The Tribune

By LETRE SWEETING

lsweeting@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas National Trust is calling all Bahamians for preservation, moderation and “conchscious conchservation” as they yesterday premiered a documentary at Baha Mar highlighting conservation efforts in East Grand Bahama.

The BNT premiered its Conchious Movement documentary yesterday afternoon, at an SLS Baha Mar ballroom. The documentary included scenes from conservation efforts with Bahamians from East End, Grand Bahama, as they learned ways to fish sustainably.

The documentary was launched first in Grand Bahama three months ago, during the conservation project in Grand Bahama, which was completed in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Japanese government, the Baha Mar Resort Foundation and others.

Lakeshia Anderson-Rolle, BNT executive director, said “The conservation of conch in The Bahamas must remain as a top priority for all Bahamians. National parks are key conservation tools in the race to conserve conch. Marine parks protect expansive areas of healthy conch habitat, and in some cases thriving populations, with plans to explore more marine managed areas throughout the archipelago with the BNT and the government and local organisations,

“While there is more work to do, we are certain that in collaboration, we are able to do more research and education, well-enforced fisheries regulations and more importantly community involvement are required for sustainable harvest of Queen conch fisheries,” she said.

“(Additionally), we are pleased to state that through the the GEF (the Global Environment Facility) 2020 project, we will secure an advance for opportunities to support monitoring and research to save critically important species like the conch and the spiny lobster.

Ms Anderson-Rolle said she is happy to see Cabinet considering legislation to better help with conservation efforts as well.

“Before the end of this project that we’re talking about today, official recommendations were submitted to the government of The Bahamas, which included new legislation to create a more sustainable conch fishery. Today, we are extremely glad to see some of those recommendations being legislated,” she said.

“The BNT, along with other conservation partners that we have been working (and) we have been conducting research. We have been conducting outreach throughout The Bahamas, in the Bahamian communities and we’ve recommended a number of legislative changes,” Ms Anderson- Rolle said.

“One that is being considered right now has to do with the (conch’s) lip thickness and incorporating that in the legislation. Currently the conch legislation says that it has to have a well-formed or flaring lip, which doesn’t necessarily mean that they are adult conch. And so the draft legislation does now speak to utilising lip thickness as a way to determine whether or not the conch is an adult,” she said.

“Other recommendations were made in terms of export of conch. That is still up for debate, but we know that the department of Marine Resources have been circulating the regulations for the new fisheries act and they have been conducting stakeholder consultations throughout the Bahamas to gather input and feedback before advancing the legislation,” Ms Anderson-Rolle said.

Meanwhile, Falon Cartwright, the director of science and policy at BNT, also announced that the organisation has started a new Queen Conch Restoration project in the Moriah Harbour Cay National Park in Rolle’s Town, Exuma.

This new project will be centred around the use of a mobile Queen Conch hatchery. The mobile hatchery would raise conch as they mature under the mobile and controlled conditions. It is eight feet wide and 20 feet in length and is already set up on the island.