Report - Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica FINAL 20090511 PDF

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica
2008
A Report on the Census Study Done for the Fisheries Industry by the Fisheries Division
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica
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Abstract
This study examines the results of a census which was done on the fishing industry in the Commonwealth of Dominica to determine the status of the various components and interrelationships which comprises the Industry. The census was directed at collecting baseline data and information from a wide range of actors who impact the industry either directly or indirectly, positively or negatively. The information was collected using a questionnaire and it was administered by trained data collectors and enumerators. The study covered fishers and fishing communities over the entire island. It highlights the perspectives of fisher folk including fish vendors, middle men, part-time and full-time fishers and other investors within the industry, for their views and ideas and the role that they played within that sector. The study identified many concerns of fisher folk as regards the role of Government, issue of subsidies to fishermen, fisheries management, fishermen and fishing boat registration matters and overall governance within the fishing industry in Dominica. The study also identified the various types and quantities of fishing gear used within the industry, types and number of fishing boats used, methods of propulsion employed by fishermen, range of outboard engines available and the extent to which Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) impacted the industry. The census captured some basic demographic information on the fishing industry for use in fisheries management in Dominica. Age, education status, composition of fishers household and dependences were also determined which gave some perspective on the social and economic value of the fishing industry in Dominica. The overall objective of the census was achieved in providing baseline data in terms of geographic location of material and equipment, size of the fishing fleet, personnel involved and services provided by the industry. The information is to be used for providing fisheries management advice to Government and for making informed management decisions regarding the fishing industry in Dominica
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Acknowledgements
The Fisheries Division wishes to thank the following organizations and individuals for their contributions: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which was the primary financial supporter for the survey, the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, especially the Central Statistical Office, for its invaluable advice and other technical assistance and the Establishment Department, the enumerators, the respondents and others who supported this study. The Fisheries Division also wishes to thank Dr. Susan Singh-Renton of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) for her input and guidance.
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T ab le o f Co nt ents
ABSTRACT........................................................................................................................................ III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................... IV T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S .............................................................................................................. V G L O S S A R Y ................................................................................................................................ VIII 1 I N T R O D U C T I O N ....................................................................................................................1 1.1 OVERVIEW OF THE FISHERIES INDUSTRY AND THE FIC .............................................................................1 1.2 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................1 2 M E T H O D O L O G Y ....................................................................................................................3 2.1 PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES .................................................................................................................3 2.1.1 The Questionnaires ........................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.2 The Enumerators Manual ................................................................................................................ 3 2.1.3 Selection and Training of Enumerators............................................................................................. 3 2.1.4 The Target Population ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.5 Pre-Existing Data Sources ................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.6 The Pilot Survey ................................................................................................................................. 4 2.2 CENSUS STUDY ..............................................................................................................................4 2.2.1 The Main Survey................................................................................................................................ 4 2.3 POST-CENSUS ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................5 2.3.1 Data Management............................................................................................................................ 5 3 R E S U L T S ..................................................................................................................................6 3.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................6 3.2 RESPONDENT ROLES .......................................................................................................................6 3.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS ...................................................................................................7 3.3.1 Sex, Marital Status and Age .............................................................................................................. 7 3.3.2 Household and Dependents .............................................................................................................. 7 3.3.3 Education .......................................................................................................................................... 9 3.4 FISHERS/BOAT OWNERS .................................................................................................................9 3.4.1 Role of Fishers on the Boat ............................................................................................................... 9

3.4.2 Income from Fishing.......................................................................................................................... 9 3.4.3 Fisher Registration .......................................................................................................................... 10 3.4.4 Fishing Activity and Fishing Distance .............................................................................................. 10 3.4.5 Fishing Gear .................................................................................................................................... 11 3.4.6 Fish Aggregating Devices ................................................................................................................ 12 3.4.7 Safety Equipment and Supplies ....................................................................................................... 14 3.4.8 Reason for Fishing ........................................................................................................................... 14 3.4.9 Training ........................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4.10 Factors Impacting Fishing Operations ............................................................................................ 16 3.4.11 Fish Spoilage ................................................................................................................................... 17 3.4.12 Record Keeping ............................................................................................................................... 17 3.4.13 Loans ............................................................................................................................................... 18 3.5 BOAT OWNERS AND FLEET ............................................................................................................. 19 3.5.1 Boat Type and Age of the Fleet ....................................................................................................... 19 3.5.2 Propulsion ....................................................................................................................................... 20 3.5.3 Crew ................................................................................................................................................ 20 3.5.4 Engines by Horse Power and Make ................................................................................................. 20 3.5.5 Cost of Operations .......................................................................................................................... 21 3.5.6 Catch Distribution and Returns ....................................................................................................... 21 3.5.7 Repairs ............................................................................................................................................ 22 3.5.8 Suppliers .......................................................................................................................................... 22 3.5.9 Duty-Free Concessions .................................................................................................................... 22 3.6 CHARACTERISTICS OF VENDORS ....................................................................................................... 23 3.6.1 Types of Vendors ............................................................................................................................. 23 3.6.2 Fish Sold by Vendors ....................................................................................................................... 23 3.6.3 Fish Transportation and Spoilage ................................................................................................... 24 3.6.4 Customers ....................................................................................................................................... 26 3.6.5 Record Keeping ............................................................................................................................... 26 3.6.6 Time Spent vending ......................................................................................................................... 26 3.7 CHARACTERISTICS OF BOAT BUILDERS/REPAIRERS ............................................................................... 27 3.7.1 Site of Operations ........................................................................................................................... 27 3.7.2 Time in the Industry ........................................................................................................................ 27 3.7.3 Customers ....................................................................................................................................... 28 3.7.4 Income............................................................................................................................................. 28 3.7.5 Boats Built ....................................................................................................................................... 29 3.7.6 Jobs ................................................................................................................................................. 29 3.8 CHARACTERISTICS OF GEAR BUILDERS/REPAIRERS ............................................................................... 30 3.8.1 Site of Operations ........................................................................................................................... 30 3.8.2 Time in the Industry ........................................................................................................................ 31 3.8.3 Customers ....................................................................................................................................... 31 3.8.4 Income............................................................................................................................................. 32 3.8.5 Gear Built ........................................................................................................................................ 32
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3.8.6 Jobs ................................................................................................................................................. 32 3.9 CHARACTERISTICS OF OUTBOARD ENGINE MECHANICS ......................................................................... 33 3.9.1 Site of Operations ........................................................................................................................... 33 3.9.2 Time in the Industry ........................................................................................................................ 33 3.9.3 Customers ....................................................................................................................................... 34 3.9.4 Income............................................................................................................................................. 34 3.9.5 Engines Worked On ......................................................................................................................... 34 3.9.6 Jobs ................................................................................................................................................. 34 3.10 CHARACTERISTICS OF EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS .................................................................................... 35 3.10.1 Location........................................................................................................................................... 35 3.10.2 Type of Establishment ..................................................................................................................... 36 3.10.3 Price of Supplies .............................................................................................................................. 36 4 D I S C U S S I O N A N D C O N C L U S I O N .................................................................................. 37 5 A P P E N D I C E S ........................................................................................................................ 43 5.1 MAP OF FISHERIES ENUMERATOR DISTRICTS (FEDS) ............................................................................ 43 5.2 TYPES OF BOATS USED IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY ................................................................................ 44 5.2.1 Canoes ............................................................................................................................................. 45 5.2.2 Keel.................................................................................................................................................. 45 5.2.3 Fibre-glassed Reinforced Plastic (FRP) ............................................................................................ 45 5.3 TYPES OF GEAR USED IN THE FISHING INDUSTRY .................................................................................. 47 5.3.1 Fish Pots .......................................................................................................................................... 47 5.3.2 Nets ................................................................................................................................................. 47 5.3.3 Hook and Lines ................................................................................................................................ 47
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G loss ary
Boat/Fishing vessel Boat builder/repairer Boat owner CSO Demersal Enumerator Equipment supplier FD FED FIC Fish Any vessel, boat, ship or other craft, which is used for, equipped to be used or of a type that is normally used for fishing or related activities A person who can build and or repair fishing boats Someone who owns the fishing boat and usually the engine and fishing gear as well. The boat owner may also be a fisher or may only be an investor in the industry Central Statistical Office Fish that are reside on or near the sea floor or reef, such as snappers The person who is charged with interviewing target respondents within the survey A person or establishment which supplies gear or fishing equipment to fishers Fisheries Division Fisheries Enumeration District Fisheries Industry Census Aquatic plant or animal whether piscine or not, and includes any mollusk, crustacean, coral, sponge, holothurians or other echinoderm, reptile and marine mammal, and includes their eggs and all juvenile stages A designated area or location where fish is landed or brought to shore by the fisher after a fishing trip A person who makes a living by harvesting fish from the seas, although persons who own boats but do not fish are also considered to be fishers Searching for, catching, taking or harvesting fish Any equipment used for the purpose of catching taking or harvesting fish Fisheries Liaison Officer Zone. One of five zones into which the island is divided for fisheries management purposes A person who can build and or repair fishing gear Japan International Cooperation Agency Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry A person who can repair outboard engines used by fishing boats Fish that reside and travel in the open water from the mid to the upper water column, such as tuna and dolphin fish Someone who responds to a survey by giving information to the enumerator Any equipment that can aid in ones survival while at sea A person who makes a living by selling fish
Fish landing site Fisher Fishing Fishing gear FLO Zone Gear builder/repairer JICA MOAFF Outboard engine mechanic Pelagic Respondent Survival gear Vendor
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1 In tr odu ctio n
1.1 Overview of the Fisheries Industry and the FIC
The Fisheries Division is the Government agency which has the legal mandate and responsibility for the management of fisheries and other marine resources, and for the overall governance and development of the fishing industry in Dominica. This agency manages the development of the industry based on available data and information and consistent with regional and international undertakings. However, all the data and information necessary for management of the fishery and that of the fish stocks are not always readily available and at best limiting in its content and quality. . A significant fraction of the population of Dominica is located along the coastal areas of the island. There is tremendous economic activity occurring along the coast which includes fisheries, quarry operations, dive tourism, coastal agriculture, and recreational activities as well as significant manufacturing and commerce. Fishing forms a major part of the commercial activity in that zone and is a noteworthy contributor to the social and economic livelihood of many people, especially the rural poor. The coastal system within which the fishing industry operates is a very dynamic one with various users and activities. Some of those activities are complementary to one another, others compete for space and resources while yet others are conflicting and require strategic management interventions. Over the years the fishing industry itself has undergone many changes as it relates to use of gear, fishing methods, changes in size, type and number of boats and movement of persons in and out of the industry. Dominica operates an open access fishery to its nationals where anyone can harvest the fish resource. This, coupled with fishermens reluctance to register themselves and their fishing vessels within the Division registration program, makes it impossible to maintain a proper and updated fishermen and fishing boat registry. This in turn rendered it extremely difficult to determine how many individuals, fishing vessels, and number and type of fishing gear were involved in the fishing industry. This information is critical to the determination of fishing effort and for estimation of the productive capacity and forecasting of production units for the fishing fleet in Dominica. As a result a National Fisheries Census was done. The entire country as it related to persons involved with fisheries, either directly or indirectly, was covered by the census. A questionnaire was developed and used to collect the relevant data. The census was implemented by the staff of the Fisheries Division during the second half of 2008.
1.2 Objectives
The mandate of the Fisheries Division is: 1. To develop the fisheries sector, creating employment opportunities, enhancing food security and generating income for the improvement of the social and economic welfare of all stakeholders. 2. To effectively manage the fisheries resources of Dominica to maintain healthy fish stocks and ensure long-term benefits to all users.

