Abstract

Changes in fishing technology are important in assessing fish stocks. However, in many Fisheries Departments, it is rarely documented at the fishing community level. In the case of Gouyave, Grenada, surface longline fishers, they are constantly adapting and changing fishing technology to increase fish catch and income. The objective of this paper is to document the history of surface longline fishing technology (boat and gear), and determine how this technological knowledge, possessed by fishers could be included in fisheries management. Information was obtained from interviews with knowledgeable fishers.\Traditionally, Gouyave fishers were involved in beach seine and ‘3-line’ (hand line) fishing, from non-mechanized wooden sloop canoes. By the 1980s, the Government of Grenada with assistance from the Cuban Government popularized surface longline fishing. Since then, fishers adapted and developed longline boat and gear technology to improve efficiency and effectiveness. Longline technology developed from twisted 2 x 113 kg strain monofilament mainline and droplines stored and deployed from a box, to single monofilament lines stored and deployed from reels. Boat technology developed from mechanized 5 m wooden canoes to 6 - 12 m fibreglass vessels.

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