Since its inception the Nassau grouper ban has generally lasted only two months, but this year officials have lengthened the period to three and in some areas four months.
According to Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, Leslie Miller, his department saw it necessary to extend this year’s ban because of the “declining” grouper stocks in the country.
“In an effort to limit fishing pressure on the Nassau grouper, the taking, the landing, the possessing, the selling or offering for sale, or the purchasing of the Nassau grouper will be prohibited throughout The Bahamas during the period of 1 December 2006 through 28 February 2007,” he said.
Minister Miller added that in the High Cay, Andros area, where large concentrations of Nassau grouper are known to spawn, the ban will be extended by two months.
“With respect to the High Cay area of Central Andros, fishing for the Nassau grouper will be prohibited during the period of November 1, 2006 through February 28, 2007, a period of four months,” Minister Miller explained.
“If The Bahamas is to continue to have sustainable fishery for the Nassau grouper, it is imperative that steps continue to be taken to control fishing efforts during the period when the species is most vulnerable,” he said.
Minister Miller added that his Ministry will be enforcing new strategies this year to ensure the ban is being followed.
“In an effort to ensure that the Nassau Grouper is not being harvested or sold during the proposed closed season, Fisheries regulations will be amended to make it mandatory that if it is harvested it must be landed with head, tail and skin intact,” he explained. “This would enable fisheries inspectors to be able to identify the grouper species that is being landed.”
But while Gilford Lloyd, chief enforcement officer at the Fisheries Department admitted that enforcing the ban will be a challenge, he insisted that it will take a multi-agency effort by local authorities.
“In terms of our strategy for the enforcement of the Nassau grouper ban, it has always been a challenge to stop or prevent local fishers from catching the species,” said Mr Lloyd.
Meanwhile, according to agriculture and fisheries experts, the size of the Nassau grouper stock is unknown in The Bahamas because there is no scientific data outlining the amount of Nassau grouper in our waters. Still, experts insist it is on the decline.
But already in surrounding areas like Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Florida authorities say the Nassau grouper is known to be commercially extinct.
“The situation with the Nassau grouper tells all of us in The Bahamas that unless we are prepared to protect and enhance this species of fish in our waters we will follow the format of those other countries,” said Minister Miller.
“Bahamians have this fixation in their head that once we would have seen an entity or species in The Bahamas, it’s going to be there forever,” he added. “But nothing could be further from the truth.”
By: JASMIN BONAMY, The Nassau Guardian
