St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Fishing

At one time, St. Vincent and Bequia were the centers for a thriving whaling industry, but only six humpback whales were captured from 1982 to 1991. Since the New Kingston Fish Market opened in the late 1980s, the fish catch has rapidly increased. In 2000, the total catch amounted to 7,294 tons, up from 921 tons in 1996. However, fisheries exports declined from US $1,960,300 in 1990 to US $961,000 in 2000. Technical assistance and training to fisherman and fisheries staff is being sponsored by the Canadian Fisheries Development Project.