Menu Close

Suspected Dominican Poachers Nabbed By Defence Force

96 Dominicans, suspected of poaching in Bahamian waters, were picked up by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) along the Ragged Island Chain Saturday morning.

According to the RBDF, officers intercepted two sixty-five foot vessels shortly after 7:00am. Saturday and arrested 96 persons. A “large quantity” of shell fish and scaled fish was confiscated from the vessels.

The boats were intercepted on the Conchina banks, just west of Ragged Island. The area is well known for its grouper schools. Grouper season officially closed at the beginning of this month.

The apprehended craft were escorted to Nassau, where the fishermen will be turned over to the relevant authorities.

Another poaching vessel apprehended recently by the U.S. Coast Guard was determined to have originated in the Dominican Republic.

Chief Counselor for Spanish Wells, Abner Pinder, has been quite vocal regarding poaching by foreign fishermen. He revealed that there have been clashed between Bahamian fishermen and poachers recently.

Increased reports of poachers in the Ragged Island chain have increased the concern of the Defence Force.

In October, a boat from the Dominican Republic was seized with more than 25,000 lbs of illegal fish.

Posted in Headlines

Related Posts