Abstract

The Puerto Rico’s Commercial Fisheries Statistics Program (CFSP) collects the landings data by species, weight and price per pound since 1968. Since 1997, the CFSP had been collecting data from ornamental fishery (OF). This activity started in Puerto Rico during the 1960’s. The OF was popularized by the young surfers from USA, that visited Rincón surfing beaches, whom obtained some money for their expenses. During the late 1980’s and early1990’s was observed that many persons were full time workers of OF and develop exporter companies. The OF was practiced without any Puerto Rico’s government regulation, except the coral protection, life-rock protection, minimum legal size of lobster, and the three closed areas to all fishery in the west coast of Puerto Rico. The Law 278 of November 28th, 1998, known as Puerto Rico’s Fishing Law, enable the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to regulate the fisheries. Since March 11th, 2004, the DNER established Regulation 6768, entitled, Puerto Rico’s Fishing Regulations. The mentioned document establishes many management actions to the OF workers. For example, they need a special permit from DNER, limit the number of species to be caught, they should submit all the landings data in monthly reports to this agency. From 1997 - 2005, the CFSP recorded that a total of 285,240 organisms were caught by OF in Puerto Rico. Since 2002-2005, 71,437 organisms were reported collected by OF. A total of 189 species or groups of fish (108), invertebrates (79) and two species of green algae (Caulerpa and Halimeda) were reported. The Puerto Rico Fishing Regulation 6768 reduced the number of species to be caught from OF to only 20 fish species and eight invertebrate species. This paper will show the most caught species by individuals, the number of fishers with permit by year, the fishing areas, and socioeconomic data

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