Contribute to foreign exchange earnings through fish export and reduce the food import bill by increasing food supply from the fisheries sector. The objectives of this Fisheries Industry Census (FIC) were: 1. To capture critical baseline data required for determining the present status of the fishing industry in Dominica. 2. To collect socioeconomic data and to make the necessary linkages between the physical, social and economic dynamics that exist within the industry.
2 Met hod o logy

All activities related to the census can be grouped into three phases; pre-census, census and postcensus. The entire period is from July 2008 to January 2009.
2.1 Preliminary Activities

Pre-census activities involved: Development of the implementation plan, Preparation of the questionnaire, The pilot survey, Selection and training of the enumerators, Preparation of the enumerator tools (manuals, ID cards) and Literature review 2.1.1 The Questionnaires Two questionnaires were prepared to capture information from the respondents. These questionnaires were labeled: Survey Form: DFIC-01 (Fishers, Boat Owners and Vendors) Survey Form: DFIC-02 (Support Services: Supplies, Repairs and Maintenance) The DFIC-01 form is a 62-question document that targeted the major respondent groups, fishers, boat owners and vendors. Fishers could also play the roles of vendor and boat owners, so it was thought best to group questions relating to these titles into a single questionnaire form. The DFIC-02 form is a 39question document designed to capture data from the support service persons or establishments. For each questionnaire form, sections were marked out for each respondent type targeted. 2.1.2 The Enumerators Manual The manual was prepared to train selected enumerators. It covered topics such as: an overview and description of the local fishing industry an explanation of the task the enumerator was required and expected to perform tips on how to conduct interviews and how to approach and talk to fishers a detailed explanation of each question on both questionnaires, description and illustration of fishing gear, equipment and major fish species occurring locally 2.1.3 Selection and Training of Enumerators The survey took the form of interviews with persons from each respondent group. The island was divided into fifteen Fisheries Enumerator Districts (FEDs)1 shared by ten enumerators. The enumerators were chosen based on their knowledge of the industry, their ability to relate to the fishers and their location of residence within each FED. Enumerators were trained prior to the survey at a one-day session held at the Fisheries Division.
A map of the FEDs is available in Appendix 1

2.1.4 The Target Population The census was designed to target persons who work within or support the fisheries industry, with the exception of consumers, relatives and other such persons. The respondent groups targeted were: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Fishers (retired and active) Boat owners Vendors Boat builders/repairers Gear builders/repairers Outboard engine mechanics Equipment suppliers
2.1.5 Pre-Existing Data Sources A list of all persons who identified themselves as fishers during the last national census of Dominica (2001) was obtained with the assistance of the CSO. The FD used this list to supplement its existing Licensing and Registration (LRS) records which is a database of all registered local fishers and their vessels. These two sources helped produce the initial list of persons to be interviewed. A literature review was done within the pre-census phase to get a sense for how other such surveys were handled in other Caribbean countries. The Marine Fisheries Census of Jamaica (1998) was an especially great help in this regard. Such literature was used to help develop the questionnaires, manuals and reports. The literature also gave insight into the actual implementation of the survey. 2.1.6 The Pilot Survey A pilot survey was conducted prior to the enumerator training to test the questionnaires prepared for the survey. The pilot was conducted by Fisheries Division staff within the communities of Newtown, Roseau and Fond Cole. About eight persons were interviewed. The pilot provided good insight into the duration of a typical interview and the effectiveness of the questionnaires in capturing the required data. After the pilot various changes were made to the questionnaire.
2.2 Census Study

Census activities are those activities that took place while the main survey was being conducted. These activities included: The implementation of the main census, Supervision of the enumerators, Supply questionnaires to enumerators and Development of the database 2.2.1 The Main Survey The main survey officially began a week after the enumerator training and after all enumerators had received sufficient copies of the questionnaires to begin their interviews. The survey lasted approximately two months, with all FEDs targeted simultaneously. The coordinator provided overall supervision with additional support by other Fisheries Division staff. The survey was conducted using a semi-formal interview method, where enumerators asked the questions to the respondent, but in a very relaxed or conversation-like setting, allowing for respondents to provide their own choices or answers for many of those questions. Interviews were done at the landing/operating site or residence of respondents on most occasions. Some details were not verified by

sight during the interview, but the enumerators were persons already familiar with many of the persons they interviewed so visual verification at that time was not necessary. Information collected was written on to the forms during the interview. Completed forms were collected by FD staff and returned to the office. During the survey a snowball method was used to gather new names for interview, as there was no prior list of the number of persons operating in the industry apart from the datasets mentioned previously. This involved asking the interviewee if he/she knew of any other person who could be interviewed within the survey. This was asked as the last question on the forms. This tool allowed for reaching a greater number of respondents.
2.3 Post-Census Activities

Post-census refers to activities that took place following the main survey, although some of these activities took place while the main survey was under way. These included: Data editing, coding and preparation Data entry Data analysis Report preparation Public Sensitization 2.3.1 Data Management A suitable database (using Microsoft Office Access) was developed for storage and compilation of the data gathered. Data entry, editing, coding, cleaning, analysis and report preparation were done at the Fisheries Division. Data analysis was done utilizing the available Microsoft Office Access and Excel software packages.
3 Resu lts
3.1 Introduction
The survey reached a significant portion of the fisher folk community, interviewing a grand total of 878 persons from 52 communities around the island2. These respondents reported on their 444 fishing boats and over 7807 units of fishing gear operating within the industry.
3.2 Respondent Roles

Figure 2 shows the number of respondents by FLO Zone and industry role. Respondents performed multiple roles within the industry and this was captured. The largest group is fishers, who comprised of 749 persons or about 85% of respondents. Some fishers performed additional roles as boat owners and vendors. Only 15% of respondents were non-fishers. Appendix 2 shows the composition of each industry role and the number of persons who had multiple roles.
Figure 01: Map of Dominica showing the Fisheries Liaison Officer (FLO) Zones and the locations of landing sites
Communities are grouped by FLO zones as shown in Figure 1

Figure 02: Respondents by FLO Zone and industry role Industry Role Boat Builder/Repairer Boat Owner Equipment Supplier Fisher Gear Builder/Repairer Outboard Engine Mechanic Retired Fisher Vendor FLO Zone 3 4 7 12 62 63 3 3 119 120 2 6 1 8 49 2 36 59 Grand Total 102 404 10 749 96 25 67 272 % of Respondents 11.62% 46.01% 1.14% 85.31% 10.93% 2.85% 7.63% 30.98%
1 17 134 2 236 29 4 4 89
2 2 26 1 47 1 8 18
5 64 119 1 227 59 11 4 70
3.3 Characteristics of Respondents

3.3.1 Sex, Marital Status and Age Of the 878 persons who responded to the survey, 96% were male with just 4% being female. About 62% declared they were single with 30% married and the other 8% divorced, widowed or separated. With regards to the age of persons, about 33% were of 40 years or younger and about 25% were 60 or above at the time of interview. These datasets are represented by Figure 3. It was observed that the average fisher is about 53 years of age.
Figure 03: Respondents by age, sex and marital status Marital Status Divorced Age Range Sex Female 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% 0.7% 0.2% 0.4% 1.4% 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.2% 0.4% 0.8% 0.4% 0.2% 2.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.6% Grand Total 0.4% 0.7% 1.3% 2.3% 0.4% 3.3% 6.6% 6.6% 13.0% 29.8% 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 1.9% 2.7% 2.5% 9.8% 17.7% 16.5% 9.8% 6.2% 62.6% 0.1% 2.5% 2.6% 100.0%
41 50 51 60 More than 60 Divorced Total 20 30 31 40 Married 41 50 51 60 More than 60 Married Total 31 40 41 50 Separated 51 60 More than 60 Separated Total Less than 20 20 30 31 - 40 Single 41 - 50 51 - 60 More than 60 Single Total 51 - 60 Widow(er) More than 60 Widow(er) Total Grand Total
Male 0.4% 0.6% 1.3% 2.2% 0.2% 3.3% 5.9% 6.3% 12.7% 28.4% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1.9% 2.6% 2.5% 9.6% 17.4% 15.7% 9.5% 6.0% 60.6% 0.1% 2.5% 2.6% 96.4%
3.3.2 Household and Dependents On average there were 3 (3.39) persons living at the household of the respondents. The maximum number of persons to any one household is 15. A total of 2766 persons reside at the households of the respondents. See Figure 4 for more information.

