Volume 51
Puerto Rico Fishery Census: 1995-1996
Authors
Matos-Caraballo, D. Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 1998
Pages: 258-270
Event: Proceedings of the Fifty First Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: St. Croix
Country: US Virgin Islands
Abstract
During November 1995 - October 1996, the Fisheries Statistics Program (FSP) of the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (PRDNER) conducted a fishery census in Puerto Rico. Two port agents visited the 42 coastal municipalities. A total of 1,758 commercial fishers were accounted. Seventy-two percent were full time fishers and 28% were part time fishers. The average age of Puerto Rico' s fishers was 46 years old. A 74% of the fishers exploited reef fishes. The fishers used 1,501 fishing vessels and 1,218 motors with an average of 43 horsepowers. A total of 3,613 nets, 9,805 lines, 15,481 traps and 2,170 diving gears were reported active in Puerto Rico' s fishery. An increase in fishing effort was observed when results were compared with the 1988 census.