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

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Overview: The shark fishery is artisanal in nature, operating within six miles off the shore with the use of fiberglass pirogues. There appears to be no set time of the year for targeting sharks, since each fisher gave a different period during which they fished. These periods did not coincide with any particular fishing season in Saint Lucia.

Location of Saint Lucia Shark fishery
 
Map legend Map legend

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

Fishing Activity
Fishing Gear: Hooks and lines (nei)  
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Type of production system: Commercial; Artisanal
Fishery Area: Saint Lucia

Seasonality: All year

Harvested Resource
Target Species: Blacktip shark; Oceanic whitetip shark; Tiger shark …  
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Means of Production
Vessel Type: Other fishing vessels
Fishery Indicators
Nominal Effort: Number of vessels
Employment: Number of fishermen
Production: Landed Volume; Ex-vessel price

Table of Contents
Overview - Fishing Activity - Post Harvest - Management - Status and Trends - Source of Information - Bibliography
Fishing Activity
Type of production system: Commercial; Artisanal   

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

Geo References
Target Species
Carcharhinus limbatus
FAO Names : en - Blacktip shark, fr - Requin bordé, es - Tiburón macuira
Carcharhinus longimanus
FAO Names : en - Oceanic whitetip shark, fr - Requin océanique, es - Tiburón oceánico
Galeocerdo cuvier
FAO Names : en - Tiger shark, fr - Requin tigre commun, es - Tintorera tigre
Species thumbnailCarcharhinus plumbeus
FAO Names : en - Sandbar shark, fr - Requin gris, es - Tiburón trozo
Carcharhinus perezi
FAO Names : en - Caribbean reef shark, fr - Requin de récif, es - Tiburón coralino
Negaprion brevirostris
FAO Names : en - Lemon shark, fr - Requin citron, es - Tiburón galano
Species thumbnailGinglymostoma cirratum
FAO Names : en - Nurse shark, fr - Requin-nourrice, es - Gata nodriza
Sphyrna mokarran
FAO Names : en - Great hammerhead, fr - Grand requin marteau, es - Cornuda gigante
Species thumbnailSphyrna lewini
FAO Names : en - Scalloped hammerhead, fr - Requin-marteau halicorne, es - Cornuda común
Species thumbnailCarcharias taurus
FAO Names : en - Sand tiger shark, fr - Requin taureau, es - Toro bacota, ar - قِرش ثَور, zh - 锥齿鲨
Vessel Type
Other fishing vessels
Undecked - pirogue; canoe or shaloop; sizes range between 5 and 9 m; engine capacity between 40 and 250 Hp (outboard).


Crew
3
Flag State
Saint Lucia
Fishing Gear
Hooks and lines (nei)
Trolling lines
Set longlines
Seine nets
Bottomset longlines baited with frozen bait and hook and line are used to target sharks; sharks caught incidentally in nets.
Related Fisheries - Fishery(ies) switching activity seasonally or targeting the same stock
Saint Lucia Flyingfish fishery
Saint Lucia Lobster fishery
Saint Lucia Large pelagic fishery
Seasonality
All year
Ports
Active at all landing sites (Anse La Raye, Banannes, Canaries, Castries, Choiseul, Cul De Sac, Dennery, Gros Islet, Laborie, Marigot, Marisule, Micoud, Monchy, Praslin, River Doree, Roseau, Savannes Bay, Soufriere and Vieux Fort) but more prominent at Dennery and Vieux Fort.
Trip Duration
1 day
Fisherfolks Community
Saint Lucia nationals
List of fishery Indicators
Fishery Indicators
TypeMeasureValueUnitTime period
Nominal EffortNumber of vessels 719vessels2014
Number of vessels 929vessels2019
EmploymentNumber of fishermen 1346Persons2014
Number of fishermen 3365 in registryPersons2019
Number of fishermen 732 captured during annual vessel licensePersons2019
ProductionLanded Volume 7.14tonnes2013
Landed Volume 3.61tonnes2014
Landed Volume 3.58tonnes2015
Landed Volume 1.71tonnes2016
Landed Volume 5.15tonnes2017
Landed Volume 2.99tonnes2018
Landed Volume 2.46tonnes2019
Ex-vessel price82.691XCD 10002013
Ex-vessel price45.921XCD 10002014
Ex-vessel price39.889XCD 10002015
Ex-vessel price18.922XCD 10002016
Ex-vessel price51.679XCD 10002017
Ex-vessel price26.108XCD 10002018
Ex-vessel price28.309XCD 10002019
Post Harvest
 
Fish Utilisation
Quantities sold annually to Saint Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation.
Markets
Local
Management
Management unit: Yes

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

National regulations; vessel licensing system in effect; sport fishery licensing in effect; with focus on Effort control - Binding

Fishers targeting sharks use hook and line gear, which is not currently regulated. However, nets, which contribute to incidental catch of sharks, are regulated under the Fisheries Regulations No 9. of 1994.
  • Gear-related measures
    Mesh Size
  • Fishing activity-related measures
    Licenses
More information on fisheries legislation at: FAOLEX legislative database
Status and Trends
 
There has been a downward trend in the landings of shark for the period 2017 to 2019.
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
 
Census of the Fisheries Sector in Saint Lucia. 2012.
DeBeauville-Scott S. The Shark Fishery of Saint Lucia. Department of Fisheries Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Saint Lucia. May 2003. 11 pp.
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