Posted by Briland Modem News Team on April 03, 2002 at 11:18:09:
BREEF Warns Of Crashing Conch
And Grouper Stocks
The population of Nassau grouper is crashing due to
over exploitation of spawning aggregations, and signs
are that conchs are being over-harvested before they
can breed.
These startling conclusions are the result of research by
the Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation
headed by Sir Nicholas Nuttall. He pointed out that the
grouper catch in 2001 was less than half a million
pounds - about a third of the 1999 catch. And recent
surveys of discarded conch shells show that 75 percent
are undersized.
"Grouper stocks are approaching the point of no
return," Sir Nicholas said in a letter to the press recently,
"and we have learned that once fish are gone they do
not come back. So we must either limit our catch or lose
them."
He urged citizens to make their views known during the
general election campaign and vote for candidates who
will act decisively on these issues. Copies of an
independent fisheries report commissioned by BREEF
are available for a processing fee of $10 by calling the
organization's office at 362-6477.
"We must leave our election candidates in no doubt
that we expect them to rescue the grouper and conch.
Remember that it is very difficult to get conservation
measures adopted. Change is unpopular and data is
hard to collect and verify," he said. "The easiest time
for MP's to act is in the first few months of a new
parliament when they know they have a secure job for
the next five years. If they act soon, those who win this
election will be able to take credit for the recovery of our
fish stocks at the 2007 polls".
BREEF began its campaign to save the Nassau grouper
in 1997. It commissioned a comprehensive study by
British fisheries experts, which showed that the
population decline would become irreversible if
conservation measures were not taken. In fact, the
Bahamas has the last remaining viable grouper fishery in
the entire region, the fish having been pushed to the
point of commercial extinction elsewhere.
Fishing contributes more to the country's gross national
product than agriculture, banking or insurance.
Landings of conch are valued at over $1.5 million a year
and landings of scale fish are valued at over $3 million a
year, while the crawfish industry is the world's fourth
largest - contributing $65 million to the economy. But
catches and average size are declining and experts warn
that the industry is not being effectively managed.
"If the Bahamas continues to expand and develop the
fishing industry, without adequate management
controls in place, it is inevitable that
economic and social benefits from the industry will
decline...causing serious economic, social and
environmental problems," the report warned.
Protection of spawning aggregations and a three-month
ban on grouper fishing during the winter breeding
season are two measures that have been suggested to
slow the decline. But closed seasons are not a practical
option for the conch fishery, which is also in decline
throughout the region due to high fishing pressure.
Most scientists agree that the best solution to
overexploitation of fish stocks is the creation of a
network of marine reserves, similar to the Exuma Cays
Land and Sea Park, which became a no-fishing zone in
1986.
The BREEF report concludes that a system of marine
reserves would be "an effective means of promoting
sustainable fisheries." Evidence from the Exuma Park,
the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and other
protected areas around the world show that such
reserves help replenish declining fish stocks.
"We believe that, with the agreement of fishermen, you
can close off part of the sea to give our conch and
grouper vital breeding space," Sir Nicolas said. "Each
island should have its own marine reserve to spread the
burdens and benefits fairly."
In the late 1990's BREEF held workshops with fishermen
and local government officials to discuss the creation
and siting of marine reserves. The organization then
commissioned four top scientists to rate the 33 sites
identified by the workshops. In January, 2001 the
government selected five of these sites to be closed to
fishing as an experiment. But the policy has not been
legally implemented.
"The next government will decide the future of the marine
reserves policy and whether we will continue to be able
to enjoy eating conch and grouper," Sir Nicholas said.
"We can help raise money to create a network of marine
reserves, but ultimately success or failure rests with the
Bahamian citizen.
"Will you support a closed season for grouper and never
buy or catch undersized conch? Will you demand that
our politicians implement a system of marine reserves to
protect our fishery stocks? It is our responsibility to act
now," he said.
BREEF was formed in 1994 to invest in marine
environmental education targeting Bahamian science
teachers throughout the country. It is a private,
non-profit organization based in Nassau, which has
helped train hundreds of local teachers at the Bahamian
Field Station on San Salvador.