Posted by David on April 28, 2002 at 05:37:24:
In Reply to: State of Bahamian Fisheries posted by G Man on April 26, 2002 at 13:23:01:
: This is a terrible tragedy, which I think has sparked one of the most interesting debates on the board in years.
: I can certainly understand the concerns many feel over the presence of the shark in swimming waters, as well as the perception that the shark may have effected the bottom and sport fishing on the bay side. I however, will throw in with those who feel sorry for the shark and its un-born offspring.
: While I understand the importance of fishing to Bahamians on the micro level (as part of their regular diet) and on the macro level (as almost 3% of the national GDP, approximately $75 million annually, providing full-time employment to almost 7% of the workforce); I have been extremely concerned about the state of the Bahamian fish, conch and lobster stocks.
: Having just watched on PBS this week a documentary about the rapid decline of fish stocks around the world, I was wondering what is the current state of the Bahamas' fisheries? Does it seem to anyone that there are fewer fish, conch and lobsters than in the past? What steps has the Bahamian government taken to ensure the long term sustainability of these resources? Is there any group or individual on Harbour Island (or Eleuthera) actively involved in the monitoring of the fisheries?
: I only bring this up because the subject completely fascinates me. I do not claim any moral superiority since in my 30 years of visiting the island I have caught and eaten plenty of fish myself. Worse, I have always been fascinated by the sea life of the Bahamas and have quite a few "souvenirs" which any conservationist would find completely inappropriate. What concerns me is a day when I visit Briland and am unable to have a sweet piece of grouper, a delicious conch fritter or a fresh lobster tail. But more importantly, how will decreasing fisheries effect the local economy and culture?
Here's a Canadian's observations on your concerns. Are you familiar with the cod fishery on Canada's east coast province of Newfoundland? The Grand Banks off the coast provided the world with cod for 400 years. The supply seemed inexhaustable. Well, it wasn't. Ten years ago, the fishermen went out and there were no cod being hauled into their boats any more. The government did what many thought could never happen - THEY CLOSED THE FISHERY!! This was supposed to be for only a few years to give the species time to recover. It still hasn't done so. The fishery is still closed. I went to Newfoundland a couple of years ago, and talked to one of the thousands of men whose family had fished for generations and was now left with no livelihood. He told me that when the "factory boats" arrived from Russia and Japan 40 years ago, his grandfather told him, "One day there will be no cod left to fish" The thought seemed ridiculous at that time, but that's what happened. So, how do these people respond? They still come with their factory boats and take whatever living creatures they can "harvest" out of the sea. Money in the owners pockets today - no fish in the ocean tomorrow. Conservation is not a word in their vocabulary. The owners don't care - they think that they will simply move on to some other natural resource to exploit (and they probably will). Meanwhile, the population of the fishing villages is decimated. Whole families have to leave, go to the city or other parts of the country to try to find work. The culture is being destroyed.
I don't know if things are that bleak in the future of the Bahamas, but it's a world-wide problem, and sometimes I think we're all rushing into an ecological disaster that our descendants will suffer with for generations.
:-)
David