Abstract

In San Andrés Island, Colombia, pelagic species extraction has gained importance tbroughout the last decades, as a consequence of diminishment in reef species of commercial interest, representing 80% of the total capture landings by small-scale fishermen, between August 1998 and July 1999.\78 boat participate in the fisheries, distributed in five landing places around the island. The most common boat is the so-called AKing Fiver@, glass-fiber made, 25ft long and 5ft wide, propelled by an offboard 40 hp gasoline motor. Most of them lack a cold storage device for captured products.\The prevailing fishing skill is the hand line, which is used in different manners, according to the species to capture. An artificial bait can be used, or tuna or land fish (Carangidae) pieces. The fishing task lasts from 5 to 10 hours, two fishermen per boat, and it is done mainly behind the reef barrier, northwest and south of the island, and at the Bolivar and Albuquerque cays. Post capture management is minimum and there is small-scale product commercializing at the landing places. The most representative species are Thunnus atlanticus, Acanthocybium solandri, Elagatis bipinnulata, Coryphaena hippurus y Sphyraena barracuda, captured all year-round, some of them showing seasonal variation possibly associated to environmental conditions changes.

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