1. The second session of the COPESCAL Working Party on Fisheries Technology was held in San Salvador from 7–10 October 1985 at the Fisheries Development Centre (CENDEPESCA) at the kind invitation of the Government of El Salvador.
2. The opening session, held in the auditorium of the Hotel Siesta, was chaired by Mr Carlos Aquilino Duarte Funes, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Mr Bruno Urbina, the Director of CENDEPESCA, Mr Alfredo Guijarro, the FAO Representative, Dr Elda Fagetti, the Secretary of COPESCAL, and Mr Stephen Drew, the Technical Secretary of the Working Party. The opening session was also attended by members of the Diplomatic Corps in El Salvador, representatives of international organizations and other Government authorities.
3. In his welcoming statement to participants at the meeting, Mr Bruno Urbina, the Director of CENDEPESCA, stressed the social function of fisheries in the rural sector and called for renewed efforts to make Latin America self-sufficient. He also acknowledged the importance of international cooperation to fisheries development in the region and thanked FAO for its cooperation in the sphere.
4. Mr Alfredo Guijarro, the FAO Representative in El Salvador, mentioned the accomplishments of COPESCAL and stressed the role of fisheries in the fight against hunger. He referred to world catch statistics which reflect the contribution of fisheries and, in particular, the specific importance of inland fisheries for rural populations. He also traced the role of FAO in helping peoples confronted with socioeconomic problems and, lastly, mentioned how useful technical events such as this meeting were, and expressed the hope that such events might be held more frequently.
5. Mr Carlos A. Duarte Funes, the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, in his opening statement to the meeting, expressed the satisfaction of the Government with this type of event. He mentioned the efforts being made by the Government to improve the diet of its people through fisheries development. Before formally declaring the session open, he expressed the hope that the objectives for the day's work would be successfully met.
6. The meeting was chaired by Mr Bruno Urbina. It was attended by 19 participants and observers as listed in Annex A. The agenda of the meeting and the list of documents are found in Annexes B and C respectively.
7. The Secretary of COPESCAL in opening the meeting of the Working Party reported on the objectives and coordinating machinery of COPESCAL and its three Working Parties on Fishery Resources, Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology. Referring specifically to the work of the Working Party on Fish Technology, she mentioned that the particular topic covered by this meeting of the Working Party had been selected in line with the priority assigned by COPESCAL member countries to catch methodology in inland waters of the region in response to the views expressed to member countries by the current Chairman of COPESCAL, His excellency Mr Pedro Ojeda Paullada, the Minister of Fisheries of Mexico.
8. She also reported to participants on the documents which FAO has been publishing for the region in the various COPESCAL series (specifically: (a) Fisheries Reports, with the results and recommendations of the meetings of the Commission and its Working Parties; (b) COPESCAL Technical Series; (c) COPESCAL Occasional Documents and, (d) COPESCAL Information Bulletins) and requested the cooperation of the experts attending this meeting in furnishing the technical information on fishing techniques and gear of regional and/or subregional interest needed for these publications.
9. The Technical Secretary presented the paper prepared for this meeting by the Fishery Industries Division (COPESCAL/TE/85/1).
10. It was stated that any research or fisheries development plan must take into account the importance of catch technology and the connection between it and biology and resource management, the socioeconomic factors, and fishery product processing and marketing.
Examples were given of specific technologies which might facilitate the development of inland fisheries in Latin America. Before implementing any project implying technical changes a careful evaluation should be made of the possible impact on resources and fishing communities. With respect to projects targeted at improving technology, the integrated fisheries development strategy recommended by the 1984 FAO World Fisheries Conference implied that the purpose of such projects must be “to improve the social economic conditions of small-scale fishing communities and increase their contribution to the utilization and rational exploitation of fishery resources”. All aspects of the development process had to be examined, namely: resources and the environment, fisheries technology, handling, processing, distribution, marketing, and the socioeconomic aspects. It was suggested that Salvadorian participants comment on their experience with the integrated fisheries development project currently operating in El Salvador (see Item VII “Other Matters”).
