Abstract

The Dominican Republic shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The country has a total area of 48.442 km2, a narrow insular shelf of 9,484 km2 and an EEZ of approximately 238,000 km2. Around 10.000 artisanal fishers with a fleet of 3,750 boats, operate from the 1,575 km of coastline to exploit The fisheries resources of the country. The fisheries sector is made up mainly of artisanal fishers, with high levels of import accounting for more than 50 % of local fish consumption. With average annual production of 11,600 MT, the fishery is believed to be exploiting the traditional resources at or beyond their maximum sustainable yields. The main threats identified in the coastal zone include: overfishing, degradation of critical habitats; poorly managed boating, recreational diving, increased tourism, and stress from coastal development and population growth.\In June 2000 the CARICOM Fisheries Unit, in collaboration with the Government, initiated a program to improve management of fisheries. Preliminary assessments continned that there are major deficiencies in the institutional and organizational system for sustainable development and management of the fisheries and aquaculture resources. Significant improvements are needed in: the institutional arrangements and capacity for planning and policy formulation; the systems and capacity for research and collection of data; and the arrangements for extension services, monitoring, control and surveillance. There is also a need for greater organization and involvement of fishers in fisheries planning and decision-making regarding the fisheries. On the positive side there is strong political will to improve the fisheries sector with the support of national and international partners. In this paper a review of past and current management measures is undertaken and recommendations are provided for strengthening the sector.

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