FISHING GUIDE · HAITI
Haiti Fishing Guide
Haiti's fishing is mostly small-scale and done by local fishers in wooden boats, with nearshore reef stocks described as overexploited. Moored FADs have helped fishers catch tuna, mahi-mahi, wahoo and sailfish offshore. There is no organized sport-fishing charter industry confirmed by our sources, and the U.S. government currently advises against all travel to Haiti.
📍 Haiti, western Hispaniola. The Côte des Arcadins runs about 19 km along the Gulf of Gonâve north of Port-au-Prince, with Montrouis as its hub and islets offshore. Île-à-Vache lies about 10 km (30 minutes by boat) off Les Cayes on the south coast.
Map: spots, ramps and marinas
★ Fishing hot spot · ● Boat ramp · ● Marina · ▭ Protected area (solid red = no fishing, dashed = fishing with rules)
Quick facts
- The U.S. State Department has Haiti at Level 4, Do Not Travel (advisory issued July 10, 2026).
- Île-à-Vache was declared a national park on August 7, 2013, covering 11,235 hectares; about 14,000 residents live by fishing and farming.
- Haiti's protected-area list includes the Parc Marin des Arcadins and the Parc Marin Île-à-Vache/Aquin.
- A 2015 study counted about 10,700 fishing boats in southern Haiti, most 7 m or less with no outboard engine.
- Moored FADs in southeast Haiti gave about 3 times the catch per trip of coastal fishing (2007-2014 data), mostly tuna and mahi-mahi.
What you can catch
- Tuna (yellowfin, skipjack and others)
Main FAD catch along with mahi-mahi. - Mahi-mahi (dolphinfish)
Common at moored FADs. - Wahoo
Caught at FADs such as Petit Paradis. - Sailfish
Reported at FADs near Petit Paradis. - Blue marlin
Significant share of FAD catches in the south; regionally overexploited. - Bonito and rainbow runner
FAD catches. - Spiny lobster
Arcadins mangroves are nursery grounds for spiny lobster and shrimp. - Reef fish
Taken with traps, nets, spears and handlines; nearshore stocks are overexploited.
Month by month
| January | Level 4 travel advisory in effect; check before any trip. |
|---|---|
| February | Check travel advisory and local security. |
| March | Check travel advisory and local security. |
| April | Check travel advisory and local security. |
| May | Check travel advisory and local security. |
| June | Atlantic hurricane season starts Jun 1. |
| July | Hurricane season. |
| August | Hurricane season; most activity mid-Aug to mid-Oct. |
| September | Peak of hurricane season (around Sep 10). |
| October | Hurricane season. |
| November | Hurricane season ends Nov 30. |
| December | Check travel advisory and local security. |
Tips
- Read the current U.S. State Department advisory before planning any travel; Haiti is Level 4, Do Not Travel.
- Do not tie up to or spend the night at a FAD; local rules in the south forbid it.
- Private FADs in the south are often owned by fishers who take about 10% of sales; ask before fishing one.
- Île-à-Vache and the Arcadins are protected areas; leave coral, mangroves and undersized fish alone.
- Marina Blue Haiti at Moulin sur Mer has run island day tours and snorkeling on the Arcadins coast; confirm it is operating.
Rules and license
Haiti Ministry of Agriculture, Direction of Fisheries and Aquaculture; national protected-area authorities · Official rules page ↗
- Recreational fishing license, fees, size and bag limits: not confirmed; check current rules.
- Fishing in Haiti is described as largely unrestricted, and the fisheries office has limited staff for monitoring.
- Mooring boats at FADs or spending the night there is forbidden in the South-East, South and Grand'Anse departments.
- Protected areas include Parc Marin des Arcadins, Île-à-Vache National Park (2013) and Parc Marin Île-à-Vache/Aquin; specific fishing rules not confirmed.
- Other marine protected areas include Port Salut/Aquin (Aug 2013) and Three Bays in the northeast (Dec 2013).
Rules change. Always check the official page before you fish.
Boat ramps and marinas
The map above shows 6 boat ramps and 3 marinas from OpenStreetMap. Tap any dot for directions.
- Marina Blue
- Port de Miragoâne
- Port de Petite Riviere de Nippes
Sources
- https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/haiti-travel-advisory.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_protected_areas_of_Haiti
- https://www.karibiodiv.net/en/?p=264
- https://www.karibiodiv.net/en/?p=223
- https://visithaiti.com/?p=4271
- https://proceedings.gcfi.org/proceedings/the-impact-of-moored-fish-aggregation-devices-fad-on-the-artisanal-marine-fishery-in-southeast-haiti/
- https://proceedings.gcfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/GCFI_68_110.pdf
- https://www.iadb.org/en/news/fish-magnets
- https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/
Checked October 2026. BigJoe does not invent facts: every number on this page comes from the sources listed above.