Marine Fisheries Development in Colombia

With a coastline of roughly 1,400 kilometres on the Pacific Ocean and 1,600 kilometres on the Caribbean Sea, Colombia is well situated for the exploitation of marine resource. Except for a few vessels engaged in finishing for tuna and some other species, the catching and processing of shrimp for export is the country's only industrial fishery. With the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization acting as executing agency, the government is taking steps for a rapid expansion of fisheries. The emphasis in this development project is placed firstly on advisory services to help in strengthening the fishery administration, in organizing fishery research, and secondly on surveys and experimental fishing to assess the available resources and develop efficient method of exploiting them. The UNDP Project Manager and his consultants are assisting the government in the evaluation of the existing fishery policies, laws, regulations and practices. The UNDO is providing also biologists, masterfisherman, equipment including a combination fishing vessel, fishing gear and vehicles.
Here, a technician examining shrimp specimens. [May 1970]