- The 7 main fishing areas of Venezuela
- 1- Los Roques
- 2- Western zone
- 3- Eastern zone
- 4- Central zone
- 5- Margarita Island
- 6- Sweet waters
- 7- Plains
- References
The fishing areas of Venezuela are in the coastal sea area, on the islands and in the interior of the country. They have a great variety of specimens throughout the year.
Some of the most prominent are dorado (mahi-mahi), yellow fin tuna, swordfish, tarpon, snook, malin, pomfret and bonefish. You can also find croaker, kingfish, snappers, catfish, horse mackerel and crabs.
Venezuela has 2,816 km of marine coastline and great fishing potential. Fishing in Venezuela is not important in terms of the international economy, but it does play a preponderant role in the domestic market.
Venezuela has the highest per capita fish consumption in Latin America and triples that of the United States.
The 7 main fishing areas of Venezuela
1- Los Roques
The largest marine park in Venezuela, Los Roques National Park, is undoubtedly one of the most consistent fishing areas on the planet.
The great attraction of Los Roques is that the shallow marine waters offer the opportunity to wade and stalk bonefish or bonefish in clear waters.
Los Roques is an archipelago at a distance of 130 kilometers from mainland Venezuela, in the Caribbean Sea.
It is made up of 350 keys and small islands. In addition to bonefish, you can catch barracuda, mackerel, pomfret, tarpon and snook.
2- Western zone
This area includes the states of Zulia and Falcón, including Lake Maracaibo. Its specialty is shrimp, and it is the second most important area.
3- Eastern zone
It extends from Punta Unare, in the state of Anzoátegui, to the border with Guayana. The Orinoco Delta and the Gulf of Paria are also part of this area.
It also includes the state of Sucre. Marine species are abundant and varied. It is the most important fishing area in Venezuela.
4- Central zone
From the Unare depression to Chichiriviche, in the state of Falcón, the so-called central zone develops.
It is the sector of the marine coast with the least fish wealth due to the low or low continental shelf.
The main varieties found in this area are snapper, grouper, mullet and shrimp.
5- Margarita Island
The people of the island of Margarita have a subsistence relationship with the Caribbean Sea, and many are fishermen.
Currently fishing on this island is also related to tourism; For tourists, fishing excursions with hook, net or harpoon are organized.
6- Sweet waters
Fishing is also carried out in the rivers with the highest flow, reservoirs and dams, in an artisanal way.
The basins where freshwater fishing is carried out are the Cuyuní River, the Orinoco River, the Gulf of Paria, the Negro River, the Caribbean Sea, the Lake of Valencia and the Lake of Maracaibo.
The fishermen manage to obtain specimens of trout, river catfish, cachama, palometa and Caribbean.
7- Plains
The floodplain sectors of the Venezuelan plains are bathed by the waters of large rivers such as the Orinoco and the Apure.
During the rainy season they occupy large areas, covering an area of approximately 280,000 km².
Its limits are the slope of the Meta, Arauca and Apure rivers to the southwest. To the north and northeast the limit is formed by the Uribante, Masparro, Guanare, Portuguesa, Guárico, Manapire and Pao rivers.
It is an area of growth and development of a great variety of continental species. Fishing practices in this area are illegal and uncontrolled, with the use of chinchorros (small boats) and nets.
References
- LW Gonzalez (2007) Environmental variability of the coastal upwelling ecosystem in Venezuela. 12/15/2017. Journal of Tropical Biology. scielo.sa.cr
- S. Manickchan (2004) A trophic model for exploring impacts of fishing in Venezuela. 12/15/217. Ecological. vliz.ve
- L. Gonzalez (2001) Analysis of artisanal fishing. 12/15/2017. Science. produccioncientifica.luz.edu.ve
- Generalities of fishing in Venezuela. 12/16/2017. Innovate. innovaven.org
- Freddy Diaz (2016) Geography of Venezuela. Editorial Tudeca Santillana.