Fishing for a living

fabricbizzz

New member
Apr 9, 2011
14
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Hello
I am moving to the DR for 18 months maybe 2
years.
Iam comming to grow a buisness that has been in existence for a long time
and part of my family for years.
My husband and I have givin alot of thought about how best to make this move.
We has decided to have my husband leave his work in Canada and find work
in the Dominican Republic.
Here in Canada he has been at commercial fishing since he was a boy.
We have been trying to find out who to talk to about the fishing /lobster biz in
DR
Can anybody tell us where to turn.
He would like to work on a big boat and do commercial fishing .
Does that industry exsist in the DR.
Please we will take any information and go with it.
THANKS
MRS SALTY DOG
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
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Punta Cana/DR
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luckily that big time commercial fishing on big boats taking out everythong of the water available is Not Existent here in the DR, the american and Canadian commercials/longliners etc are not even allowed to fish our waters, and we fight that rightb to keep itbthat way with the Guns in hand.
if Your Husband wanna hire on a Fishing Boat down here he should expect a salary of around 300-500 bucks per month as the max, on the smaller local vessels the guys make much less.
Cabadian Family Biz is Not Dominican Biz.

good luck

Mike
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
18,948
514
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One of the reasons that most commercial fishing is done in the North or South is because that is where there are fish. Tropical waters do not have enough fish to support intensive commercial fishing. That is just a fact of life.

I would not even think of trying to fish for a living. Lobsters? Yeah, maybe 40 years ago! There are no lobsters now! (An exageration, but almost--unfortunately--true).

Think farming (greenhouses and fruits like passion fruit and lemons/limes), bee-keeping...something that has a broad=-based demand...fishing is a really really tough existance here...

HB
 

bayman

New member
Jan 23, 2010
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I think some commercial fishing takes place out of Puerto Plata. DR fishing boats get caught now and then illegally fishing in Bahamian waters. With the right permits, partners, vessel and commercial markets, it may be doable
 

fabricbizzz

New member
Apr 9, 2011
14
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0
Hmm
you seem the freinldly sort.guns in hand.lol
my family had business in the dr before you were able to drink from a glass.
My husband will send his own boat to dr and catch what is legal just because a
nitwit like you says he cant.
You so called locals think you scare peplple away ha we spit in your beer.
How dare you.my grandfather worked the land before the best part of you
got on your family sheets.
I know one thing for sure we will fish and we will pay more in a month than you made last year
and we wont poach other countries waters.
Guns in hand ...you fool
 

ElvisNYC

New member
Jan 27, 2006
511
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0
We have been trying to find out who to talk to about the fishing /lobster biz in
DR
Can anybody tell us where to turn.
He would like to work on a big boat and do commercial fishing .
Does that industry exsist in the DR.
Please we will take any information and go with it.
THANKS
MRS SALTY DOG

The responses were the information you wanted.. Go with it ! :D
 

expatsooner

Bronze
Aug 7, 2004
712
11
0
I think that Mike was just stating that the waters around the DR are a fragile ecosystem and that there are fishermen that will go to the necessary lengths to protect this part of the water around the DR from anyone that tries to hurt it - I don't believe it was meant as a personal challenge to you.

There is no need to have reacted to so strongly, hurling around insults and venom. It is also a bit unrealistic to come back with the statement that you will come and make so much money in a month when you have no idea of markets or the amounts or types of fish available. Alienating people on this board that might be useful contacts with business connections that could help you is shortsighted and not helpful to your goal of having a successful time living in the DR for a relatively short period of time. You only want to stay for a max of two years - that isn't much time to make the proper connections and relationships so you are only shooting yourself in the foot by being so insulting.


I realize your family is Dominican but it seems like you have spent quite a bit of time in Canada. If this is true please keep in mind that you will be a foreigner there in the DR when you return no matter what your ancestory if you have lived for an extended time elsewhere. I have faced this fact personally after spending my first 29 years living in the States I have lived abroad since (including 9 years in the DR) and even when I go back to visit the States I no longer am completely "American" and there are problems that I no longer react to from a 100% American cultural view which can drive me, my family, and others a bit batty. Don't get confused and think that just because your family is Dominican you are culturaly 100% Domincan as well if you have been away in another country.

Relax and enjoy the time you have to experience the joys of living somewhere new.
 
