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COMMERCIAL
FISHING
Commercial fishermen are required to :
- be registered with Affaires Maritimes,
- always embark with
a crew's list,
- mark fishing boats left unsupervised on the
water with a signaling buoy bearing the registration number of the
boat (of which the fisherman is the owner). Boats left unmarked
are considered wreckage and may be destroyed by officials under
orders of the maritime fishing police.
Fishing Implements and Methods
Prohibited :
- any barring
of channels or passes,
- towed nets(drag-nets,etc...),
- fishing in ports
and estuaries.
Bownets, basket traps, or fish pots :
The mesh may not
be less than 38 mm. Nets
:
-
The mesh may not
be less than 35 mm in diameter when wet
(70 mm stretched).
-
The mesh of tangle nets should not be less than 40 mm in diameter
for the central webbing and 200 mm for the outer webbing when wet
(400 mm stretched).
- The haul time for tangle nets is limited to a maximum of 5
hours.
Fishing
by turning seine or gill net is subject to authorization by the
Regional Director of Affaires Maritimes, which is granted to
mariner fishermen who own a seine (master seine netters). These
fishermen should submit a declaration consisting of a complete description
of their seines.
- The minimum mesh size and other seine characteristics
vary according to the species being fished, and seine fishing is
subject to certain regulations: tagging of schools of fish, time
limit for each immersion of the seine, and composition of the crew.
- Saury seine, 16 mm diameter,
- Coulirou seine, 20 mm diameter,
Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)
In recent years fish aggregating devices, or FADS (DCPs
: dispositifs
de concentration de poissons), have been used with increasing frequency
as a means to augment fishing yields.
In most cases FADs have been moored without consideration for their socioeconomic effect on fishing and fishermen, and as a consequence FAD programs have not always led to the expected improvements.
Following from the report of low yields, the various management organizations of the district (Affaires Maritimes, Conseil Régional, Ifremer, Comité Régional des Pêches, COOPEMAR, etc.) have attempted to define the objectives of halieutical development, aiming primarily to increase the productivity of our fishermen with intelligent use of financial and human resources.
The first FADs were placed around Martinique in the 1990s at the instigation of Ifremer and the Comité Locale des Pêches de la Martinique. The devices are moored at depths of up to 2000 m and are equipped with a radar reflector and lighting system.
Even though fishermen throughout the globe have been making use
of FADs for several decades, and despite our substantial knowledge
of the behavior and biology of tunas and other pelagic species,
the reasons for why FADs attract fish remain largely a mystery.
One common theory is that FADs serve as a refuge for fish, the
FAD superstructure and mooring line providing a place for fish to
shelter themselves from predators. Another theory rests on the fact
that fish use FADs as points of reference within the ocean.
Taking these factors into account, an ambitious program for installing FADs has been launched in Martinique in the hope that it will bring a boost to our economy. Around 30 FADs have been set up around our island thus far. These installations, financed by Europe, the French State, and the Conseil Régional of Martinique, represent a substantial investment in the development of our fishing industry.
The activity around FADs will be closely monitored by the Comité
Régional des Pêches de la Martinique in order to better understand
their impact on pelagic resources.
The devices are reserved exclusively for commercial fishermen.
During their activity at FAD sites fishermen should display
the special flag that will be given to them by the Comité Régional
des Pêches de la Martinique.
We remind yachtsmen that it is strictly prohibited to engage
in any type of fishing activity within 1 nautical mile of a FAD.
Gérard Josepha
