Posted By: Dan On: 2/25/2010

Title: Irresponsible fishing

How does this happen?? Tuna is under enough pressure, it's been decimated in the Mediteranean and now they bring their irresponsibility to our shores? It's a crime.

Posted By: Matthew Shunk On: 2/22/2010

Title: Capt. Matthew Shunk

I think this will hurt the sportfishing industry in the Bahamas and when there are no more fish no one will go to the Bahamas and spend thousands of dollars on fuel, dockage, meals, hotel rooms and etc. to fish. This area is not very big and I dont think it can withstand this kind of commercial fishing. The Bahamas would be better off trying to make the sportfishing better to draw the fisherman to the Bahamas. The people that own these sport boats have alot of money and are willing to spend it in search of great fishing, so make the fishing better and the money will come!

Posted By: Michael K Hughes On: 2/19/2010

Title: net fishing

As in all walks of life these days, the bottom dollar is why most things come to be.. The world knows net fishing is disastrous to all fisheries and for it to be experimented with or done at all means someone has been made a very profitable deal to allow it to begin in there area.

Posted By: T On: 2/18/2010

Title: Woops!

I guess that Atlantis dollars from the casino and maybe Lucaya cash from the spring breakers are the only modes of tourism recognized by the Bahamian Government. They must fail to realize that every Bahamian Citizen who lives on an island where the American Sport Fishing boats frequent depends on the money printed with the faces of George and Ben on it. It is a shame to see this happening any where in the world but it is a tragedy to see it happen so close to home.

Posted By: Walker On: 2/17/2010

Title: This must be STOPPED!!

This will be a real tragedy for the Bahamian people. I have seen what this type of commercial fishing has done to other areas and its terrible. These guys can do so much damage that it takes DECADES for the fish population to recover.
Only the Bahamian people can stop this!!

Posted By: C P Punch Martyn On: 2/17/2010

Title: Grand Bahama Tuna Fishing

This entire thought process is flawed. The Bahamian government must rethink their position. Tourism is the ONLY way Freeport and the rest of the Bahamas can prosper.

Posted By: steve hedrick On: 2/17/2010

Title: Charter Captian

You mentioned in addition to Tuna, dolphin and porpoises. You did not mention the Sailfish, white and blue marlin and swordfish that may also be kill.

Posted By: Disgusted On: 2/17/2010

Title: brainless

Well, we have already almost killed the tourism industry with bad service and a bad product. Now we may as well put the final nail in the coffin. The great thing about this move is it could finish of two industries at once: tourism and commercial fishing.
As a bonus, all the profits go to the Mediterranean! And, of course, a few corrupt polititians. ( more then a few corrupt polititians)....
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Posted By: dewitt davenport On: 2/17/2010

Title: tuna boat

wonder if the government ever read the international commission for conservation of atlantic tuna (iccat) report dated 2009>>this data was not an "experiment"..we've got an international disaster on our hands ..in addition ,where does the $300 fishing license money go..if they allow this activity i know what else will disappear...editors gather the facts..challenge the government to do the right thing..leadership is necessary today.........

Posted By: Lowell Clark On: 2/17/2010

Title: Tuna decimation

NO WAY should this be allowed .It will destroy whatever tourism remains in these recession times .Nice does not cut it . This is totally illadvised and shows a complete lack of insight by the government . Stop thi travisty before it is too late .

Posted By: Jim On: 2/17/2010

Title: Tuna Boat

The tuna fishing in the Bahamas even in the prime months is hit or miss. The net boats in the NE use planes and sophisticated sonar equipment and can wipe out a school in an hour. This would be another bad decision by the Bahamian Govt. and will cripple their tourism. The large center console boats that frequent places like Lucaya and West End just wont make the trip.

Posted By: Drsnakey On: 2/15/2010

Title: tuna wranglers

Sportsman and others alike should follow the vessel. Stand doen long enough for them to set the net and then race up and throw a line on it, grag it off and destroy the net.

Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 2/15/2010

Title: Tribune don't let them do this BS

Please Tribune, do not let this story go. This is a very serious thing and a water shed moment for the Bahamas! We cannot allow net fishing here. What moron in government even contemplated approving it? He should be fired, effective immediately. He should also be investigated, because I am sure a kickback agreement of some kind must have taken place to get that approved. This is ridiculous and it is BS like this that keeps me thinking that bahamas.bs was the best domain name every given to this country. Our gov is BS!

Posted By: James Rose On: 2/15/2010

Title: Responsible Govermnent?

I am a Bahamian citizen, and I have been fishing for tuna for over 25 years in The Bahamas. The tuna stocks have been on a steady decline throughout my life. The government needs to be educated on the state of global tuna stocks. The yellofin tuna, which is the target species of the new "Bahamian" tuna fishing boat, has a limited stock within The Bahamas. The yellowfin tuna we have here are considered juvaniles in every sense of the word. Most of the Yellowfin tuna we see are still too small to have reproduced. The Bahamaian Yellowfin tuna stock has an average weight of about 30 Lbs. This is not to say that we don't have larger fish, but the average size is still very small. The adult Atlantic Yelowfin tuna don't reside in Bahamain waters. Large tuna are found further north, like Bermuda, and off the coast of the carolinas and north from there. Their migrations take them all the way around to Africa and on to South America. Yellowfin tuna have a relatively short life span, with few living past 7 years. They have an exceptional growth rate, being able to double their weight in 10 - 12 weeks. If you do the math, you realize that the Bahamian tuna stock is one of the hatcheries for the rest of the Atlantic. We need to protect this at all cost. We have a responsibilty to protect this. Our tuna sport fishing industry, our tourism industry, and our local limited tuna fishng industry take second place to our global resposibilty to protect this species of fish inside our territorial waters. Anything less would be a complete failure of our government to act in an educated and responsible manner.