11. It was agreed that existing technology and experience in the countries of the region could be used more effectively and that the transfer of technology among countries with comparable ecological conditions might well provide good opportunities for technical cooperation.
12. Possible targets to be met through the specific activities of participants of the Working Party were to:
exchange information on specific technologies now being implemented or in the experimental stages within the region;
establish norms for standardizing terminology in use in the various countries for fishing craft and gear;
increase the number of fisheries technologists in the national departments of fisheries;
secure greater technical cooperation among developing countries at fishermen level;
examine the possibility of devising an integrated development strategy for inland fisheries of the respective countries.
13. The Working Party considered training at all levels of prime importance. Based on the various experiments carried out in the countries of the region (community instructors, schools for fisheries technologists, technical/vocational universities) the following aspects were held to have priority:
the need to create awareness about fisheries within member countries starting with basic teaching in the primary schools located in provinces or regions which rely basically on inland and/or marine waters for fisheries activities;
short courses, when advisable, to tackle specific problems. Such courses might well be more effective if held within the fishing communities themselves;
ensure more widespread dissemination of such publications as “FAO Training Series” and other technical documents to fishermens' training centres. It was suggested that each participant should submit to FAO a list of the training institutes in his or her country, including addresses;
it was recommended that COPESCAL and FAO give priority to the compilation of data for the preparation of a Catalogue on fishing gear and techniques used in inland waters in Latin America. Each member country should contribute to this through its experts.
Argentina
14. The participant from Argentina reported on gear and catch techniques used in inland fisheries in Argentina, accompanied by drawings of the gear as recommended in the relevant FAO documents. The report detailed the approximate number of mesh in the netting, the netting material, mesh size in the different sections of the netting, the number of floaters and counterweights or leads, and such characteristics as the hanging ratio.
15. He also reported in detail on fishing operations, the major species caught, the areas where the gear are most commonly used and the estimated cost in dollars for the construction of such gear including labour costs.
Bolivia
16. The Bolivian participant reported on national water resources and their potential for fish production. In his description he systematically divided the territory into the three major watersheds, i.e., the basin of the altiplano, the Amazon basin and the river Plata basin, describing their geographical characteristics and the major fish species of commercial importance. He concluded with an analysis of the most important fishing techniques and gear.
Colombia
17. The participant from Colombia presented an overview of the characteristics of inland small-scale fisheries which he described as subsistence fisheries. He also outlined the major characteristics of the various watersheds in his country ranking them in importance by production and number of existing fishermen. He stressed the importance of fisheries in his country as a source of direct employment. He also mentioned the dependence of fish population dynamics with reference to hydrological cycles.
18. He described the different kinds of fishing techniques and gear used in inland water, mentioning the major characteristics, geographical distribution, species caught, profitability, advantages and disadvantages of the gear. He also referred to the major small-scale techniques of catch preservation and selected examples of Colombian experience in regulating fishing gear.
Costa Rica
19. There was little documentation on inland fisheries in Costa Rica, which comes under the Department of Wildlife. Subsistence fisheries were predominant given the fact that commercial fishing was banned in inland waters. The most common gear and techniques were: hook and line and harpoons.
20. There was thought to be a potential for managed commercial development of fishing in dams for Cichlasoma dovii, Brycon guatemalensis and Rhamdia sp.
Chile
21. The participants from Chile reported that freshwater species of economic importance in his country were under Government protection, the State having established legal standards regulating catches. In this respect the use of industrial gear was categorically banned as was the use of chemical substances. Only legally regulated sports fishing was permitted. The use of industrial gear was only allowed for species from fish rearing centres.
22. He also described the characteristics (colour, size, distribution and feeding habits) of the major commercial species fished and/or reared in Chile to restock overfished populations, and reported on the kinds of gear used in the country for the purpose of research and/or capture of reproductive stock.
