect FAD specific catch and effort data.

Table 1: Preliminary Estimated Fish Landings for 2000 (Figures recorded in tons).

NOTES:

(1) Preliminary estimates subject to change after final analysis.

(2) “OTHER SITES” include all non-sampled sites - Canaries, Bannanes, Laborie, Praslin, Marisule, Monchy, Roseau & other minor sites in Vieux Fort.

(3) “OTHER SPECIES” include all other family groups not individually listed such as nearshore pelagics, reef species and porpoise species.

(4) Data collection re-commenced in Choiseul in October 2000 therefore estimation of landings for January to September was based on a fraction of Vieux landings during this period.

Table 2: Saint Lucia’s Annual Aquaculture Production 2000 (Figures in Kgs)

*Ponds were empty for most of the year due to the unavailability of Brine shrimp Cysts.
When production commenced shrimps were not harvested but kept as brood stock.

Notes: - Number of fish fingerlings produced = 22,388 - Number of larval shrimps produced = 9.150

- Area under production = 20,400 sq. metre - Number of ponds in production = 20 Number of farmers = 26

Table 3: Saint Lucia’s Estimated Ex-Vessel Value of Fish Landings of 2000 (Values in EC$)

Table 4: Saint Lucia’s fisheries registration 2000