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bri777

Bronze
Sep 11, 2010
1,008
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Obviously you are from here, so why ask questions

YOU KNOW EVERYTHING already
Manu
 

the gorgon

Platinum
Sep 16, 2010
33,997
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0
great response, expatsooner. let him come down here, and see how great he will do. there are guys in these fishing villages who have been squeezing out a precarious living for decades. they have beeen apprehended and jailed in places like the Bahamas and Jamaica, and have met hardships too numerous to mention. if this guy believes that he can just arrive on the scene and get right into the mix, leave him alone to his delusions. he will soon find out what real life in a third world country is.
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
8,367
842
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Here is the problem. The DR is volcanic. There is no continental shelf like the US and Can. The island drops off fast so there is no large area for fish life on the bottom. What there was has been quickly decimated by local divers. The groupers, snapper and lobsters have been taken. That leaves the pelagics (free top swimming fish). There is not enough of these to make a living unless your are in the charter business which involves catching tourists instead of fish. The other problem is that the locals will strongly resent any outsiders taking "their" fish. The other fishery involves poaching the Bahamas which is very popular but dangerous. The Bahamas has a ton of fish still. Other possibility is to go into biz with a Bahamian partner which involves bribery of officials on a yearly basis. Finally it appears that the locals do as they please - fish the reserves, take what they want, etc. If you are seen as a local and accepted you will be able to fish but you will not make much money-it will be a subsistence living. Good luck in whaever you decide.
 

yanandu

Banned
Jan 23, 2011
472
9
0
DR mainly fished out - no more fisherfolk please.
Any big fish should be put back.

Better to start a fresh water fish farm.

Tilapia do well.
Yanandu.

Here is the problem. The DR is volcanic. There is no continental shelf like the US and Can. The island drops off fast so there is no large area for fish life on the bottom. What there was has been quickly decimated by local divers. The groupers, snapper and lobsters have been taken. That leaves the pelagics (free top swimming fish). There is not enough of these to make a living unless your are in the charter business which involves catching tourists instead of fish. The other problem is that the locals will strongly resent any outsiders taking "their" fish. The other fishery involves poaching the Bahamas which is very popular but dangerous. The Bahamas has a ton of fish still. Other possibility is to go into biz with a Bahamian partner which involves bribery of officials on a yearly basis. Finally it appears that the locals do as they please - fish the reserves, take what they want, etc. If you are seen as a local and accepted you will be able to fish but you will not make much money-it will be a subsistence living. Good luck in whaever you decide.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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zoomzx11,The DR is VOLCANIC,WOW,NEVER KNEW THAT.

I learned in preschool that the dr was the result of tectonic plates forcing up the sea bottom.:(:(:(
Live and learn I always say.:p:p:p
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 
Oct 11, 2010
692
119
63
Hit The Nail Right On The Head!!!

Here is the problem. The DR is volcanic. There is no continental shelf like the US and Can. The island drops off fast so there is no large area for fish life on the bottom. What there was has been quickly decimated by local divers. The groupers, snapper and lobsters have been taken. That leaves the pelagics (free top swimming fish). There is not enough of these to make a living unless your are in the charter business which involves catching tourists instead of fish. The other problem is that the locals will strongly resent any outsiders taking "their" fish. The other fishery involves poaching the Bahamas which is very popular but dangerous. The Bahamas has a ton of fish still. Other possibility is to go into biz with a Bahamian partner which involves bribery of officials on a yearly basis. Finally it appears that the locals do as they please - fish the reserves, take what they want, etc. If you are seen as a local and accepted you will be able to fish but you will not make much money-it will be a subsistence living. Good luck in whaever you decide.

This describes the fishing situation down here exactly. Up here on the north coast one mile out and you are in over 1000 feet of water. Up north in New York we have to travel 70 miles out to reach a 1000 foot depth at the edge of the shelf where it suddenly drops off. And as you stated, because of this coastal formation the fishing up north is a thousand times more productive than here in the DR. There are still some bottom fish to be had here but nothing that would be viable as a commercial endeavor. Actually, do to the fact that the island is volcanic, the underwater strcture is conducive to certain large concentrations of bottom fish. The hills and valleys on the sea floor close to shore are unbelievable. Sometimes I can't believe what I'm seeing on the screen. For sport fishing it can be great. But you have to know where to go;) Fortunately I have the equipment to find what I'm looking for.:bunny:
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
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Volcanic-Tectonic

You know what I meant. Tectonic plate "Theory" (and it is only a theory, not a fact) is a recent 1960ish explanation for the upwelling growth of land masses. I used volcanic because it helps visualize what I was trying to explain. That is the very steep drop offf from shore that limits the amount of coral habitat that will hold fish. The sea goes deep quick. A short distance from shore and you are in deep water. No sunlight reaching the bottom and there is no coral growth. The light goes only to about 300 feet or so. Not much life in cold black depths.
 

Yachtmaster

Member
Jul 2, 2007
296
20
18
www.genesisbvi.com
Hmm
you seem the freinldly sort.guns in hand.lol
my family had business in the dr before you were able to drink from a glass.
My husband will send his own boat to dr and catch what is legal just because a
nitwit like you says he cant.
You so called locals think you scare peplple away ha we spit in your beer.
How dare you.my grandfather worked the land before the best part of you
got on your family sheets.
I know one thing for sure we will fish and we will pay more in a month than you made last year
and we wont poach other countries waters.
Guns in hand ...you fool
You have no clue my friend, absolutely no clue. Do your research, you will find that what you are proposing is not really doable. Fishing for a living is NOT a sustainable industry in the DR.

