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Saint Lucia Flyingfish fishery
Fishery  Fact Sheet
WECAFC Fishery Resources Report 2020
Saint Lucia Flyingfish fishery
Fact Sheet Citation  
Flyingfish fishery
Owned byFood and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – more>>

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Overview: Traditionally, flyingfish (Hirundichthys affinis) have been targeted by many Saint Lucia fishers. Early technology comprised the use of a shallow dip net (locally known as a “kali”) to scoop up flyingfish found in aggregations or attracted by some form of artificial raft (often banana leaves tied to the vessel). Finely chopped fish (“fresh”) was often thrown into the sea as an added attraction. This methodology is still in use today; however, surface handlines (with single hooks) and surface gillnets are also commonly used.

Location of Saint Lucia Flyingfish fishery
 

Geographic reference:  Saint Lucia
Spatial Scale: National
Reference year: 2019
Approach: Fishing Activity

Fishing Activity
Fishing Gear: Encircling gillnets  
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Type of production system: Artisanal
Fishery Area: Saint Lucia

Seasonality: October to July …

Harvested Resource
Target Species: Fourwing flyingfish
Associated Species: Margined flyingfish

Means of Production
Vessel Type: Other fishing vessels
Fishery Indicators
Nominal Effort: Number of vessels
Employment: Number of fishermen
Production: Landed Volume; Landed Value

Fishing Activity
Type of production system: Artisanal   

Fishery Area
Climatic zone: Tropical.   Depth zone: Coastal (0 m - 50 m).   Horizontal distribution: Oceanic.   Vertical distribution: Pelagic.  

Geo References
Vessel Type
Other fishing vessels
Undecked - pirogue; canoe or shaloop; sizes range from 5 and 9 m in length; engine capacity from 40 and 250 Hp (outboard).


Catch Handling and Processing Equipment
None
Crew
About 3
Flag State
Saint Lucia
Fishing Gear
Encircling gillnets
Handlines and hand-operated pole-and-lines
Surface handlines (with single hooks), surface gillnets used to encircle fish are set off the boat to drift. Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) used comprising of an artificial raft constructed of banana leaves and the release of finely chopped fish remains in the water, shallow hand-operated dipnet are used to scoop the flyingfish.
Related Fisheries - Fishery(ies) switching activity seasonally or targeting the same stock
Saint Lucia Lobster fishery
Saint Lucia Large pelagic fishery
Seasonality
October to July (peaks in December to February and May to June).

Environmental limitations

The presence of invasive Sargassum in some years may have resulted in decline in catches.
Ports
Gros Islet, Castries, Anse La Raye, Canaries, Choiseul, and Soufriere are the main landing sites for this fishery.
Trip Duration
1 day
Fisherfolks Community
Saint Lucia nationals
List of fishery Indicators
Fishery Indicators
TypeMeasureValueUnitTime period
Nominal EffortNumber of vessels 335 (208 pirogues - 105 canoes - 22 shaloops)vessels2007
Number of vessels 695 (549 pirogues - 73 canoes - 26 shaloops - 47 transom)vessels2014
Number of vessels 359vessels2019
EmploymentNumber of fishermen 1005Persons2007
Number of fishermen 1346Persons2014
Number of fishermen 1399 in registryPersons2019
Number of fishermen 196 captured during annual vessel licensePersons2019
ProductionLanded Volume 75tonnes2003
Landed Volume 11tonnes2004
Landed Volume 72tonnes2005
Landed Volume 30tonnes2006
Landed Volume 46tonnes2007
Landed Volume 251tonnes2008
Landed Volume 220tonnes2009
Landed Volume 109tonnes2010
Landed Volume 22tonnes2011
Landed Volume 4tonnes2012
Landed Volume 107tonnes2013
Landed Volume 85tonnes2014
Landed Volume 0.43tonnes2015
Landed Volume 1.35tonnes2016
Landed Volume 0.71tonnes2017
Landed Volume 0.07tonnes2018
Landed Volume 0.02tonnes2019
Landed Value 260.735XCD 10002007
Landed Value 1486.703XCD 10002008
Landed Value 1214.890XCD 10002009
Landed Value 603.840XCD 10002010
Landed Value 147.061XCD 10002011
Landed Value 22.122XCD 10002012
Landed Value 753.599XCD 10002013
Landed Value 617.954XCD 10002014
Landed Value 3.080XCD 10002015
Landed Value 9.015XCD 10002016
Landed Value 5.877XCD 10002017
Landed Value 0.757XCD 10002018
Landed Value 0.238XCD 10002019
Post Harvest
 
Markets
Local
Management
Management unit: Yes

Jurisdictional framework
Management Body/Authority(ies): Fisheries Department of Saint Lucia; Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism
Mandate: Management.  
Area under national jurisdiction: Saint Lucia
Maritime Area: Exclusive Economic Zone Areas (EEZ).  
Management Regime
Management Methods

Fisheries Act (No. 10 of 1984) and Fisheries Regulations (No. 9 of 1994) which are based on the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) harmonized legislation. Plan for Managing the Fisheries of St. Lucia (1999); - Binding

Fishery is largely open-access; mesh size is regulated; minimum mesh size of 19.05 mm is applied to all nets; use of gillnets is prohibited in the Soufriere Marine Management Area.
  • Gear-related measures
    Mesh size is regulated - minimum mesh size of 19.05 mm is applied to all nets - use of gillnets is prohibited in the Soufriere Marine Management Area.
  • Vessel-related measures
    Vessel licensing system in effect.
  • Fishing activity-related measures
    Sport fishery licensing system in effect; implementation of ongoing programmes to train fishers in methods related to safety at sea.
Source of Information
 
Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Production, Fisheries, Co-operatives and Rural Development, Saint Lucia. Personal communication, July 2020.  Click to openhttp://www.malff.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=55
Bibliography
 
CRFM. 2012. Report of the First Meeting of the CRFM/WECAFC Working Group on Flyingfish in the Eastern Caribbean, 18 – 19 June 2012, St. Vincent and the Grenadines CRFM Technical and Advisory Document, No. 2012/12. 85 pp.  Click to openhttp://www.crfm.net/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&task=download&id=108_84e25d24d484ed377e199e392cda75d2&Itemid=235.
Census of the Fisheries Sector in Saint Lucia. 2012.
Hubert-Medar, P. National Report of Saint Lucia. pp. 33-36 in: FAO Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission. Report of the Third Meeting of the WECAFC Ad Hoc Flyingfish Working Group of the Eastern Caribbean. Mount Irvine, Tobago, 21–25 July 2008. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Report. No. 929. Rome, FAO. 2010. 88 pp.  Click to openhttp://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1602e/i1602e00.pdf
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