INCREASED protection of Bahamian waters from poachers by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) has “played an instrumental role” in helping to make what many fishermen are saying is the best lobster season for 20 years.
Clay Sweeting, Deputy Chairman of the Bahamas Agricultural and Industrial Corporation (BAIC), yesterday highlighted the “positive effects of well patrolled waters” and offered hope that the industry can rebound from years of neglect.
In a statement, Mr Sweeting said: “God has indeed blessed the Great Bahama Banks this season with an abundance of lobster; however the RBDF has also played an instrumental role in protecting the banks against local and foreign poachers.”
Mr Sweeting said many fishermen had asked him to convey their thanks to the Government as well as to the Acting RBDF Commodore, Captain Tellis Bethel, for a job well done. “Some fishermen have stated that whatever they are doing, tell them to keep doing it,” the statement said.
“In March, 2014, the Government took a major step in the right direction, with the expansion of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force’s patrol fleet and the development of three shore-side docking facilities. North Eleuthera fishermen were delighted that the government was prepared to spend north of $232m on this initiative, which will not only strengthen the patrol capabilities of the RBDF, but also play a major role in the protection Bahamian waters and fisherman from illegal poachers.
“The fishing industry plays an important role in supporting thousands of Bahamians throughout our archipelago of islands, including Spanish Wells, Eleuthera, Abaco, Long Island, Exuma, Andros and many others. For many years, we as a community and country of fishermen have fought for the protection of our borders We have witnessed firsthand the explosion of illegal poaching during the off-season by foreign vessels, most noticeably from the Dominican Republic. Our once full circle economies have been adversely affected, leading to home foreclosures and struggling businesses.”
Earlier this month, Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) vice-president Keith Carroll told The Tribune that the crawfish season was “looking promising” and credited this to Defence Force patrols during the offseason.
The BCFA has long voiced concerns over poaching by foreign fishermen, primarily Dominicans, particularly during the closed period. However Mr Caroll believes that the addition of new vessels to the Defence Force’s fleet has helped to put a dent in the poaching practice. Last month, RBDF marines were involved in a shootout and subsequent high-speed chase with suspected Dominican poachers in the Cay Lobos area.
“I really think that because of the work the Defence Force, especially what they were doing when the season was closed, has helped local fishermen, especially the boats down south. Based on what I’m hearing, the boats that usually have trouble to the south, they are reporting that things are way better than last year and it’s a result of the Defence Force beefing up their patrols. The fishermen are grateful for that,” said Mr Carroll.
“Things are looking promising, especially for the guys from Long Island whose boats were on land after the hurricane and had no work since October. They seem to be doing well. What I’m hearing right now is that the fishermen are doing way better than previous years.”
The crawfish season opened on August 1 and runs to March 31, 2017.
Comments
Sickened 7 years, 8 months ago
Good news indeed!
Islandboy242242 7 years, 8 months ago
Good news, hope they keep up the good work and I hope the lobster abundance isn't just a climatological anomaly. We need better records of the annual tonnage of lobster harvested country wide though.
birdiestrachan 7 years, 8 months ago
Here is something that had been done RIGHT, The money spent on the defense force boats was money well spent. What does the gloom and doom people have to say?
concernedcitizen 7 years, 8 months ago
It was Ingraham who ordered the boats ..Tell me what have we got for the 1,6 million the PLP added to the debt ..Did we get any roads ,airports , harbor dredged , new ports ,,NO for our 1.6 billion dollars and 600 million in VAT revenue we got BAMSI and two Carnivals ,basically some buildings in the bush built by cronies in Andros and two week long parties ..
concernedcitizen 7 years, 8 months ago
1.6 billion the PLP added to the debt
Abaconian 7 years, 8 months ago
This is a load of nonsense that's why. The high yields and good price this year has little or nothing to with the PLP's supposed crack down on poaching. This is purely a natural phenomenon. They come in cycles. Up here in Abaco the boats have also been doing really well and the banks up north are not targeted by domincan poachers. It has more to do with the fact that no major hurricanes have passed over the banks in the last couple of years allowing the crawfish to mature. Hurricanes destroy crawfish traps and kill billions of young crawfish and eggs.
This is nature at work not the PLP lol
themessenger 7 years, 8 months ago
Well Birdie, now all we gat to do is train we officers to stop running dem expensive boats on da damn rocks every other week. How many millions has the last two reef runners cost the taxpayers? In any first world navy those officers would be on da beach for life. By the time we get the last one wrecked back from the Dutch we could have built another one.
cx 7 years, 8 months ago
Haven't heard of this anywhere. What are your sources, if they running up boats on the rock every other week. What they patrolling with :/
Baha10 7 years, 8 months ago
Let us as a Nation try to simply accept what appears to be "good news" without negativity, particularly as the "good news" appears limited at this point in our History.
asiseeit 7 years, 8 months ago
This is great news but lets be real if they where doing their job from the get go this would not even be news. I applaud the RBDF for their efforts but also remind them that their job is never ending, take these compliments and strive for many more!
truetruebahamian 7 years, 8 months ago
There should be a lowering in price locally for crawfish if this is so abundant and export should be made only after the local market is well supplied at an affordable price.
John 7 years, 8 months ago
Now they need to station some of those boats in the Northern Bahamas and control the amounts of fish and lobster being taken by American pleasure craft and sports fishing boats. The catch of these boats should be limited and foreign (or visiting) fishermen be made to pay taxes on the excesses. Talking about tunas weighing hundreds of pounds each, mackerel, grouper and tons of lobster and conch being taken, especially on US holiday weekends. The Bahamas benefits nothing because these boats come loaded with fuel and supplies. They may buy ice and top off fuel to get back home but they hardly spend any money in the Bahamas.
DDK 7 years, 8 months ago
True that!
proudloudandfnm 7 years, 8 months ago
Clay is a PLP. PLPs lie.
I will wait to hear from the fishermen...
Abaconian 7 years, 8 months ago
It is true that crawfisherman are having an exceptional season. But it is not because of the gov. "cracking down" on poaching. Please people don't be so naive. This is simply nature at work. It is because of no major hurricanes over the banks in recent years and because crawfish come and go in cycles. Poaching is still going on.
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