Figure 04: Household size: (a) Distribution of household size by respondents, (b) Household size by zones (4a) Distribution: Household size by respondents
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Number of Respondents
209 200 150 100 58 50 3 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 36 16 8 8 1 1 1 1 143 107 121 107
Household Size (number of persons living in the home of the respondent) (4b) Household Size by zones Household size Respondents (%) Avg. Min Max 28.76% 3.48 1 10 6.85% 3.38 1 10 20.07% 3.34 1 15 16.28% 3.44 1 13 28.03% 3.29 1 10 100.00% 3.39 1 15
FLO Zone Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Grand Total
Sum 818 189 548 457 754 2766
2074 persons are dependent on the respondents. These are persons who rely on the respondent as a provider and may or may not reside in the same household. On average, there are about 2 dependents per respondent, with the maximum number of dependents for any one respondent being 18 persons. See Figure 5.
Figure 05: Dependents of respondents: (a) Distribution by respondents, (b) Dependents by zones (5a) Distribution: Dependents by respondents 200 Number of Respondents 150 100 50 0 0 1 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 15 16 18 Number of Dependents (number of persons depending on the respondent) 3 4 134 175 142 103 102 70 35 20

(5b) Dependents by zones Dependents Respondents (%) Avg. Min Max 32.28% 2.93 1 10 6.46% 3.37 1 9 18.62% 2.82 1 15 13.66% 2.82 1 12 28.98% 3.58 1 18 100.00% 3.11 1 18
FLO Zones Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Grand Total
Sum 631 145 350 257 691 2074
3.3.3 Education Regarding education, 78% of respondents had at least a primary school level of education. Secondary or high school education was attained by 15% and 4% reached tertiary level education at the college or university level. Only 3% reported having no education whatsoever. See Figure 6.
Figure 06: Respondents by education level Respondents by Education Level
College 3% University 1% None 3% Secondary/High 15%
Primary 78%
3.4 Fishers/Boat Owners

3.4.1 Role of Fishers on the Boat Figure 7 shows the distribution of fishers by FLO zone and role on the boat. Over 60% of fishers performed the role of captain on their boats. This probably means that there are numerous one-man boats operating in the industry3. Only 3.5% of persons are investors who do not fish as well.
Figure 07: Fishers by role Fisher Role Captain Crew Owner (Investor Only) Grand Total FLO Zone 3 8.3% 5.9% 0.8% 15.0% Grand Total 62.9% 33.6% 3.5% 100.0%
1 18.9% 12.8% 1.8% 33.5%
2 4.6% 2.2% 0.5% 7.3%
4 12.2% 5.0% 0.0% 17.3%
5 18.8% 7.8% 0.4% 26.9%
3.4.2 Income from Fishing Regarding income from fishing, only 2% of fishers said that they have no alternative source of income. Figure 8 shows that about 39% gained all or most of their income from fishing-related activities, 26%
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Figure 32 shows that although 49% of the fishing fleet comprises of 2-man-crew vessels, 23% are manned by a single person.

said that they get about half of their income from fishing and 34% said they got less than half of their income from fishing.
Figure 08: Income from fishing Income From Fishing
None 0.28%
All or most 39.50%
Less than half 34.35%
About half 25.87%
3.4.3 Fisher Registration About 72% (or 539) of fishers interviewed declared they were registered and 28% said they were not registered. See Figure 9. Refer to Figure 2 for the total number of respondents who were fishers.
Figure 09: Fisher registration status Are you a registered fisher? No 28% Yes 72%
3.4.4 Fishing Activity and Fishing Distance For those persons who do go out to sea, it was observed that they fish on average for 4.19 days a week. The bar chart at Figure 10 shows how often persons fish per week.
Figure 10: Fisher Activity: Number of Days fished weekly Number of days fished weekly 25% Responses (%) 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Number of days per week persons go to fish 5.6% 13.5% 18.2% 17.6% 19.4% 15.7% 10.0%
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The bar chart at Figure 11 shows the distribution of fishing activity as reported by respondents for an annual cycle. The first half of the year seems to be the most favored period for fishing, however at least 60% of all fishers are active for 9 out of 12 months of the year.
Figure 11: Fisher Activity: Monthly fishing activity Monthly Fishing Activity January February March April May June July August September October November December 0% 20% 40% 65.6% 68.1% 68.3% 72.3% 73.4% 67.5% 61.6% 64.5% 60.0% 54.1% 56.1% 56.5% 60% 80% 100%
Number of Fishers (%)
The average distance fished from shore is 19.23 miles although a large group of fishers (35%) operate within 9 miles. The maximum was 75 miles. There were claims from persons that they could go over 100 miles out to sea. Figure 12 shows this distribution.
Figure 12: Fisher Activity: Distance fished from shore Distance Fished from Shore 40% Responses (%) 30% 20% 10% 0% <10 10-19 20-29 30-40 >40 Distance (miles) 17.57% 14.76% 8.08% 34.27% 25.31%
3.4.5 Fishing Gear About 70% of all gear utilized by fishers are hook and line type gear, while 23% are pots and 7% nets. See Figure 13 for more details concerning gear and how it is distributed among the fishing population.
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Figure 13: Gear by Fishers and Quantity Gear Types Bottom Long Line Fishing Rod Hand/Troll Line Surface Long Line Vertical Long Line Line Total Beach Seine Cast Net Dip Net Flying fish Net Gill Net Net Total Arrow-head Bamboo Pots Box Type Z-Type Pot Total Grand Total % of Fishers 13.0% 0.1% 32.1% 6.3% 8.8% 60.3% 4.8% 5.0% 2.2% 8.0% 6.2% 26.3% 1.9% 0.7% 5.1% 5.7% 13.4% 100.0% Units of Gear 1650 2 2881 446 460 5439 88 97 43 162 153 543 272 49 798 706 1825 7807 % of Total Quantity 21.1% 0.0% 36.9% 5.7% 5.9% 69.7% 1.1% 1.2% 0.6% 2.1% 2.0% 7.0% 3.5% 0.6% 10.2% 9.0% 23.4% 100.0%
Line
Net
Pot
3.4.6 Fish Aggregating Devices Regarding Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), 2.79 FADs are lost annually (see Figure 14). Almost 64% of respondents said that they used FADs at some time, most of which said they used FADs at least once a week (26%). Just over 36% reported to never using FADs as part of their fishing activities. See Figure 15.
Figure 14: FADs Lost Annually by Fishers FADs Lost Annually 10 Number of FADs Lost per Fisher 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0% 10% 20% Responses (%) 24.5% 30% 40% 0.6% 0.6% 1.9% 1.3% 3.2% 7.1% 11.0% 20.0% 29.7%
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Figure 15: FAD use frequency among fishers FAD Use Frequency I do not use FADs Sometimes Once a month Twice a month Once a week Three times a week Every time I go to sea 0% 10% 20% Responses (%) 1.2% 0.4% 0.2% 13.4% 22.4% 26.1% 30% 40% 36.3%
With regard to conflicts on FADs, 25% of respondents said they never witnessed a conflict. Of those fishers who did witness conflicts on FADs, 51% reported to witnessing local piracy, 20% witnessed foreign vessels fishing off FADs in local waters, 16% witnessed some form of vandalism to FADs and 13% witnessed the entanglement of fishing gear. The chart at Figure 16 shows this.
Figure 16: Conflicts on FADs Conflicts on FADs Entanglement of fishing gear/equipment 13% Vandalism of FADs 16% Foreign fishing boats on local FADs 20%
Local piracy 51%
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3.4.7 Safety Equipment and Supplies The chart shown at Figure 17 shows how many fishers take certain safety equipment and supplies to sea on their fishing trips.
Figure 17: Safety Equipment and Supplies carried to Sea by Fishers Safety Equipment and Supplies Carried to Sea Sail Cell Phone VHF radio (marine) Radar reflector Mirror First-Aid supplies Flares GPS Dry clothes Magnetic compass PFD Flashlight Fisher rain coat Engine repair tools and spares Bailer Food rations Water 0% 0.2% 3.0% 8.3% 9.0% 20.5% 22.6% 26.1% 32.3% 32.8% 38.7% 45.8% 45.9% 77.6% 77.9% 81.8% 88.0% 98.9% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Responses (%)
3.4.8 Reason for Fishing The primary reason persons gave when asked why they became fishers was that they always wanted to become a fisher. The second most popular reason was because there was a history of fishers in the family of the respondent. See Figure 18 for all the reasons given.
Figure 18: Reasons for Persons Becoming Fishers Reasons for Persons Becoming Fishers To always have fresh fish To take care of my family Its a good business To make money Not qualified for another job There was no other job available at the time There is a history of fishers in family Always wanted to be a fisher 0% 20% 40% 60% 0.3% 1.2% 1.8% 2.1% 5.0% 11.1% 49.9% 66.9% 80% 100%
Responses (%)
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3.4.9 Training Safety-at-Sea was the top training already done by fishers as well as the most requested training course. Figure 19 and 20 show which training programs fishers have already done and which they would like to do.
Figure 19: Training Already Done by Fishers Training Already Done by Fishers Sustainable Use of Marine Resources Small Business Management Fish Processing Outboard Engine Repair Record Keeping Use of FADs Navigation Fishing Gear and Methods Fish Handling and Quality First Aid Knot-Making Safety-at-Sea 0% 20% 40% 14.7% 20.4% 24.5% 26.4% 27.9% 37.7% 43.4% 43.4% 43.8% 48.3% 48.7% 58.9% 60% 80% 100%
Responses (%)
Figure 20: Training Fishers Would Like to Do Training Fishers Would Like to Do Record Keeping Fish Processing Fish Handling and Quality Use of FADs Knot-Making First Aid Fishing Gear and Methods Sustainable Use of Marine Resources Small Business Management Outboard Engine Repair Navigation Safety-at-Sea 0% 20% 40% 60% 44.9% 48.9% 49.5% 50.1% 50.3% 53.9% 55.3% 55.5% 56.3% 60.7% 66.9% 67.3% 80% 100%
Responses (%)
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3.4.10 Factors Impacting Fishing Operations The top five factors negatively impacting the operations of fishers are: Fuel availability and cost (76.6%) Populations of fish (51%) Migratory patterns of fish (46.2%) Equipment access/availability (45.5%) Facilities at landing site (44.3%) Only 10% of fishers said that non-fisheries-related occupations had a negative impact on their operations. See Figure 21.
Figure 21: Factors Impacting Fishing Operations Negatively Negative Impacts Non-fisheries occupations Crew Weather Engine Finance/credit access Boat(s) Facilities at landing site Equipment access/availability Migratory patterns of fish Populations of fish Fuel availability and cost 0% 10.0% 15.3% 20.5% 24.8% 30.7% 30.7% 44.3% 45.5% 46.2% 51.0%
76.6% 80% 100%
20%
40%
60%
Responses (%)
Figure 22 shows which factors have a positive impact on the operations of fishers.
Figure 22: Factors Impacting Fishing Operations Positively
Positive Impacts
Fuel availability and cost Finance/credit access Weather Migratory patterns of fish Non-fisheries occupations Facilities at landing site Equipment access/availability Populations of fish Crew Boat(s) Engine 0% 2.6% 16.0% 16.0% 19.3% 20.0% 23.6% 24.1% 25.9% 27.2% 27.8% 30.2% 10% 20% Responses (%) 30% 40%
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3.4.11 Fish Spoilage Less than 1% of fishers admitted to not using any method whatsoever to prevent the spoilage of fish while they are at sea. Figure 23 shows the methods used to prevent spoilage at sea.
Figure 23: Preventing spoilage of fish at sea
Methods Used to Prevent Fish Spoilage at Sea

