Haitian authorities seize boat suspected of illicit eel trafficking in Fort-Liberté Bay

FORT-LIBERTÉ— In a decisive move to combat illegal fishing and protect Haiti’s maritime resources, customs officials, police, and judicial authorities carried out a joint operation in Fort-Liberté Bay on Friday, Dec. 20. Acting on reports of illicit eel trafficking, the authorities conducted a patrol of the region’s waters, resulting in the seizure of a fishing vessel suspected of smuggling valuable marine species along the country’s northeastern coast.

The operation, conducted in two stages—morning and afternoon—was prompted by information from local fishermen and observers about suspicious activities in the bay.

“Indeed, information reached us that there was a fishing boat transporting eels in the bay of Fort-Liberté,” a source at the Northeast police directorate told The Haitian Times, requesting anonymity for not being authorized to speak to the media about the matter.

Despite rumors that the boat carried several hundred kilos of eels, a thorough inspection revealed no such cargo. Instead, authorities found only a container and some documents, including payment receipts. “The boat was empty; there was not even a single eel,” said Eno Zephirin, government commissioner at the Fort-Liberté Court of First Instance.

Crew flees before seizure amid community and environmental concerns

Before the authorities arrived in the area, much of the crew managed to flee, splitting between the Dominican Republic and Cap-Haïtien. “There were eight people on board the boat; four escaped to the Dominican Republic, and the rest went to Cap-Haïtien,” said the police source.

The absence of any eel cargo has raised questions, but judicial authorities have vowed to investigate the smuggling networks involved and the boat’s true destination. No arrests have been made, though authorities have confiscated the boat key and documents found aboard for further examination.

The operation has sparked mixed reactions among local communities. Fishermen in Dérac, a village in the Fort-Liberté commune, applauded the authorities’ actions, emphasizing the need to protect their livelihoods and the bay’s fisheries. “We need the authorities to act to protect our waters and our livelihoods,” a local fisherman said.

However, others, like journalist Roubins Joseph, highlighted systemic issues such as overfishing and inadequate resources for local fishermen. “Smuggling eel is a problem, but we also need to address root causes,” Joseph noted. 

High demand amidst increased monopoly and limited government control has accelerated Haiti’s eel trade.

Haiti’s eel industry has experienced significant growth over the past decade, primarily driven by high international demand, particularly from East Asian markets, including China and Japan, according to ScienceDirect Journal. Data extracted by the academic research journal from a Hong Kong report on eel imports in 2022 suggested that almost all 156.9 tons of imported eel fry originated from Haiti.

In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, Haiti exported more than 173,500 tons of eels, valued at nearly $13 million.

This marked an increase from the previous fiscal year, with exports of over 145,000 tons valued at about $9 million.

China plays a crucial role in the global eel market due to the following factors:

• Major consumer: China has a significant demand for eels due to their gastronomic value in traditional dishes.
• Aquaculture industry: China has been involved in eel farming since 1994 and has a well-established aquaculture industry that imports eels from various countries, including Haiti.
• Market influence: The decline of local eel species in China, such as the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), has led to increased imports from other regions, including Haiti.

The eel fishing season in Haiti runs from September to March, with fishermen working overnight to catch these valuable fish. This surge in demand has led to increased pressure on natural eel stocks and has contributed to the development of a complex and often controversial industry within Haiti, where politics and business frequently collide.

According to the Sustainable Eel Group (SEG), a Europe-wide conservation and science-led organization working with partner bodies and individuals to accelerate eel recovery, Haiti’s industry involves over 5,000 fishermen. This indicates that the eel trade can significantly boost the country’s agricultural GDP if it is appropriately organized and supported. Eel exports have been identified as a potential major generator of foreign exchange for Haiti.

However, the economic benefits are not evenly distributed. The market is heavily controlled by a small group of exporters, primarily members of the National Association for the Protection of Aquatic Resources (ANAPRA), which was created in 2018. This group, which started with only eight members, has quickly grown to around 20. Notable members include well-known business figures like Charles “Kiko” St. Rémy, Betty Lamy, and Fritz Richardson, along with others who hold licenses issued by the Haitian government, allowing them to exploit and profit from these marine resources at the expense of local fishermen and smaller exporters.

Regulations and preservation of biodiversity

The Haitian government has implemented measures to regulate the eel trade, including increasing export fees and attempting to control the market through licensing. However, these measures, which subject the exploitation of eels to restrictions such as a defined fishing period from September to March, with seasonal quotas allocated to license holders, have been criticized for favoring a select group of exporters, primarily members of ANAPRA.

Officials at the Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Rural Development (MARNDR), tasked with enforcing regulations and measures on fisheries, advocate for a more comprehensive approach that includes sustainable fishing practices and specific agreements with key eel importers, such as China, to ensure fair trade practices and environmental protection. 

For now, they say, operations like those carried out by Customs surveillance agents, the Haitian National Police, and judicial authorities over the past weekend represent a positive step in the fight against eel smuggling and the protection of Haiti’s waters. Still, consistency in combating illegal fishing and ensuring the long-term health of Haiti’s marine ecosystem—a resource vital to the country’s food security and the well-being of its coastal communities—remains challenging in a country prone to instability.

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