The regional fishing committee of Martinique has launched an app that allows consumers to locate fishermen who are selling the type of fish they want.
According to the online publication RCI: C'est La Vie, the application named “Pwason Matinik,” (creole French for Martinique fish), enables consumers to find fresh fish at any moment in Martinique and know where it is being sold.
Consumers can download the app onto their smartphone or other mobile device and then enter a query for the fish they want. The app contains the details of professional fishers who are registered with the app. These latter share in real-time via the app information about their return to the fishing port, as well as the time and place of their sale, the species they are selling, and the amount available for purchase.
The app also facilitates the fishers in keeping track of their catch history data for administrative, declaration and accounting purposes, RCI said.
According to RCI, the fishing committee behind the app is seeking to promote jobs and extend the sales network of fishers in order to encourage greater commercialization of fish products.
However, in order for fishers to register with the app, they must meet hygiene standards and adhere to rules for traceability, the publication said.
According to the document “Blue Economy in Martinique,” there are 1,055 active fishers in Martinique, most of them artisanal, with a total revenue of EUR 28 million (USD 33 million) annually. The document notes that 70 percent of catch is sold directly to consumers, including restaurants; 24 percent to retailers; and six percent to fish wholesalers.
A significant number of Martiniquan fishers work in the industry as a means to supplement their incomes, with just 30 percent getting their principal income from fishing.