Tarpaulin Coconut Leaves Wet Fisherman Rain Coat Under seat of boat Tied to a string or bag Cover with board Bucket with water Wet Sponge Crocus bag Gutted Banana leaf Use ice and cooler or ice box 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1.5% 1.5% 2.2% 2.9% 3.8% 18.7% 30.4% 70.4% 80%
Responses (%)
3.4.12 Record Keeping Only about 28.5% of fishers keep records of their business. Of that number, 71% said that they keep expenses of their operations, 49% keep records of the amount of fish they land and their fishing operations and 72% keep records of fish sales or income. See Figure 24. Figure 25 shows that 73% of all fishers gave no reason for not keeping records. About 6% said that keeping records was not important to them and 21% do not keep records because they do not know how to.
Figure 24: Records Kept by Fishers
Records Kept by Fishers

Fishing operations and landings Expenses of operations Income or sales of fish 49% 71% 72% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
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Figure 25: Fishers Reasons for Not Keeping Records Fishers Reasons for Not Keeping Records Don't think it's Don't know important 6% how to 21% No reason 73%
3.4.13 Loans Regarding the difficulty of accessing loans, there was an almost equal distribution of responses for whether access was manageable, difficult or easy (see Figure 26). About 59% of fishers have never taken a loan before. Of those who took a loan the main reason for which they took the loan was to acquire an engine, with the second top reason being to acquire a boat and the third, fishing gear. See Figure 27.
Figure 26: Loans: Difficulty of Access to Loans Difficulty of Accessing Loans
Manageable 34%
Difficult 34%
Easy 32%
Figure 27: Loans: Acquired Equipment Equipment Acquired Via Loan Boat repair Safety or navigation equipment Fishing gear Boat Engine 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0.4% 2.1% 29.1% 61.2% 86.1% 100%
Responses (%)
About 51% of respondents reported that they sourced loans from credit union type lenders. Another 32% of loans were from the development bank; almost 14% came through small business enterprise lenders and 11% from commercial banks. See Figure28.
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Figure 28: Loans: Lender Lenders to the Fisheries Industry Other Commercial Bank Small Business Enterprise Lender Development Bank Credit Union 0% 20% 40% 0.5% 10.9% 13.6% 32.6% 51.1% 60%
Responses (%)
3.5 Boat Owners and Fleet

3.5.1 Boat Type and Age of the Fleet Boat ownership ratio is averaged at one (1.19) boats to every boat owner. The maximum number of boats owned by any one owner is 5. A table showing the distribution of fishing boats by type and length range is given in Figure 29. The most common fishing vessel observed was the keel boat.
Figure 29: Boat Owners: Fishing Vessels by Type and Length Range Length Range (feet) Boat Types Canoe FRP Keel Metal Other Grand Total No length data 5 2 16 3 26 <=10 11-20 71 10 174 1 256 21-30 19 34 91 1 2 147 31-40 Grand Total 95 50 292 2 5 444 Grand Total (%) 21.4% 11.3% 65.8% 0.5% 1.1% 100.0%
4 3
Regarding age of the fleet about 53% of the fleet was reported to be at or less than five years. 28% of the fleet is between six and ten years. The remaining 18% is over ten years. The bar chart shown at Figure 30 shows the distribution.
Figure 30: Boat Owners: Age of the Boats in the Fishing Fleet Age of the Boats in the Fishing Fleet 60% Boats (%) 40% 20% 0% 1-5 6-10 11-15 16-20 21-26 53.5% 28.2% 9.6% 5.5% 3.2%
Age of Boat (years)
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3.5.2 Propulsion The most popular method of propulsion identified was the outboard engine (86%) and secondly was the oar (84%). The oar is carried primarily as a backup method of propulsion for most vessels. Inboards were less common as a means of propulsion, with just over 2% using the method. Sails were utilized by almost 5% of local vessels, again as backup. See Figure 31.
Figure 31: Boat Owners: Propulsion Methods Available Within the Fishing Fleet Propulsion Methods Available Within the Fishing Fleet Inboard Sails Oars Outboard 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2.5% 4.6% 84.0% 86.3% 100%
Boats (%)
3.5.3 Crew There is an average of 2.3 crew persons per fishing boat. Figure 32 shows this finding and also provides details on the overall distribution of crew by boats.
Figure 32: Boat Owners: Boat Crew Crew by Fishing Boat 4 and above 10% 3 man crew 18% 1 man crew 23%
2 man crew 49%
3.5.4 Engines by Horse Power and Make The majority of engines are within the 10 to 49 HP range. Figure 33 has the details.
Figure 33: Boat Owners: Engines by Horse Power
Engines by Horse Power Utilized in the Fishing Fleet

80% 60% 40% 20% 0% <10 10-49 50-89 90-129 130-169 170-209 >210 2.7% 20.2% 3.5% 3.7% 3.2% 1.5% 65.1%
Engines by HP range
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Yamaha is the most popular make of engine found locally. See Figure 34.
Figure 34: Boat Owners: Engines by Manufacturer
Engine Make Utilized by the Fishing Fleet

