This trip report of a three-week visit to Brazil, Panama, El Salvador, and Guatemala describes the state-of-the-art of Latin American fisheries. Part I contains recommendations for AID., part ii discusses the Brazilian situation, and part iii presents the situation in central America. Recommendations for fish culture in brazil include making a socioeconomic assessment of consumer acceptance of various fish species and of differing processing requirements, and assessing the need for more extension personnel to work with fish farmers on pond site selection, management, fish harvesting, and marketing. The report recommends that in Central America, the consumer demand for fish be determined and the USAID-Auburn-Peace Corps-Government of El Salvador model for disseminating information on fish culture be expanded. Topics treated in the section on Central America include consumer acceptance of fish as a protein source, descriptions of research stations, and the possibility of developing fish cooperatives and/or extension programs.