El Salvador
23. The participant from El Salvador mentioned the importance of inland fisheries with reference to its contribution to raising the nutritional status of the poor sectors of the population. He emphasized lake fishing which represented 51% of the small-scale fisheries sector in El Salvador.
24. He gave a detailed description of the various fishing gear and techniques on the major bodies of water in El Salvador, mentioning the major commercial species, particularly with reference to ecological conditions. The following points were emphasized in his recommendations: (a) seek ways of promoting fishermen's associations so as to improve fisheries management, boost the catch and improve fisheries technology in lagoons, (b) set up a factory to manufacture fishing gear, (c) increase the number of technicians to increase research on fishing techniques and make catch technology transfer more effective.
25. He concluded that inland fisheries could be increased if fry rearing stations were set up to support massive seeding programmes in the major bodies of water. Lastly he mentioned that an updated census on fishermen needed to be made so as to have available more reliable production data on which to base the development of future fish technologies.
Panama
26. The Report specifically mentioned that inland fisheries in Panama were primarily for the bone consumption by fishermen who also doubled as farmers. No catch records were kept with the sole exception of the organized groups in Lake Gatún who work commercially. Their 1984 catch of Cichlids (Cichla ocellaris) was 40 t.
27. The greatest variety of fishing gear was observed in the rivers and included pots, traps, set nets, cast nets, and harpoons and hooks, the latter being the most common. The most commonly caught species were river shrimp, shad, “bocachico”, snook, cichlids and “vieja”.
28. He reviewed plans to restock dams and the fact that Panama needed to develop the proper technologies to achieve its production targets.
Peru
29. Inland fisheries were an important source of food and work. The natural environments were spread over three watersheds: the Pacific slope, the Atlantic slope or lower Amazon and the basin of Lake Titicaca. There was a great wealth of fish in these bodies of water. A number of different gear, techniques and craft were used to fish them. The most common were purse seines, beach seines and cast nets. Other indigenous fishing gear were also used in the Amazon basin and on Lake Titicaca. The most common craft were boats with outboard motors and wooden canoes.
Uruguay
30. The participant reported on the present situation of inland fisheries in his country, with the low catch volumes characteristic of a subsistence or small-scale sector. He also explained which species were of greatest interest and described fishing areas, gear, vessels and techniques. He then mentioned possible approaches for the future development of these fisheries.
Venezuela
31. The Venezuelan participant outlined the institutional situation in Venezuela, described the hydrographic features of inland waters, and reported on national production with a comparison of maritime and inland catches. He described the marketing procedures in the small-scale fisheries sector. He also described the gear and craft used in inland waters and species caught there.
Conclusions and Recommendations
32. The Working Party considered the information in the various country reports highly valuable. They had provided concrete information on species caught and descriptions of the many fishing gear and techniques in use in the region. Considering this, the Working Party suggested that FAO publish the papers presented as a supplement to the Report of the meeting if possible, so that the information available to the Working Party might receive wide circulation among the relevant institutions of the COPESCAL member countries:
33. The Working Party analysed the data presented from a regional standpoint, and noted that many features of the inherent development problems of small-scale fisheries were common to most countries. The following similar features held true and were particularly important for most countries:
considering the socioeconomic role of inland fisheries in the region, it was considered highly important that governments back research, extension and technology transfer activities in the inland fisheries sector;
except in countries such as Chile, where inland fisheries were almost purely for sport, or Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela where there were commercial fisheries on inland waters, most inland fisheries in the region were subsistence activities;
national efforts in almost all countries had been primarily targeted at developing marine fisheries. The trend to develop inland fisheries was noted as a recent one;
the countries of the region shared a common problem getting the right statistical catch data to allow correct estimations mainly because the inland fisheries in the region were by and large subsistence fisheries, widely scattered geographically;
the gear was highly similar throughout the region, particularly the traditional gear used in the subsistence fisheries;
the question of the selectivity of nets and other gear should be examined jointly by the two COPESCAL Working Parties (Fishery Resources and Fisheries Technology) so that commercial gear could be regulated as early as possible for better protection of stocks;
the gear used for commercial purposes in inland fisheries had experienced greater technical development then had subsistence gear;
the small-scale fisherman usually had a problem obtaining the material to build fishing craft and make gear;
in some cases there was no market for specific species, thus obviating increased production of these species;
the social and economic status of small-scale fishermen could be improved if efforts were made to organize them in a fashion appropriate to local conditions. Their education and living standards could be upgraded, and it would be easier to transfer technology and get the data needed for research management and conservation;
there were very good possibilities for catch technology transfer, not only among countries with similar environments and stages of development but also within individual countries. There had already been instances where marine fisheries catch technology had been adapted for inland fisheries;
there was a recognized need to increase aquaculture activities in tandem with fisheries development for the purpose of stocking bodies of water.