Mercruiser Cumins Westerbake Chrysler Suzukie Volvo Mariner Mercury Johnson Evinrude Yamaha 0% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.5% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7% 4.9% 6.1% 85.5% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Engines (%)
3.5.5 Cost of Operations As the main investor in the fishing business the boat owner usually has the responsibility of managing the cost of operations. The cost of operations is shown below by trip (Figure 35) and by month (Figure 36)4.
Figure 35: Boat Owners: Cost of Operations (Per Trip) Item Bait Crew Food and water Fuel Gear Ice Oil Average $28.19 $82.99 $24.93 $254.40 $132.68 $27.53 $39.47 Min $2.00 $5.00 $5.00 $4.40 $10.00 $1.00 $1.80 Max $200.00 $300.00 $150.00 $800.00 $600.00 $250.00 $300.00
Figure 36: Boat Owners: Cost of Operations (Per Month) Item Boat loan repayment Engine loan repayment Maintenance Repayment of Fishing Gear Transportation Average $440.57 $392.94 $412.06 $225.00 $122.69 Min $100.00 $150.00 $20.00 $200.00 $5.00 Max $2,000.00 $1,250.00 $5,300.00 $250.00 $500.00
3.5.6 Catch Distribution and Returns Overall, it was determined that 88% of all fish caught was sold or otherwise used for some type of gain by the fisher/boat owner. About 12% of fish was given away free or without any sort of returns back to the fisher/boat owner. Normally this is to family or friends within the community or to persons who
4
These values can vary greatly as each fishers operation is unique, requiring different gear, boats (sometimes multiple boats) and crew. Also, it may be possible that fishers declared prices based on a single prominent trip and not their average cost per trip, as expected. This can account for some of the high values.
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assist with pulling vessels ashore after a fishing trip. Figure 37 shows how catch used for gain is distributed.
Figure 37: Boat Owners: Catch Distribution and Returns Distribution of Catch Returns Owner share Boat share 17% 23% Engine share 22%
Captian/Crew share 38%
3.5.7 Repairs Generally gear will require repair annually. See Figure 38.
Figure 38: Boat Owners: Frequency of Repairs. The percentage of fishers who repair their boat, engine or gear and how often they do so. Frequency At least once per year 17.46% 8.66% 6.77% 32.88% Grand Total 39.92% 35.05% 25.03% 100.00%
Item Boat Engine Gear Grand Total
Two or more times a year 20.03% 24.49% 16.91% 61.43%
Zero times for the year 2.44% 1.89% 1.35% 5.68%
3.5.8 Suppliers The majority of fishers get supplies from Roseau or Portsmouth. See Figure 39.
Figure 39: Boat Owners: Suppliers off Fishing Gear and Equipment Where Fishers Buy Fishing Gear and Equipment Supplier in another community Supplier in respondent's community From overseas Supplier in Roseau or Portsmouth 0% 20% 40% 60% 2.8% 11.6% 46.4% 73.6% 80%
Responses (%)
3.5.9 Duty-Free Concessions Over half of respondents received duty-free concessions from the Government of Dominica. Concessions are given to fishers based on registration status and the nature of the item being imported for use in the industry. See Figure 405.
This data is not reflective of only investors, but all fishers operating within the industry.
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Figure 40: Boat Owners: Duty-Free Concessions
Fishers Who Recieved Duty-Free Concessions Yes 44%
No 56%
3.6 Characteristics of Vendors

3.6.1 Types of Vendors Over 90% of respondents are fishers who also vend fish. Not many co-operatives or groups buy and sell fish as part of their operations. This is evident as only 1% of vendors sell fish on behalf of a fisheries group or co-operative. See Figure 41. Refer to Figure 2 for the total number of vendors.
Figure 41: Fish Vendors: Type of Vendors Types of Vendors A non-fisher who vends fish 7% A fisher who also vends fish 92% A non-fisher who vends for a fisheries group 1%
3.6.2 Fish Sold by Vendors Most fish is sourced from FLO Zone 1. See Figure 42. Refer to Figure 1 for a map of FLO Zones and landing sites.
Figure 42: Fish Vendors: Source of Fish Source of Fish for Vendors Zone 5 18% Zone 4 14% Zone 3 15% Zone 1 50% Zone 2 3%
Fish prices usually remain the same for 65% of vendors when they travel to other communities. See Figure 43.
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Figure 43: Fish Vendors: How Fish Prices Change as Vendors Travel to Other Communities Changes in the Price of Fish by Vendors The price usually rises 11% The price usually lowers 24%
The price remains the same 65%
3.6.3 Fish Transportation and Spoilage Most vendors (81%) said that they do not throw away fish due to spoilage. See Figure 44. In the cases where fish is lost due to spoilage, 84% of vendors reported that this occurred only once a week (Figure 45).
Figure 44: Fish Vendors: Does fish spoilage occur? Do Vendors Throw Away Fish Due to Spoilage? Yes 19%
No 81%
Figure 45: Fish Vendors: Frequency of fish spoilage Frequency of Fish Spoilage for Vendors Every time 3% 1 - 3 times a week 13%
Only once a week 84%
For every incidence of spoilage an average of 26.45 lbs of fish is lost. See Figure 46.
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Figure 46: Fish Vendors: Amount of fish lost due to spoilage The Amount of Fish Lost by Vendors Due to Spoilage per Incident 50% Vendors (%) 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% <20 20-39 40-59 60-79 80-100 >100 12.1% 6.1% 3.0% 3.0% 45.5% 30.3%
Average Amount of Fish Lost (lbs)
Most vendors hire a vehicle to transport their fish. See Figure 47.
Figure 47: Fish Vendors: Transportation of Fish How Fish is Transported by Vendors Wheel Barrow 4.6% Uses own vehicle 21.5% Bus 5.5% Co-operative Vehicle 0.5%
Hire a vehicle 68.0%
Most vendors store their fish in an ice box or cooler with ice during transport. See Figure 48.
Figure 48: Fish Vendors: Storage during transport of fish How Fish is Stored by Vendors During Transport Wet Cardboard Basket In a bucket, crate or pail In an ice box or cooler without ice On the floor of the vehicle In a bucket, crate or pail with ice Covered with banana leaf, crocus bag or tarpaulin In an ice box or cooler with ice 0% 0.4% 0.8% 4.1% 5.3% 9.3% 14.2% 16.3% 67.1% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
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3.6.4 Customers Almost all vendors sell their fish to locals in communities around the island as shown in Figure 49.
Figure 49: Fish Vendors: Customers of Vendors Customers of Vendors Fisheries Co-operative Group Supermarkets Fishers (as bait) Foreignors Hotels/restaurants Other vendors Community locals 0% 0.3% 15.5% 27.6% 34.8% 41.3% 45.7%
99.4%
20% 40% 60% 80% 100% Vendor Responses (%)
3.6.5 Record Keeping Over 80% of vendors keep no records of their sales. See Figure 50.
Figure 50: Fish Vendors: Records of Sales How Many Vendors Keep Records of their Sales? Yes 19%
No 81%
3.6.6 Time Spent vending Over 90% of vendors usually sell their fish within a few hours. Generally fish is sold within a week. See Figure 51. In reference to daily vending, 44% of vendors said that their fish is sold within 2 to 4 hours (Figure 52).
Figure 51: Fish Vendors: How Much Time is Spent Selling Fish? How Quickly is Fish Sold? Sold within 3 days 2% Sold by the next day 6%
Sells within a week 1% Takes over a week to sell 0%
Sold in a few hours 91%
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Figure 52: Fish Vendors: Hours Spent Selling Fish Daily Hours Spent Vending Daily Less than 2 hours 24%
More than 6 hours 10%
4 - 6 hours 22%
2 - 4 hours 44%
3.7 Characteristics of Boat Builders/Repairers

3.7.1 Site of Operations Most boat builders/repairers come from FLO Zone 5. See Figure 53. Refer to Figure 1 for a map of FLO Zones and landings sites.
Figure 53: Boat Builders: Site of Operations Boat Builders by FLO Zone Zone 1 21%
Zone 2 2%
Zone 5 57%
Zone 3 7% Zone 4 13%
3.7.2 Time in the Industry Most boat builders have at least 10 to 20 years working in the industry. See Figure 54.
Figure 54: Boat Builders: Time Working as a Boat Builder Time Working as a Boat Builder
Responses (%)
40% 30% 20% 10% 0% <10 27.1%
32.9% 23.5% 11.8% 2.4% 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-50 2.4% >50
Time as a Boat Builder (Years)
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3.7.3 Customers Customers for boat builders/repairers come from the builders own community in about a third of the cases. See Figure 55. With regard to customers, 77% of respondents said that they had less than five customers last year (Figure 56).
Figure 55: Boat Builders: Origin of Customers Boat Builders: Origin of Customers Outside of Dominica 2% Respondent's community 35% All over Dominica 29%
For self 34%
Figure 56: Boat Builders: Customers Last Year Boat Builders: Number of Customers Last Year 10 - 20 7% 5 - 10 11% More than 20 5%
Less than 5 77%
3.7.4 Income About 73% of respondents said that they gain less than half of their income from their boat building/repairing activities (Figure 57). Only 4% said that they received all or most of their income from the activity.
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Figure 57: Boat Builders: Income from the Activity Boat Builders: Income from this Activity All or most 4% None 8%
About half 15%
Less than half 73%
3.7.5 Boats Built About 78% of respondents stated that they are capable of building keel-type boats. Figure 58 shows the types of boats respondents can build.
Figure 58: Boat Builders: Types of Boats Built Types of Boats Built by Builders Canoe 17% FRP 5%
Keel 78%
3.7.6 Jobs The cheapest boat type to build was the canoe with an average cost of about $4000.00 for constructing a new boat under 20ft to $6000.00 for a new boat above 20ft. Figure 59 shows the cost for various jobs by boat types for sizes of under 20ft and above 20ft.
Figure 59: Boat Builders: Average Cost of Jobs Boat Types and Jobs Boat Repair Canoe Building a new boat FRP Building a new boat Boat Repair Building a new boat Keel Fibre Glass Paint Under 20 ft $150.00 $4,055.56 $20,000.00 $150.00 $6,446.15 $333.33 Above 20 ft $150.00 $6,300.00 $30,000.00 $150.00 $9,555.56 $600.00 $366.67
Figure 60 shows the source of materials for boat builders/repairers.
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Figure 60: Boat Builders: Source of Materials for Jobs Source of Materials for Jobs Overseas Local Forest 11% 15% Locally 13%
Local Hardware 61%
Most jobs are complete within 20 days as shown by Figure 61.