People on this forum are genuinely helpful, they are largely expats who live here full time or those that spend a good bit of their leisure time here. Many knowledgeable and caring Dominicans also contribute to the forum. Trust me, the people of this forum do know the local scene. Their input is extremely valuable for those outsiders who seek any kind of local information. Insult them with your blatant ignorance and threats and you will get absolutely nowhere....
 

mountainannie

Platinum
Dec 11, 2003
16,350
1,358
113
elizabetheames.blogspot.com
Here is the problem. The DR is volcanic. There is no continental shelf like the US and Can.

Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico are collectively known as the Greater Antilles. The Greater Antilles are made up of continental rock, as distinct from the Lesser Antilles, which are mostly young volcanic or coral islands.

Hispaniola - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,194
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
I learned in preschool that the dr was the result of tectonic plates forcing up the sea bottom.:(:(:(
Live and learn I always say.:p:p:p
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

exactly right, CC.
hence why we have so many Earthquakes on and around the Isle every Week/Month/Year.

bringing a Canadian Boat to the DR for a Biz/Commercial fishing would anyways not work, to be allowed to run a Biz, any Biz, with a vehicle including a Boat, requires to change Flaggs/register for the Dominican Matricula for the vessel, to do so You need to "Import" the Vessel from Canada to the DR with the full Import Taxes applying in the process.
not impossible, it is done quiet often, my last 3 Boats been all brought in from Puerto Rico and then Flagged Dominican/Imported, but You have to consider the extremely High Import taxes for a Boat and the overall Costs for such registration, to only work with such Boat for just 2 Years would not be worth the registration process, but as a Dominican Biz-Man You anyways know that, right?
to Flagg the Boat back to Canadian registry after 2 years You need to "Discharge/Export" it from the DR with nice Fees applying for that again, and then register the vessel new in Canada(here I have no clue about costs and procedures as I never Exported a vessel from here to canada).

Divers do not take our Bottom Fishes here on the East, they are much too Deep to Dive down there.
we fish for Groupers and Snappers in 1000-1500ft of waterbody aside the Canyons/Deep Drops.
right after clearing the Reefs here on the East the Water goes very quick too Deep for a speargun Diver etc.

maybe Puerto Plata/Northshore is different, I never Bottom Fished up there in the North, all my recommendations/Observations/Experiences are limited to the Eastshores of the DR.

I did not offend You as a Person with stuff like "Guns in Hand",
but as a matter of fact foreign Boats bringing out their Longliner cables etc between Uvero Alto and the Mouth of Yuma get such Cut and shotguns fired on regular bases, as none of them has a License to fish those Waters.
AFAIK the DR did under Leonel Administration never give out any Fishing License to any foreign fishing Vessel to commercially fish our waters here on the East.
again, if such is the case on the Northshore, I don't know about that, we are here much closer to Puerto Rican Waters than to Puerto Plata Waters.

Mike
 

MikeFisher

The Fisherman/Weather Mod
Feb 28, 2006
13,766
2,194
113
Punta Cana/DR
www.mikefisher.fun
You know what I meant. Tectonic plate "Theory" (and it is only a theory, not a fact) is a recent 1960ish explanation for the upwelling growth of land masses. I used volcanic because it helps visualize what I was trying to explain. That is the very steep drop offf from shore that limits the amount of coral habitat that will hold fish. The sea goes deep quick. A short distance from shore and you are in deep water. No sunlight reaching the bottom and there is no coral growth. The light goes only to about 300 feet or so. Not much life in cold black depths.

Yes, that's the correct description of the Sea Bottom here.

Mike
 

zoomzx11

Gold
Jan 21, 2006
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When you are "deep dropping" for snapper-groupers you are fishing a GPS number over structure. The fish are just not scattered willy nilly over empty bottom. To hold fish it is necessary to find structure. It might be rocks, wrecks, or drop offs.
These GPS locations are closely guarded by fishermen. In the deep waters off the DR there is not sufficient structure to support commercial deep drop fisheries. These hot spots of structure are few and far between. The deeper water fish also tend to be slower growing and because they stay on these locations they are easily "fished out". Again the prospects of commercial fishing business in the DR are very dim. Only commercial boats I have seen on the N. Coast seemed to be working Bahamian waters. Makes sense to go where the fish are.
 

fabricbizzz

New member
Apr 9, 2011
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Well thanks
that dialouge was so much more pleasant .
The guns thing just seemed to throw me into a rage.
I apreciate all the teriffic sentiments of you all.
We will continue to do our home work and adjust as possible.
Try to follow our logic
there are millions of people on the dr.most people have fish
and lobster in there diets /the product is not all being imported .hmm
o ya we spoke to a large amount of tourist hotels and restaurants.
They will not give away there sources but they are all stocked daily with fresh fish and
lobster.
How do you all suppose they get it.
Salty