In the last 20 years, the production of fish in the country has decreased by over half. In 1996, there were 18,000 tons of fish, but in 2006, it was down to 11,104 and by 2015 down to 8,944. Unsustainable fishing practices, coral reef loss, overfishing and climate change are identified as reasons for the decline.
The information was given in the “Third National Communication of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations’ Convention on Climate Change” which was published recently.
In addition to the reduction in fish production, the number of fishermen and fishing boats has also declined, probably as the trade is not as lucrative as before, and in addition as the fishers know, there are less fish forcing many fishers to look for other sources of income.
The report goes on to say that fishing contributes only 0.3% to GDP and most consumption is in the tourist areas in the east of the country. Many of the resorts also have to import fish for their customers as the local production cannot satisfy the demand.
In the Dominican Republic, excluding freshwater fish, there are around 300 species of fish plus crustaceans and shellfish that are found in mangroves, coral reefs and the open sea.
Samaná is the province with most fishermen; in 2015 there were 2,161, and 951 fishing boats.
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Listin Diario
27 March 2018
