Abstract

In 1988, Puerto Rico’s commercial fishery was regulated by Law No. 83 of May 13th, 1936. This law contained numerous regulations pertaining to the conservation of fish resources. For example, it banned dynamite fishing and the use of nets in the mouth of rivers. Between 1979 and 1988, Puerto Rico’s landings decreased. In addition, the dominant commercial grouper species since the 1950s, the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) vanished from the commercial fishery. Other Puerto Rico fishery resources also showed symptoms of overfishing. The government’s scientific personnel concern over the state of local fisheries prompted government agencies to better regulate and manage these resources. During the 1990s, various organizations continued to pressure government agencies to establish new fishing laws and additional fishing regulations. Finally, on November 29, 1998, Puerto Rico’s government established Law No. 278, also known as Puerto Rico Fishing Law. This law ordered the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) to create regulations. The DNER worked with fishers and scientists between 1999 and 2003 to this end. Finally, on March 11th, 2004, Regulation No. 6768 was approved. This paper discusses the lessons learned from the commercial fisheries in Puerto Rico during 1988-2008, including the adoption of these new regulations and discusses the impacts of rising fuel costs on landings composition, gear utilization, and effort distribution.

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