Panama
Fishing
The offshore waters of Panama abound in fish and seafood, and fisheries are a significant sector of the national economy. There is freshwater fishing in the Chiriquí River and deep-sea fishing along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts for amberjack, barracuda, bonito, corbina, dolphinfish, mackerel, pompano, red snapper, sailfish, sea bass, and tuna.
In 2000, the fish catch totaled 223,502 tons, as compared with 131,514 tons in 1986. The main commercial species caught that year were Pacific anchoveta (86,681 tons), Pacific thread herring (63,532 tons), skipjack tuna (15,796 tons), and yellowfin tuna (7,994 tons). Exports of fish products were valued at nearly $256.5 million in 2000.
User Contributions:
1
Fidel Ponce
Aug 2, 2007 @ 6:18 pm
It is important to mention that in the Gulf of Panama you can experience what oceanographers call the Panama Current. It is a vertical current from the bottom of the ocean that pushes plankton up to the surface of the ocean and creates perfect conditions for fish to breed. The reason is a constant strong North wind (Offshore)during dry season (December - March) that lifts warm water from the surface, blows it all the way down to the Galapagos creating the need for water to emerge replacing the non existing surface water. Furthermore, the Humboldt current strikes this area at the same time for a period of 1 month approx creating a better climate for some slope fish. Overall, its just the perfect scene for any fish to be involved. Panama has over 250 world fishing records as of 2007. This information is brought to you by http://www.panamacruise.com.pa (Panama Marine Group, Inc)
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