Fishermen can expect another, ban to be placed on the Nassau Grouper this month.
A two-month moratorium will come into effect two weeks before the Christmas holidays. From Dec. 16 to Feb. 16 next year, anyone taking, landing, processing and selling the Nassau Grouper will be in breach of the law, and could pay a fine of up to $3,000.
The ban is to ensure that the commercial availability of the popular delicacy will be sustained for the benefit of present and future generations of Bahamian fishermen and consumers.
During the month of January a prohibition of the same kind was put into effect, and according to Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries officials, from all indications it was a “success,” although some fishermen had voiced their concern over such a move, claiming the ban would negatively impact their businesses.
Mixed views
On Sunday, the Guardian spoke with a number of fishermen on the upcoming closure and many agreed that it was a good thing to replenish the stock, while others still spoke of the “economic slump” it would create in the fishing sector.
According to Nesbitt Smith, all fishermen should be able to ride out this season and be able to bounce back after the two-month closure.
He agreed that the ban is a good move by the government to protect the precious resource, which is in danger of becoming extinct.
“We should not have a problem with that. We want our children and our children’s children to be able to enjoy it,” he said.
Although noting that the ban will effect his business, Mr Smith said it is quite okay as two months is not a very long time. “It will affect us but sooner or later we will get used to it.”
He said it was no different from the government placing a ban to allow for the replenishment of the crawfish and turtle.
Like Smith, fisherman Tavis Newbold was all in favour of the ban. He was looking forward to the future.
Carson Culmer, a fisherman stationed at the Montagu ramp had mixed feelings on the matter. “It is good and it is bad,” he said.
“We just had two hurricanes pass and I feel they should have given this season a pass and then next season carry on with it. Because at this time that is all our consumers are depending on for the Christmas time. I don’t know if they will give us a chance, but they already said they will close it so we will have to work with them,” Mr Culmer said.
He said that the closure will have a serious effect on his business, partcularly as it is the Christmas season. “The grouper is the number one fish for all the fishermen for this time of the year,” he said.
From Dec. 18, 2003, to March 2004, about seven square miles of waters surrounding High Cay, off the coast of Andros, was designated a protected area. During this period any type of fishing was prohibited in this area, which is well known as a site for grouper spawning aggregation.
Fisherman Timmy Sherman spoke out against the ban. He said it was a bad idea, and noted that there will still be persons out there who would seek to harvest the fish.
“This will have a devastating effect on (family) business. We have rent to pay, light bill to pay, we have women and children, and Christmas is right around the corner, and we have to be Santa Claus,” he said.
He stressed that even though the majority of fishermen are willing to obey the law, there will still be some who will defy the odds. “Some people will still go out there and sneak them in because some people only want fresh (grouper) fish.”
A 10-year study by the Caribbean Marine Research Centre in collaboration with scientists from North Carolina State University and the National Marine Fisheries Services Southeast Science Centre concluded that grouper in The Bahamas was being depleted at an alarming rate.
During the announcement of January’s ban, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister V Alfred Gray said he was acting on the advice of scientists who had advised that the government that if the season was not closed sometime during the spawning of the grouper, “in the not-too-distant future we will have no grouper to harvest.”
Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