Figure 61: Boat Builders: How Long it takes Boat Builders/Repairers to Complete Certain Jobs Job Add a feature to a boat Build a new boat Fibre Glass Paint Repair Number of Days for the Job <20 88.00% 30.77% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 20-29 8.00% 5.13% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 30-39 0.00% 25.64% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 40-50 0.00% 12.82% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% >50 4.00% 25.64% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Grand Total 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Boat builders generally had little trouble getting paid for work done. About 78% said that they had no problems getting paid. See Figure 62.
Figure 62: Boat Builders: Getting Pay for Work Done Boat Builders: Trouble Getting Pay for Work Done? Yes 22%
No 78%
3.8 Characteristics of Gear Builders/Repairers

3.8.1 Site of Operations As with the boat builders, the majority of gear builders (76%) reported that they operated within FLO Zone 5 (Figure 63). Refer to Figure 1 for a map of the FLO Zones.
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Figure 63: Gear Builders: Site of Operations Gear Builders by FLO Zone Zone 1 9% Zone 4 14% Zone 3 1%
Zone 5 76%
3.8.2 Time in the Industry Generally, gear builders/repairers seem to have worked 10 to 30 years within the industry (Figure 64).
Figure 64: Gear Builders: Time Working as a Gear Builder Time Working as a Gear Builder 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 25.0% 24.0% 27.1%
Responses (%)
11.5% 11.5% 1.0% <10 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-50 Time (Years) >50
3.8.3 Customers Gear builders tend to work mainly for themselves as seen from Figure 65. About 35% have customers from within their own community.
Figure 65: Gear Builders: Origin of Customers Gear Builders: Origin of Customers All over Dominica 17%
Respondent's community 35%
Outside of Dominica 1%
For self 47%
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3.8.4 Income Almost all respondents (84%) said that they gained less than half of their income from gear building/repair activities. Figure 66 shows the data.
Figure 66: Gear Builders: Income from the Activity Gear Builders: Income from the Activity All or most 4%
About half 5%
None 7%
Less than half 84%
3.8.5 Gear Built The fish pot was the most common gear type built/repaired as shown by Figure 67. Second were the gill net and then the beach seine.
Figure 67: Gear Builders: Types of Gear Built/Repaired Types of Gear Built/Repaired Surface long line 7% Gill net 28% Beach seine 17% Bottom long line 8%
Fish pot 40%
3.8.6 Jobs Typically, gear building/repairing jobs are complete within 20 days. See Figure 68 for more details.
Figure 68: Gear Builders: How Long it takes Gear Builders/Repairers to Complete Certain Jobs Job Build a beach seine Build a fillet net Build a fish pot Build a long-line Number of Days for the Job 10-19 20-29 30-39 40-50 8.33% 0.00% 8.33% 0.00% 8.57% 5.71% 8.57% 0.00% 6.56% 0.00% 3.28% 1.64% 0.00% 0.00% 7.69% 0.00% Grand Total 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
<10 29.17% 40.00% 88.52% 84.62%
>50 54.17% 37.14% 0.00% 7.69%
About 94% of respondents said that they had no problems getting paid for work done. See Figure 69.
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Figure 69: Gear Builders: Getting Pay for Works Done Gear Builders: Trouble Getting Paid for Works Done? Yes 6%
No 94%
3.9 Characteristics of Outboard Engine Mechanics

3.9.1 Site of Operations Figure 70 shows that most engine mechanics operate within FLO Zone 5.
Figure 70: Engine Mechanics: Site of Operations Mechanics by FLO Zone Zone 1 Zone 2 5% 2%
Zone 5 59%
Zone 4 34%
3.9.2 Time in the Industry Not many, only 9.2% of mechanics, have less than 10 years working in the industry. See Figure 71.
Figure 71: Engine Mechanics: Years Working as an Engine Mechanic Time Working as a Mechanic 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 29.3% 21.5% 9.2% 10.9% 29.1%
Responses (%)
<10
10-19
20-29 Time (Years)
30-40
>40
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3.9.3 Customers Most customers tend to come from the respondents own community as shown in Figure 72.
Figure 72: Engine Mechanics: Origin of Customers Mechanics: Origin of Customers
All over Dominica 26%
Respondent's community 44% Outside of Dominica 4%
For self 26%
3.9.4 Income About 19% of respondents said they make no income from engine mechanic activities, with 14% saying that they make all or most of their income from these activities.
Figure 73: Engine Mechanics: Income from the Activity Mechanics: Income from the Activity
All or most 14% About half 10% None 19%
Less than half 57%
3.9.5 Engines Worked On Yamaha and Johnson engines are the most popular make of engine worked on by mechanics. Most engines are under 40HP.
Figure 74: Engine Mechanics: Engines Worked On Engine Make Evinrude Johnson Mariner Mercury Yamaha Grand Total Engine Horse Power (HP) Range Under 40 Above 85 40 - 85 HP HP HP 2.44% 1.22% 0.00% 14.63% 10.98% 3.66% 9.76% 4.88% 1.22% 6.10% 1.22% 0.00% 20.73% 15.85% 7.32% 53.66% 34.15% 12.20% Grand Total 3.66% 29.27% 15.85% 7.32% 43.90% 100.00%
3.9.6 Jobs Figure 75 shows the average cost of various engine mechanic jobs. About 70% of respondents tend to complete jobs within a week (Figure 76). With regard to getting pay for jobs, 75% of mechanics reported that they have no problems with their customers (Figure 77).
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Figure 75: Engine Mechanics: Average Cost of Jobs Jobs Carburetor cleanup General servicing Lower unit disassembly and reassembly Power head disassembly and reassembly Troubleshooting (electrical) Average Cost $57.56 $212.22 $128.89 $174.29 $120.00
Figure 76: Engine Mechanics: Time Taken to Complete a Job Mechanics: Time to Complete a Job
1 month 6% 1 - 2 weeks 18% More than 1 month 6%
Within a week 70%
Figure 77: Engine Mechanics: Getting Pay for Works Done Mechanics: Trouble Getting Pay for Works Done? Yes 24%
No 76%
3.10 Characteristics of Equipment Suppliers

3.10.1 Location With regard to engine mechanics, it was observed that most operate within FLO Zone 3 as shown in Figure 78.
Figure 78: Equipment Supplier: Distribution by FLO Zone
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Equipment Suppliers by FLO Zone Zone 5 22% Zone 1 11% Zone 2 11%
Zone 4 22%
Zone 3 34%
3.10.2 Type of Establishment The most common type of equipment supplier establishment observed was the marine supply store, which accounted for 67% of responses. See Figure 79 for details.
Figure 79: Equipment Supplier: Type of Establishment Equipment Supplier: Type of Establishment
Agriculture 11% General hardware retail 22% Marine supplies store 67%
3.10.3 Price of Supplies Figure 80 shows a list of some items and the average selling price as offered by equipment suppliers around the island.
Figure 80: Equipment Supplier: Average Price of Items Supplied to Fishers Items Anchor Artificial bait Buoys/Floats Diving Glass Dock Line Engine Parts Fibre Cloth Fins First Aid Kits Flare Guns Gloves Hooks Average Price $185.00 $3.67 $111.35 $45.00 $40.00 $50.00 $15.00 $125.00 $24.25 $220.00 $17.64 $34.31 Items Lead weights Life Vests Lines Nets (per ft.) Oil/Lubricants Plugs Rain Coat Reels Rods Ropes Swivel Wire mesh Average Price $2.20 $39.99 $73.18 $4.40 $15.50 $15.00 $72.55 $10.33 $80.00 $634.29 $26.75 $2.10
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4 Dis cu ssio n and C on clusi on

4.1 Fishers
The census provided a means of stock taking within the fishing industry in Dominica at a particular point in time. The results showed that there were 749 fishers in the industry (Fig. 02) who were interviewed, 539 (72%) of which were registered with the Fisheries Division (Fig. 09). The average age of fishers is 53 years. This indicates that most fishers are quickly approaching retirement age and that some management intervention, incentive or succession planning is necessary for the long term sustenance of the industry. It is hoped that the information gathered within this study can be used for the appropriation of a revised Fisheries Development Plan which will take into account factors such as an ageing fisher population among all of the other issues discussed within this document. The results showed that 46% (404) persons are boat owners (Fig. 02) and they also serve as boat captain (Fig. 07) in most cases. Only 39% of fishers earn most of their income from fishing activities (Fig. 08). The other 61% are part-time operators. This indicates that there are many boats which operate below optimal capacity and do not contribute significantly to the national fishing effort. It has been established that the majority of fishers (78%), have only primary school level education (Fig. 06). This poses a major challenge for technological enhancement, improvement and development within the industry. Hence the reason for the low rate of transfer of new technology into practical implementation by fishers who have been exposed to these technologies through organised training sessions conducted by the Fisheries Division. Further incentives need to be introduced to attract more educated persons into the industry to embrace the technological advancement for development of the fisheries industry. About 59% of fishers indicated that they had successfully completed the safety at sea training programme (Fig. 19) offered by the Fisheries Division. However, very few fishermen carried flares (26%), marine radios (8%), GPS units (32%), or other safety devices on their boats, and only 45% of all fishers carried life jackets which were usually not worn during fishing operations (Fig. 17). It was also observed that a small but significant number of fishermen (1.1%) did not carry water to sea, and about 90 others (about 12%) went to sea without rations. Serious attention needs to be given to such matters. A fisherman going to sea without basic food or water severely reduces his chances of survival in the event of a mishap at sea. Even if his boat and other equipment were to be intact and he was experiencing navigational error he could die from dehydration and or starvation. This indicates that much more work needs to be done in the area of safety at sea and that this mode of behaviour and high degree of negligence does not auger well for the industry. Therefore, the need for passing of the fisheries regulations for making basic safety at sea practices mandatory is critical.
4.2 Fishing Activities