Posted By: Tha Lawd On: 2/14/2010

Title: The Future

We as Bahamian people MUST demand an indepth explanation of why this license has been granted. Also what socioeconomic benefit will this have for the Bahamas. Give me a break... MEDITERRANEAN CREW??? First of all who approved their work permits??? They could at least have Bahamian crew. The product could AT LEAST be kept in country.
Why should I follow any fishing laws and regulations when people are allowed to fish juvenile fish, conch, and crawfish at Montague, and then sell them without a business license.
Why should I follow any of the fishing laws and regulations when government is allowing a mostly foreign fishing crew to rape our waters. If WE THE BAHAMAIN PEOPLE elected you to represent us you goal should be to do the country a service and position us for the future. This is the basic M.O. of a Bahamian politian....'How can we gain more power/money as quick as possible'
Personally I want names of people that approved it, I want the scientific research they went through before they approved it, and I want an explanation on how they think this going to benefit the Bahamas.
I also want the name of the boat and if I see it something is going to go down.

Posted By: Capt. Walter Robinson On: 2/14/2010

Title: fisherman fear Freeport boat will soon target large scale tuna fishing

It's a sure way to stop my boat and guest from coming over to the Abacos. We've already seen a decrease in sport fishing industry as it is. All we need is something like this going on. It only benefits a handful of people compared to the people the sportfishing industry benefits from. I sure hope the goverment re-think this problem out.

Posted By: James On: 2/14/2010

Title: Commercial fishing...

Bad idea Bahama's. What kind of message does this send to the recreational fishing anglers that abide by all the laws of the Bahamas's?
Last, of course you have access to a Mediterranean crew, there is no fish left there!

Posted By: Capt. Len Roberts On: 2/14/2010

Title: Another Hati

This is just the same way Hati went with Papa Doc and his cronies taking everything they could steal from the people in his own country. Now it is going to happen even closer to home in the Bahamas. They will make the deals and keep the money and destroy what the people in the Bahamas ahve had for years a great fishing area. It can only hurt South Florida with the fish that come this way off the Bahamas into our area and a great Sportfishing area that we have here in America. Another way to hurt the economy of South Florida also. Keep your Tourist Dollars here in America and make our economy strong once again.

Posted By: Richard Thompson On: 2/13/2010

Title: Just Do It

You may as well...what the heck can you expect us to do about something that is this far into the implementation stage? To heck with them...just another third world country selling off its resources to a corrupt political crony....what else is new.

Posted By: Jack Frotto On: 2/13/2010

Title: NOT FAIR

This not fair to the eastern seaboard of USA either! They are just gonna wipe out the fishery that migrates north very spring/summer???????????How can this be approved? Look at the medditeranean for your answers on how destructive this type of fishing is..

Posted By: Pat Burton On: 2/13/2010

Title: This is terrible!

I cannot believe a country that there #1 industry is tourism and fishing..This will only benefit a small few and devastate a mass majority..The other thing is they will wipe out the tuna that migrate north..This is a very destructive fishery and should not be allowed!

Posted By: steve alexander On: 2/13/2010

Title:

How does this benefit the people of the Bahamas? It doesn't. The government there is not interested in helping their people in these economic times. But I can guarantee you they are helping thier own pockets. I spend over 3000.00 dollars alone over there for 4 days to chase tuna. And I am only on a small 23 foot center console. Americans mainly go over to sportfish. If this happens you can count most of us out.

Posted By: Erasmus Folly On: 2/13/2010

Title: Government?

We call this government? This is the rule of moronic idiots! Bahamian politicians should be beyond ashamed of themselves. When are these jackasses going to stop trying to kill the golden goose?! What is their F%^&ing problem?! How dumb are these people? These aren't just bombastic statements/questions. People, we need to seriously ask ourselves what we stand for as a country. Rule of the idiot peanut gallery or something more... WAKE UP BAHAMAS! We need to follow Costa Rica's eco-tourism example and FAST!

Posted By: concerned bahamian citizen On: 2/13/2010

Title:

our country is ran by idiots, politicians/lawyers should not run the bahamas, they obviously know nothing about business. we need business minded people that will help our economy, not idiotic mofos that are trying to destroy it.

Posted By: brad On: 2/13/2010

Title: i will go to mexico!

every year we travel via center console from fla to freeport to nassua to exumas to eleuthra and back. top priorty is catching tuna. a net boat in the bahamas will decimate that fishery and my patronage. i will go to cabo if this happens! just my 2 cents

Posted By: John Johnson On: 2/12/2010

Title: If true, simply disgusting and disgraceful

Editor,
PLEASE follow up to verify this article. If it is accurate, PLEASE use all your skills and power of the press to demand an end to this obviously stupid behaviour. This is simply outrageous and MUST be stopped. A complete explanation by all who approved this nonsense must be given; their names must be made public.
This one boat could easily decimate the fishing around the Tongue and Abaco forever and cost The Bahamas countless millions in local and tourist fishing revenue. What in the world are these people thinking (besides a few short term dollars)?
Again, PLEASE, PLEASE put the pressure on before it's too late.
Thank you.

Posted By: Sick of it all On: 2/12/2010

Title: Idiots

Well, we have already almost killed the tourism industry with bad service and a bad product. Now we may as well put the final nail in the coffin. The great thing about this move is it could finish of two industries at once: tourism and commercial fishing.
As a bonus, all the profits go to the Mediterranean! And, of course, a few corrupt polititians.