The crew of a Dominican fishing vessel was brought to the capital on Tuesday after Royal Bahamas Defence Force officials reported that the 66 foreigners were caught poaching in Bahamian waters.
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Leslie Miller, who was at the Defence Forceﾒs Coral Harbour base for the arrival, said that there were reports of even more foreign fishing vessels at sea taking advantage of the countryﾒs marine resources.
The crew of the 80-foot vessel named the Barlovento was arrested near the Cay Sal Bank in the southwest Bahamas on Sunday, according to Defence Force officials.
Fisheries officials and Bahamian fishermen have long contended with the problem of foreign poachers who steal into Bahamian waters and fish for large amounts of catch, taking them back to their homeland to reap lucrative rewards. There were even reported instances of armed confrontations at sea.
In the case of the Dominicans brought in on board a Defence Force vessel on Tuesday, authorities said they had a large quantity of fisheries products on board. Formal charges against them have not been ruled out as fisheries officials crack down on such offenders.
Operating under the bi-lateral Comprehensive Maritime Agreement between The Bahamas and the United States, a Defence Force marine assigned to ship riding duties aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Nantucket, arrested the crew on Sunday morning.
The maritime arrangement permits Coast Guard vessels with Defence Force personnel on board to carry out law enforcement operations within the territorial waters of The Bahamas.
On Monday morning, the vessel, its occupants and the fisheries resources were all turned over to the Defence Force vessel HMBS Yellow Elder to be transported to New Providence.
Defence Force officials have touted the efficacy of their longstanding association with the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
"The Defence Force, no matter how well manned or how favourably equipped, will never survive the many varied and ever evolving challenges of its mandate in the 21st Century without the support of partners such as the USCG and others," said Lieutenant Darren Henfield, the forceﾒs Public Relations Officer.
Lieutenant Michael Fredei, USCG Liaison Officer, assigned to the American Embassy in Nassau, stated that the working relationship and partnership between the USCG and the RBDF has been a very successful one.
"And we need to continue building on it, and in so doing, make it even more efficient and effective, as it is very vital to both our nations," he said.
Minister Miller had said that the Department of Marine Resources intended to employ additional staff members in select islands to assist in addressing law enforcement concerns.
He told Parliament recently that vigorous prosecution by trained attorneys, the appearance of prosecution witnesses presenting the governmentﾒs evidence and appropriate penalties are absolutely essential to successful prosecutions.
"Sadly, these elements have not always been in place, with the result of a mockery being made of the efforts to eliminate the poaching problem," he said at the time.
The fishing industry employs approximately 20,000 Bahamians. Fisheries exports have reaped substantial rewards for those employed in the industry.
In 2004, the last year for which official statistics are available, The Bahamas exported some $92 million worth of goods into the U.S. market, most of which was crawfish.
The Bahama Journal
