Everybody owns a boat of some kind in St. Barths, and most are used for fishing. There are twenty or so professional fishermen who provide the local restaurants with fresh lobster, fish and conchs. A bunch of natives from Les Saintes archipelago, south of Guadeloupe, introduced professional gears and methods when tourism created the needs at the end of the 60's. The Saintois also brought with them their famous open fishing boats called "saintoises".

     Big game fishing provides amateurs with exciting days in the open sea: catches are frequent and some are huge. From May to September, you can measure yourself against the blue or white marlin when, strapped in your fighting seat, you'll have succeeded in taming it, the practise is to release it after tagging, not to deprive the under marine realm of such a lord.; from December to April delicious bull-nosed dolphin abound; and the whole year round, wahoo, tuna, and barracuda are waiting for your bait.

     Fishing with a spear-gun without bottles is permitted 200 yards from the beaches for fish that have reached a certain size, but is more sporting to trap lobsters with a loop. A Marine Reserve has been implemented in 1996, in order to encourage sea life in coastal waters.