34. The review of fishing craft produced the conclusion that many countries of the region shared similar characteristics in this respect. Most were relatively small craft of the canoe type and were not motorized. There was a smaller percentage of craft with outboard motors, while some countries used inboard motors, including diesel motors.
35. The advantages and disadvantages of the outboard motor were noted. The short working life of outboard motors was taken into account as was the occasional lack of spare parts, the high cost of repairs and the relatively high cost of fuel which in some cases caused economic problems. The development of other means of propulsion, possibly diesel motors or auxiliary sail, was recommended for some fisheries.
36. Deforestation and the shrinking number of large trees, the raw material for the construction of traditional canoes was causing problems for fishermen in some countries.
37. The following general categories were approved in order to facilitate the preparation of a glossary of terms for inland craft in the region:
“Bote” (boat): a relatively small craft (under 10 m);
“Cayuco” (dugout): a boat with a fairly round bottom, with a length/width ration of 4:1. A traditional dugout is made from a single tree trunk. Occasionally wooden planks are added to increase the width and height of the sides;
“Canoa” (dugout): same as “cayuco”;
“Lancha” (fishing boat): a craft which may be constructed of wooden planks, plywood, fibreglass or other materials. The bottom may be flat, round or V-shaped. A fishing launch is generally under 12 m and the length: width ratio is generally under 4:1;
“Balsa” (raft): a craft built by lashing trunks, planks, plants or other materials to make a floating platform. A raft floats because of its component parts and does not have a waterproof hull.
38. The discussions of the Working Party concerning the various items on the Agenda (Annex A) produced a number of general recommendations. Additional activities were planned for the four members of the Working Party during the next biennium.
39. It was suggested that COPESCAL consider the priority assigned by the Working Party to the compilation of the necessary data on gear and vessel technology in the region.
40. It was suggested that where possible the relevant institutions increase the number of fisheries technologies to enhance the role of technology in developing inland fisheries.
41. Considering the fact that the development of fishing communities requires an integrated strategy that takes into account the interaction between such factors as resources and their environment, supplies of fishing equipment, catch technology, handling of products, marketing and the socioeconomic aspects, it was recommended that a round table or seminar be organized in collaboration with other international organizations during the intersession which would include as a topic of discussion the organization of fishermen's associations. The participant from Panama indicated that he would try to take up the question of organizing an event of this kind in his country.
42. It was recommended that fisheries regulations in countries which share a common river be standardized.
43. The Working Party participants analysed suitable opportunities and means on a case by case basis of exchanging technicians and fishermen in order to promote a better exchange of information and catch technology among the countries of the region. Specifically, participants from Chile and Uruguay expressed interest in the technology in use in Argentina, and various countries expressed interest in the advances in Colombia in this sector.
44. The Working Party agreed to use the COPESCAL Information Bulletin for rapid dissemination of data of interest to members.
45. Participants agreed to send the Technical Secretary lists of national publications on fishing gear and craft, which would be circulated to all participants so as to facilitate the exchange of publications produced within the region.