The results indicated that fishermen on average fish 4.188 days a week (Fig. 10) at an average distance of 20 miles from the shore (Fig. 12). About 35% of fishers operate within 9 miles of the shoreline. This gives an idea of the limited range of the vessels employed in the industry. This concludes that only about 10% of Dominicas EEZ is utilized by the existing fishing fleet and that some major fisheries development planning needs to be done for the future development of the industry. The monthly distribution of fishing activity in Fig. 11 showed that high fishing activity was maintained from January to August with activity peaking in the months of April and May. A small and relatively insignificant drop was observed in the latter parts of the year which was the low migratory pelagic
37

season. This trend could be attributed to the use of FADs which have been employed in the industry for targeting yellow fin tuna and other such species which helps to sustain fishing beyond the customary migratory pelagic season. During the active months of the year at least 60% of the available fishing effort is utilized with the other 40% of fishing boats in the industry not actively fishing. It is observed that many well maintained boats are inactive and laid up at landing sites around the island for much of the year. This is indicative of the large part-time fisher population, some of whom fish only during the peak pelagic season during their vacation from their regular employment. Others fish more regularly but rarely more than three times per week (as indicated by the Fish Catch and Effort findings). There is need for further incentives and strategies to be employed within the industry to encourage fishers to fish more often.
4.3 Demographics
The survey showed that the fishing industry in Dominica is male dominated with 96% of stakeholders being men (Fig. 03) and the other 4% females; with females being mainly involved with fish vending activities. Among the male population 60% were single. Only about 30% of fisher-folk families were married. Of all persons interviewed it was observed that the number of persons per fishermans household ranged from 1 to 15. Over half of the respondents indicated that their household size is between 1 to 3 persons (Fig. 04). The other respondents had household sizes of 4 and above with very few beyond 10 persons per household. It was also observed that 2074 persons were directly dependent on the 878 respondents as far as providing food, shelter, clothing, education and health care was concerned. Dependents ranged from 1 up to 18 persons in a family (Fig. 05). However most fishers had between 1 and 3 dependents while 43% of respondents had between 4 and 10 dependents. This indicated that a significant proportion of fishers have greater domestic responsibilities than initially perceived. There is also a direct economic dependency by boat builders/repairers, fish vendors, equipments suppliers and outboard engine mechanics who also rely on the fishers for their own livelihood. The survey also highlighted the greater benefit to be derived from the compartmentalization of the roles in the industry in order to realize greater economic, social and productive potential. It was noted that 32% of fishers sold their own fish (Appendix 2) and did not require any middle men. However such operations do not lend to the optimal productive outputs of fishers who engage in the individual vending of their catch as such time would be better spent fishing thus increasing his production and economic returns. Based on the very strong social interactions which surrounded the fishing activity it was noted that up to 12% of the catch was given away (see section 3.5.6 of this report) to friends and family without any cash returns to the fisher. This practice contributes to the high level of insecurity and dependence exhibited by many fishers as a significant component of his revenue base is lost through this hand-out practice. If addressed such fishers would be better positioned to servicing their commitments including loans, maintenance of equipment and personal and family welfare among others.
4.4 Credit Access

The results showed that of the persons who accessed loans for fishing purposes, almost 70% found that credit access was easily accessible or manageable with 34% of persons expressing that there was great difficulty in accessing credit (Fig. 26). It was also noted that the majority of loans to the industry was granted by Credit Unions followed by the Agricultural Industrial and Development (AID) Bank of
38

Dominica (Fig. 28). About 59% of respondents had never used or accessed the loan facilities available in Dominica and although the reasons for that situation was not captured in the survey, one could assume that collateral for some fishers could be a major hurdle for accessing credit. However, if fishers begin to improve on their operations, fishing more frequently, reducing waste due to spoilage and hand-outs and outsourcing the marketing of fish to others, they may begin to grow their own collateral in time.
4.5 Fishing Gear

There are three main categories of fishing gear used for fishing, broadly classified as lines, pots and nets. The lines were rigged to construct surface long lines, vertical long lines, bottom long lines and trolling lines. These comprise 5439 units (70%) of the gear used in the industry (Fig. 13) with trolling and bottom long lines being the most popular. Nets and pots comprise 7% and 23% of the other gear used in the industry and corresponds to 543 and 1825 units of gear respectively. The results show that 97 fish pot fishers were operating 1825 pots at the time of the survey. This further indicates that each fisher owns an average of 18 pots. Considering the limited shelf size available for use of such gear, the great losses of pots which occur annually due to storms and hurricanes, the observed decline in the demersal fishery from catch data and reef habitat degradation being caused by quarry operations and other land based activities, the number of pots deployed in this fishery is cause for concern. In addition the ongoing ghost fishing study being conducted by the Fisheries Division and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has shown that lost and derelict fish pots continue to fish for at least 14 months after they are lost. Eighteen pots per fisher without any mitigation measures are very significant and some management intervention is recommended in the pot fishery.
4.6 Fish Aggregating Devices

The survey results concerning FADs showed that 64% of fishers used FADs during their fishing activities of which 26% used them on every fishing trip (Fig. 15). FADs have facilitated a very significant boost to the fish landings in Dominica and have almost eliminated what used to be a low migratory pelagic season where fishers experienced very little activity in the latter half of the year. However, piracy from French and local fishers as well as user conflict regarding FADs continue to have a negative effect on fish production and safety of fishers. It is recommended that management measures are developed and education programmes implemented to combat piracy and promote conflict resolution.
4.7 Fishing Operations

Respondents indicated that cost and availability of fuel was the greatest impediment to successful fishing operations. This was correlated with the fact that outboard engines6 were the dominant method of propulsion for fishing boats (Fig. 31). This therefore renders the fishing fleet to be heavily dependent upon fuel. In addition, the high fuel cost being experienced at the time of the survey prompted this issue as a major factor affecting fishing operations (Fig. 21). An oil crisis could severely affect fish production in Dominica particularly when one considers that fishing boats are no longer designed to accommodate sails as an alternative method of propulsion (Fig. 31). This is also cause for concern as far as it relates to safety at sea. There is also a need to promote and development mechanisms for the access and provision of more fuel efficient engines to service the industry and to engage fishers in multiple days fishing operations against the predominant single day-trip operations.
85% of engines employed in the industry are Yamaha outboards (Fig. 34)
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4.8 Business Operations of Fishers

Some level of record keeping is being done by fishers. About 28.5% of fishers responded that they keep some form of records for their businesses (see 3.4.12 for more on record keeping). For those who said they do not keep any records, the vast majority gave no particular reason for not doing so (Fig. 25). This is of concern as record keeping is vital to the growth and longevity of a business. Of the 28% who do keep some form of records, most kept records of the income and expenses incurred (Fig. 24). About half of these keep records of their fishing operations and landings, which involves recording where fish is caught (fishing location), when it is caught (time of day or year), how it is caught (fishing method employed) and how much fish is caught. These datasets are also very important for planning fishing operations and preparing for a fishing season. Aside from those fishers who endeavour to keep complete records, it is apparent that generally fishers are not sure how they were doing financially and do not operate as a business. This indicates that much more effort is needed to train and encourage fishers to keep some basic, yet acceptable records of their operations. Additionally, banks and other lenders often request of fishers a copy of their revenues or landings for prior years. Therefore it would be of benefit to the fisher to have these records handy in the event of procuring a loan.
4.9 Vendors
Most vendors are fishers who sell their own fish at their landing site (Fig. 41). There was a very small group of vendors who actually purchase fish for retail and acted as middle men (about 8%). When vendors travelled elsewhere to dispose of the fish, transportation cost was normally incurred as a result and the price of the fish would be expected to increase. The survey results showed that only 11% of vendors increased their price, 65% maintained the same price, while 24% of persons actually decreased their price (Fig. 43). Although no reason was given for this it is presumed such decrease could be due to poor quality of the fish being sold after having kept the product without ice for significant periods. It would appear that vendors were not making a profit when they attempt to distribute fish to other communities or that the landing price was already high enough to absorb the added cost of transportation. This is noteworthy as it was established that 68% of vendors actually hired a vehicle to sell their fish (Fig. 47). Eighty four (84%) of respondents claimed that they experienced some loss of fish due to spoilage at least once per week (Fig. 45), and 54% experienced more than 20lbs of fish loss due to spoilage per week and in some cases up to 100lbs per week (Fig. 46). This is very significant and a cause for concern as persons could be losing considerable revenue after a hard fishing day. Further investigation is required to determine the full extent of this problem and more education and post harvest handling training programmes is needed to help improve on this situation. Another area that could assist with this situation is the enforcement of regulations requiring the vending of fish only at designated vending facilities. This will ensure that vendors do not have the fish exposed to the elements where it can get contaminated and spoil more rapidly. The current situation is very worrying as it potentially poses a health risk to the fish-eating populace. It was observed that more than 67% of vendors transported fish on ice for sale to the public (Fig. 48). Considering that most fish was sold within 2 to 4 hours when displayed for sale (Figs 51 and 52), the great loss indicated above seem to come from fish not being iced at sea. Therefore, more emphasis needs to be placed in that area and it is recommended that all boats built after 2009 are fitted with ice boxes. Training programmes need to be done with both the fishers and the vendors to help them
40

improve on the quality of fish they provide and educational programmes need to be delivered to the public highlighting the importance of knowing about fish quality before purchase.
4.10 Boat Builders

