David Smith, a local fisherman, says he is excited about the proposed plan by Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries V. Alfred Gray to put in place a closed season for the capture of grouper fish.
“With the way the fishermen are going about catching fish and damaging the corals, I think implementing a set season for the grouper will indeed be beneficial,” Mr. Smith said.
Mr. Smith, who has a crew of nine men, also agrees that the proposed season will allow the grouper and other fish enough time to develop.
However, another fisherman, Levi Rolle, disagrees.
Mr. Rolle said some fishermen can not wait around for a season for grouper as they depend heavily on the fish to earn a living.
“Yes we can propose such a legislation but fishing is all some men know about,” he said. “Some of them are not interested in sponging or stone crabbing.”
The Agriculture and Fisheries Minister recently announced that his Ministry will consider putting legislation in place for a closed season for the capture of the grouper throughout the Bahamas.
Mr. Gray stressed the importance of grouper and how they must be protected.
“It is important that we protect the grouper from harvest all year round. The Bahamas is the last country in the Caribbean where there is still an abundance of grouper.
“It is my obligation, as Minister, to ensure that we do not deplete the resource.”
Although there has been no specific date set for the proposed closure of the grouper season, Department of Fisheries officials say it will likely take place during the grouper-mating season, during the colder months.
The closure is said to have already begun on several islands in the Bahamas including, Andros and Long Island.
Minister Gray said that he will make a national announcement when the time comes to ensure that all fishermen will know they cannot fish for grouper, conch or crawfish between certain dates of the year.
“We will give them sufficient notice, and hopefully, when the grouper season is closed they would go into stone crab or sponging that can make a living for them,” he added.
By Yvette Rolle-Major, The Bahama Journal