46. It was considered advisable for the experts of the Working Party to cooperate with the activities of the Working Party on Fishery Resources concerning the compilation of data on fisheries regulations in the different countries of the region.
47. It was agreed that each expert in the group would send to the Technical Secretary of the Working Party a list of common terms used for the various gear in his country, with reference to the standards set out in FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No. 222 (1984). Each participant would also send to the Technical Secretary the data and drawings needed to compile a Catalogue of fishing gear used in inland waters in Latin America. These would follow the standards established by the FAO Catalogue of Small-Scale Fishing Gear.
48. Considering the need to promote fishermen's organizations, it was agreed that the Colombian participant would supply the publications of the Asociación Nacional de Pescadores de Colombia (ANPAC) for distribution through the Technical Secretariat to members of the Working Party.
49. The Technical Secretary would send to all COPESCAL member countries the FAO forms to facilitate the compilation of national data on fishing gear and craft in accordance with standardized norms.
50. Concerning this item, the Working Party agreed upon the following activities to be carried out during the next biennium.
51. The participants would send to the Technical Secretary a list of local crafts, with a brief description of each in accordance with the forms used in Venezuela as well as a list of the corresponding local names. This information would be used as a basis to prepare a classification and glossary covering inland water craft in the region.
52. The participants would send to the Technical Secretary information on national activities concerning the development of inland-water craft and power systems for extension in the region.
53. The Technical Secretary would send participants the information on FAO activities to develop power systems for small craft (including inboard motors and sail), and for brackish waters.
54. Considering the Working Party's interest in the integrated strategy, the National Project Director, Cesar Abrego Funes, reported on the activities of the UNDP/FAO national project for the Integrated Development of Small-Scale Fisheries, now being carried out in the marine fisheries sector. Its objectives included such aspects as education and community organization, improvement of catch systems, preservation technology, processing and the establishment of technical standards for resource management. The three-stage project (which has an initial duration of two years) first focuses on training and integration of the technical team into the community and getting information on the community. The second stage involves implementation of action plans to be carried out in cooperation with the community, on an increasinly concrete basis. The third phase involves analysis and evaluation of the results of the project.
55. The speaker indicated that although the project had made very significant progress so far, a certain lack of experience in this kind of activity had been detected, which suggested that the project should perhaps be extended for several more years.
56. The speaker indicated that one important aspect in the development of such activities had to do with the active participation of fisherfolk in technical decisions, taking into consideration their practical comments and expertise.
57. He also pointed out that the project had been based on a certain amount of scientific data, but there was awareness of a need to improve the general statistics on fishing before definitive recommendations could be made.
58. It was suggested that the next meeting of the Working Party be held in Colombia, considering the experiences that Colombia could offer in the development of its own inland fisheries. Paraguay, which offered to host the meeting of the Working Party on Fishery Resources, was mentioned as an alternative.
59. The Session was declared closed in the presence of the Vice-Minister of Extension and Rural Development, Mr Carlos Deras Barillas, Mr Bruno Aristides Urbina, Director of CENDEPESCA, and Mr E. de Toledo representing the FAO Representative in El Salvador. The Director of CENDEPESCA, who had chaired the working sessions, expressed his appreciation of the event. The Technical Secretariat of the Working Party, Mr Stephen Drew, summarized the principal conclusions and recommendations produced by the deliberations on the items discussed. On behalf of all participants, the participant from Venezuela, Captain Wismar Medina, thanked the Government of El Salvador for its kind hospitality, all local coordinators and colleagues whose very efficient cooperation had made these working sessions in San Salvador so agreable and FAO for having sponsored the meeting. Lastly, His Excellency the Vice-Minister declared the session closed and expressed his satisfaction with the results achieved during the sessions, emphasizing the contribution of these results in terms of helping improve the living conditions of the low-income strata of the population.
60. The report was approved on 10 October 1985.