There are about 102 boat builders in Dominica with major concentration of builders in FLO Zone 5 which includes the Roseau area, followed by Zone 1 (Fig. 53). Boat builders are located in specific communities and in most cases the clientele is from the same community (Fig. 55). Most boat builders are self taught and boats vary in design and quality from one community to another. Since fishing communities are small, demand for boats per community is low, hence 77% of respondents claimed that they had less than 5 customers per year (Fig. 56) and the majority of boat builders earned less than half of their income from this activity (Fig 57). About 34% of boat builders are also fishers who build or repair their own boats, 35% get their clientele from their own communities and 29% receive clients from different parts of the island (Fig. 55) based on the reputation they had established. The keel boat is in greatest demand and provides a fairly stable fishing platform (Fig. 58). See Figure 59 for cost of boats and various repair jobs within the industry. With regard to the quality of fish as mentioned previously, it would be of benefit to the industry that boats constructed after 2009 are fitted with an ice box for the safe storage of fish while at sea. Such a program will require training current and new boat builders to build the ice boxes into the boats.
4.11 Gear Builders

There were 96 gear builders/repairers interviewed during the survey (Fig. 02). Most of them build and repair their own gear since they are also fishers who operate their own nets and pots. The gears constructed are fish pots, gill nets and beach seines. It is apparent that the art of net construction and mending is slowly being lost to the industry. This could probably be attributed to the reduced number of nets being used in the coastal pelagic fishery which has collapsed in areas such as Layou and Colihaut and is on the verge of collapse in other areas that used to be famous for that type of fishery. As a result most gear builders (84%) earn less than half of their income from this activity (Fig. 66). There is a great need to examine the coastal pelagic fishery in Dominica which contributed as much as 42% almost half of the total fish landing in 1998 (Fish Catch and Effort findings). The source of this problem needs to be addressed to ensure sustainable fisheries development in the coastal waters of Dominica.
4.12 Outboard Mechanics

The results showed that the Yamaha outboard engines constituted 85% of all engines used in the industry (Fig. 34). Within the industry there exists a small group of 25 outboard engine mechanics most of whom have over 10 years working experience (Fig. 71). Their customers come from their own communities (Fig. 72) except the Roseau Fisheries Complex which provides a government repair service to the fishing public. In most cases the level of business generated was not enough to sustain them (Fig. 73) and they therefore supplemented their income by other activities. Some mechanics were also fishers who can do their own repairs (Appendix 2). This small group of service providers to the industry is very valuable. By rendering broken down engines operational in the quickest possible time, they enabled fishers to reduce waiting time and to get back into production without too much delay. They help to minimize loss of income to fishers as a result and prevent zero fishing effort for extended periods. However, with 444 boats within the industry, each carrying at least one engine, this produces a ratio of one mechanic to every 18 engines. Another issue is
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that in many cases, these mechanics are not professionally trained to do the work; hence 26% work on their own engines.
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5 A ppendi ces
5.1 Appendix 1: Map of Fisheries Enumerator Districts (FEDs)
FED 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15
Communities Delaford, Veille Case, Thibaud, Anse Du Me Calibishie, Woodford Hill, Wesley Marigot Carib Territory (Atkinson, Salibia, Bataka, Sineku) Castle Bruce, Tranto, Good Hope, San Sauveur, Petite Soufriere Rosalie, La Plaine, Delices Petite Savanne, Fond St. Jean, Stowe, Grand Bay Scotts Head, Soufriere Pointe Michel, Loubiere, Newtown, Roseau (RFC) Pottersville, Fond Cole, Canefield, Massacre Mahaut, Jimmit, Tarreau, Layou, St. Joseph, Mero Salisbury, Batalie, Coulibistrie, Colihaut Bioche, Dublanc Portsmouth TaneTane, Toucari, Cottage, Clifton, Capucin
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5.2 Appendix 2: Respondents by Roles

The illustration below shows the number of respondents from the Fisheries Industry Census holding single or multiple roles in the fisheries industry.
Fisheries Industry Census: Respondents by Roles Roles BB BO ES F GB OEM RF V BB 5 68 3 90 35 7 2 37 BO 68 7 3 369 56 16 22 177 ES 3 3 7 3 1 1 0 2 F 90 369 3 278 88 20 0 241 GB 35 56 1 88 4 8 1 29 OEM 7 16 1 20 8 3 1 11 RF 2 22 0 0 1 1 42 3 V 37 177 2 241 29 11 3 25 Total 102 404 10 749 96 25 67 272
Codes:
BB BO ES F GB OEM RF V Boat Builder/Repairer Boat Owner Equipment Supplier Fisher Gear Builder Outboard Engine Mechanic Retired Fisher Vendor
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5.3 Appendix 3: Types of Boats Used in the Fishing Industry

There are three main vessel-types in use in the Dominican fisheries industry. The traditional canoe is still in use but its dominance has been reduced by a gradual introduction of the wooden keeled boat and fibre-glassed pirogue as the vessels of choice. The transition has been encouraged because of the relative instability of the canoe as opposed to the pirogue and the wooden keeled vessels. The introduction of those newer fishing vessels has also facilitated improvements in fish handling and fish quality at sea because some of them can be fitted with ice boxes. 5.3.1 Canoes These are dug-out vessels. They tend to range from 15 to 22 feet in length. Canoes are mainly used for shorter trips and operate near shore (usually with 2 miles) as they can become fairly unstable in rough seas. Some canoes are powered, but often times they can be propelled through the water only with the use of oars. These boats are usually used now for targeting coastal pelagic and reef fish (demersals).
5.3.2 Keel These are also small open vessels; however they are built with marine ply over a skeleton frame structure with a keel for a backbone. Currently, these boats are built with a coating of fibre-glass for reinforcement (called fibred keels). Keel boats generally fall between 15 and 25 feet in length but can be shorter or much longer. Keel boats are able to operate much further out at sea than canoes. They carry bigger outboard engines and thus are able to venture 25 miles to sea or more. Ice boxes are built into some boats for the storage of fish. Pelagics are the main types of fish targeted, although they are considered multi-purpose or multi-fishery.
5.3.3 Fibre-glassed Reinforced Plastic (FRP) These boats are similar in size and scale of operations as the keel boats. They are usually built using a mold and often called pirogues. FRP boats sometimes carry ice holds or ice boxes, like keels, and are seen to be more stable in rougher seas. They are also safer and more hygienic boats to work on as they
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usually have smooth flat surfaces, whereas the wooden boats may have splinters or nails protruding that can harm the fisher or his catch.
46
5.4 Appendix 4: Types of Gear Used in the Fishing Industry

5.4.1 Fish Pots These are box-like structures constructed of wire mesh supported by a slender wooden frame. Fish pots come in numerous shapes and sizes, from the arrow-head (which is pictured below) to the Antillean Ztrap. Demersals, such as snappers, groupers and lobsters are usually the targets for this gear. Fish are lured to the pot or trap using bait, which is placed inside of the gear before setting. Pots are set on or near reefs or known banks.
5.4.2 Nets Nets are nylon-mesh devices used for ensnaring fish. Unlike the fish pot, which is passive, nets are active gear as they are usually used to en-circle schooling fish. In some cases fishers throw rocks into the water to scare fish into the net where they can be ensnared. This gear is usually used on canoe vessels near the coast targeting coastal pelagic such as jacks, mackerels or sardines.
5.4.3 Hook and Lines Hook and line gear come in many varieties. The two main varieties are hand lines and long lines. This gear is used for catching both pelagic and demersal fish.
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Report - Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica FINAL 20090511 PDF

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Report - Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica FINAL 20090511 PDF

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Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

2 Met hod o logy

2.1 Preliminary Activities

A map of the FEDs is available in Appendix 1

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

2.2 Census Study

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

2.3 Post-Census Activities

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

3.2 Respondent Roles

Communities are grouped by FLO zones as shown in Figure 1

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

3.3 Characteristics of Respondents

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

209 200 150 100 58 50 3 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 36 16 8 8 1 1 1 1 143 107 121 107

FLO Zone Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Grand Total

Sum 818 189 548 457 754 2766

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

FLO Zones Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Grand Total

Sum 631 145 350 257 691 2074

3.4 Fishers/Boat Owners

1 18.9% 12.8% 1.8% 33.5%

2 4.6% 2.2% 0.5% 7.3%

4 12.2% 5.0% 0.0% 17.3%

5 18.8% 7.8% 0.4% 26.9%

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

All or most 39.50%

Less than half 34.35%

About half 25.87%

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Number of Fishers (%)

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Local piracy 51%

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

76.6% 80% 100%

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Methods Used to Prevent Fish Spoilage at Sea

Records Kept by Fishers

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

3.5 Boat Owners and Fleet

Age of Boat (years)

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

2 man crew 49%

Engines by Horse Power Utilized in the Fishing Fleet

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Engine Make Utilized by the Fishing Fleet

Fisheries Industry Census of Dominica

Captian/Crew share 38%

Item Boat Engine Gear Grand Total