By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
The Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance’s president (BCFA) said yesterday that the 2015-2016 crawfish season is expected to have a below average yield, due largely to the devastation caused by Hurricane Joaquin to 20 per cent of the fishing fleet.
Keith Carroll, the BCFA’s vice-president, said the season was effectively a write-off for fishermen on Long Island who were only just getting their boats back in the water about a week ago. Long Island was one of the islands most severely impacted by Hurricane Joaquin.
And BCFA president, Adrian LaRoda, told Tribune Business: “This season looks like it’s going to be slightly below the average yield. The major cause is the hurricane, which affected about 20 per cent of the Bahamian fishing fleet.
“The storms definitely affected the ability of a lot of fishermen to harvest product. We didn’t see the shortfall made up from other fishermen because Bahamian fishermen usually stick to their traditional fishing grounds. It’s nothing damning, nothing to be too concerned about. We are looking to a better season in 2016.”
Mr Carroll told Tribune Business: “Since October 1, 99 per cent of Long Island fishing boats were on dry land. Four to five were totally written-off because of the storm; the others just went back in the water about a week ago.
“There was a lot of engines damaged. This season is pretty much a write-off. From October 1 to now, not one representative from the Department of Fisheries has reached out to the fishermen on Long Island.
“Fishing to Long Island is like tourism on Paradise Island. When there is no fishing going on there isn’t anything happening except for maybe one or two construction jobs.
Mr Carroll added: “Fishermen of Long Island would like to thank the Rotary Club of the Bahamas, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Long Islanders Association for helping get the boats back in the water; they raised $160,000.”
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