Fishery Improvement Project – Prospective
Last update: November 2024
Species: Southern red snapper (Lutjanus purpureus), Vermillion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), kingfish (Scomberomorus cavalla) and Grouper (Epinephelus spp)
Fishery Location: Surinamese waters (EEZ). FAO zone: 31
FIP Coordination: CeDePesca. If you would like more information about the FIP or if you wish to support it, please contact Tomas Willems
FIP Participants:
- Caribbean Sea Foods NV
- Deep Sea Atlantic NV
- CeDePesca (technical support)
Supporting Documents:
Background:
The Suriname snapper, kingfish and grouper hook & line fishery uses demersal longlines and handlines to target Southern red snapper (Lutjanus purpureus), Vermillion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens), Kingfish (Scomberomorus cavalla) and Grouper (Epinephelus spp). The fleet consists of wooden, decked vessels that make trips of 2 to 3 weeks, storing the catch on ice.
This fishery has traditionally been carried out by fishing vessels from Venezuela. With the establishment of an EEZ by Suriname in 1978, the waters where Venezuelan vessels fished for snapper came under Surinamese jurisdiction. In order to regulate this fishery, a treaty was concluded with Venezuela in 1986, specifying the conditions under which the Venezuelan vessels can operate. In 2023, Suriname licensed 131 Venezuelan hook & line vessels to fish within the Suriname EEZ.
The registered catches of this fishery approximated 3,300 tons in 2023 and serve both the export and local markets.
Caribbean Sea Foods NV and Deep Sea Atlantic NV have decided to partner with CeDePesca to develop the prospective stages for a FIP. The MSC pre-assessment will be conducted by the CeDePesca team during the next few months.