By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
The Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association’s (BFIA) president has again fired back at critics of the new industry regulations, labelling the opposition as “absolute foolishness”.
Prescott Smith told Tribune Business: “All of the gloom and doom talk is just an attempt to get the Government to water down the regulations.
“It’s the special interest groups making all of the noise. There was so much illegal activity going on and the Government was being defrauded badly. When you’re doing the right thing there is always going to be push back.”
Concerns persist over the new regulations for the fly fishing industry, which took effect on January 9. Approved by Cabinet last October, they require anglers above the age of 12, and who wish to fish in the flats, to apply for a personal angler’s license and pay a prescribed fee.
Non-citizens will have to pay $15 for a day license, $20 for a weekly license, $30 for a monthly license and $60 for an annual license. The regulations will also require a foreign vessel wishing to fish in the flats to obtain the usual sports fishing permit, and each person on the vessel intending to flats fish to hold a personal license.
The regulations also ban commercial fishing in the flats. Anglers are only allowed to catch and release when catching bonefish, permit, snook, cobia and tarpon. The new law will also establish a Conservation Fund for the management and protection of the flats and fisheries resources in the Bahamas.
Garnering the most push back, however, is the regulation requiring a ratio of one ‘certified guide’ to every two anglers if they are fishing from a boat.
The Abaco Fly Fishing Industry Association (BFFIA), since the draft regulations were first released, confirmed the industry split by saying its members “do not recognise” the BFFIA as the industry legitimate representative or voice. The Association contends that the new regulations could do “irreparable harm” to the industry.
But John Herman, an angler from Pennslyvania, while speaking with Tribune Business praised the new regulations.
“I have been coming to the Bahamas for 35 years. I think that the regulations are the right thing for the Bahamas,” he said.
“I think it’s a great thing what’s been accomplished for the Bahamas, and a great thing long-term for the fishermen. Too many people are trying to serve their own self-interest instead of looking out for the greater good.”
Comments
sealice 7 years, 3 months ago
Sounds like dem Andros boys been sharing the PLP kool aid with the guests. . . . now we got hameriican cronies from pennsyltucky....
empathy 7 years, 3 months ago
During a recent conversation with a Family Island fishing guide I was told that many visiting anglers now-a-days simply put the coordinates of a good fishing site into their GPS and have no need to call on a local guide again...
Clearly we need to regulate our sports fishing industry both to protect those who make a living in it and to conserve this very important resource. Hopefully these new regulations can protect them both.
Fishing licenses are ubiquitous in many parts of the world, including Europe and North America where so many of our "visitors" originate. It's not too much to ask that they respect the environment and our Bahamian way of life. I suspect most should have no problem complying.
There are always two sides to any issue and when there is lack of transparency or wide consultation it fuels these kinds of rhetoric on both sides. It's not too late to clear this up so we can get on with the business of making it "Better in the..."
DillyTree 7 years, 3 months ago
I don't think anyone is complaining about having to get a license -- that is common around the world, and the fees are more than reasonable.
The problem many visitors (and Bahamians) are having is that they cannot go fly fishing without hiring a guide if there are 2 or more people in the boat. Why should I, as a Bahamian with a Bahamian registered boat who knows where I'm going and what I'm doing, need to hire a guide? This is absurd on so many levels! Surely the DIYers don't need to be babysat when, in many cases, they have more experience and better equipment than any local guide.
I'm glad you brought up "environmental "issues -- do you know what the biggest threats to bonefish in the Bahamas are? Bahamians using nets to illegally harvest bonefish for bait, encroachment and pollution of our mangroves, and acid rain due to environmental pollution (think exhaust fumes, BEC generators, burning of bush, etc.) And don't even get me started on enforcement of our laws -- when our own government officials do not follow the law, it's hard to expect the people to do so. It's way too easy to blame the foreigners than to take a hard look at ourselves!
becks 7 years, 3 months ago
Exactly Dillytree...nobody is complaining about having to buy a license...they just need to make it as simple as possible. As you said...the biggest threat to the bonefishing industry is Bahamians netting bonefish....notice Prescott Smith never addresses that issue.
juju 7 years, 3 months ago
Well said DillyTree!
empathy 7 years, 3 months ago
Dillytree, you've raised some very important points that I can't take issue with, that's why it's important to obtain wide consultation with all the stakeholders, including local anglers. So keep agitating so that your goods points will be heard and included.
sealice 7 years, 3 months ago
the bottom line is the government (today) has no means to enforce any of this anywhere except Nassau where the RBDF has wave runners to patrol the south side of the island.
So Bahamians can and will continue to fish as normal (no enforcement) however sadly the tourists won't be because the PLP and Andros fishing guides are mad at the Golden Goose of Tourism for some reason and have decided to kill it......
MassExodus 7 years, 3 months ago
Waverunners do more harm to the mangroves. The jet from jetskis desturbs extremely delicate sea bottom.
The only way for them to patrol this would be on foot. Good luck convincing an RBDF or RBPF member to go into the mangroves to check for permits!
amaconda 7 years, 3 months ago
I fully agree with the points made by DillyTree. No one objects to the idea of fishing license fees. Especially if the money is to be used for conservation purposes. Until now there is though no indication of a plan for how it will be done and sceptics are afraid that the funds will end up in private accounts.
The article does not mention the requirement of having a certified guide onboard on Bahamian registered vessels carrying more than one fisherman. This means that a foreign citizen/second home owner, who has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the islands now will need to have a BFIA certified guide onboard if she/he wants to fish together with a visiting family member or friend. There are quite a few adjectives describing how absurd this requirement is.
There is an issue of availability of the licenses which should be available online and at the airports ASAP. I believe that most of the tourists come to the Bahamas by plane and making them run around and spend their precious holiday time in governmental compounds is just insane.
When it comes to guides - the regulations make the Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association the one and only legitimate organization for guides. All the training, licensing etc. must from now go through them. BFIA is NOT a governmental body, so all of this money and power derived from this position is now in hands of one person. This may definitely have a severe impact on competition on the market, prices, availability and quality of services.
jomofro 7 years, 3 months ago
Is there more of a "special interest group" than Prescott Smith and his lodge? He owns one of the most expensive and exclusive bonefish lodges in the Bahamas - $15,000 /week for a couple!!! It is ridiculous to think he doesn't have a horse in this race. The bottom line is that these laws have made it illegal for fathers and sons to fish the flats from a boat without a guide ($$$). A grandfather teaching his grandkid to fly fish for bonefish can now be thrown in JAIL if there is no guide ($$$) on the boat. Mr. Smith likes to say that this is about "real" conservation when this has ALWAYS been a catch and release fishery for visiting fly fisherman who love and support the Bahamas. Bahamians are being fooled and the independent guides and small businesses of the out islands are paying the price.
Bruce_Almighty 5 years, 11 months ago
What's wrong with supporting the local economy and its people (especially the guides or people involved with sport fishing)? Everyone that visits know that most of the local Bahamian people are not doing as economically well as most of you visiting fisherman.....(and I'm a visitor) so why not show some decency and share some of the prosperity earned elsewhere while enjoying their beautiful environment.
Is the goal here to enjoy the resource as "cheaply" as you can????(shame on you if it is)....express so humanity and help rather than be opportunistic about this situation.
Time to reverse the way of the world from "take more than you give".... to...."give more than you take!"
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