The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

Lobster catch volumes have increased by “30 percent or better” compared to 2021, a prominent fisherman said yesterday, although this has been offset by prices almost halving.

Keith Carroll, the National Fisheries Association’s president, told Tribune Business that the 2022-2023 crawfish season had started with a mixed outlook as increased volumes and reducing fuel prices are being countered by a near-43 percent year-over-year decline in the per pound price.

“The catch is really, really good but we don’t know what the prices are going to be. The price is about half of what it ended at last season, when it was around $21 and it’s $12 now,” he explained. “There’s nothing we can do about that. It’s just the world market.

“The catch is even better than last year, when it was good. I would think it’s at least 30 percent better than last year, probably more. All the boats are reporting they are doing pretty well. Most of the boats, and I think all the boats, are doing better than last year. At least the fishermen can go out and pay their bills and make something. Once the price comes up everything will be alright again.”

Mr Carroll attributed the improved catch volume to the crackdown on illegal poaching by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) and other government agencies over the past four years. Calling for “non-stop” enforcement to persist, he asserted that there can be “no let up” while warning that the effort could be compromised by the continued presence of Dominican fishermen in The Bahamas even though they cannot sail on local fishing vessels.

“The catches are the result of what the Defence Force and the Government have been doing in keeping the poachers out. This is the result,” Mr Carroll told Tribune Business. “Years ago our seasons never closed, and we had people coming and fishing year-round, killing all the small lobsters. Now the lobsters are able to replenish, and if the Government can continue this the future will be bright for fishing.

“Some guys reported that there were signs of poaching out there this summer, but it was not as bad as it used to be. There were signs they were out there. The Government can never give up. Once they give up, it’s a chance for the poachers. The Government has to continue what they’re doing non-stop.

“It’s our business. They’re [poachers] watching the Defence Force boats every day. It’s like a job for them. Even though Dominicans are not allowed to go on our fishing boats, a lot of them have been applying for citizenship papers. A lot of them know what’s going on in the country, and are telling people back home what is going on because they are still here,” he added.

“The Government has to take this seriously. The fishing community throughout The Bahamas can see what has happened in the last four years. All we’ve got to do is keep doing what we’re doing.” Besides success in combating illegal poaching, Mr Carroll also voiced cautious optimism that fuel price pressures are starting to ease for the fishing industry.

“The price of fuel is starting to drop, so we hope that continues,” he added. “From August it’s down about 60-70 cents so it’s coming down slowly. It ain’t much because it went up so high. The last time I paid for fuel it was $6.48 per gallon, and it might be even less now. I haven’t bought fuel for three weeks.

“Once the price of oil gets back to normal, and the lobster market gets back to normal, the future looks good. We can’t do nothing about the price. I guess it’s supply and demand. All we’re doing is hoping for the best.”

Paul Maillis, the National Fisheries Association’s (NFA) secretary, previously told Tribune Business that Bahamian fishermen are facing “an endless battle with criminals” poaching and stealing. With lobster season barely one month old he has already received multiple reports from fishermen throughout The Bahamas that their condos and traps have been “speared” by poachers during the closed period.

Revealing that he, too, had been a victim after rival fishermen “stole my fishing pot from under my nose”, he called for a shift in attitude and mentality among the “dishonourable” minority in the sector who fail to “value people’s hard work” and instead exploit it for their own financial gain.

“It’s an endless battle with criminals out here,” Mr Maillis had said. “People want to poach out of season. It’s outrageous. There’s a need for our country to have a cultural switch. Another fisherman stole my fish pot from under my face. I was a quarter of a mile away. They anchored above our fish pot, my boat was too slow and they outran me. They knew it was our fish pot. They saw the buoy, knew we were working the area, and stole it from under our face.

“There’s a lot of fishermen that take advantage of the sea. There’s no law enforcement out here, and they don’t place value on other people’s hard work. They see opportunities and they take them. That’s what we deal with in the fishing industry; a lot of dishonourable people.”

Mr Maillis said he was far from alone in having his livelihood impacted by rogue operators and poachers. “It’s very evident listening to the testimony from fishermen down south, like myself who set condos and expect to get a good catch from August 1, that many of their traps have been speared,” he revealed.

“I had a report from a Long Island fisherman, and it looked like all their traps have been speared by poachers. The reefs and cracks [in the rocks] as well looked like poaches had recently been through the area. And, further up north, it looked like a lot of lobster spearing had taken place over the summer. They are reporting their condos have been speared as well.

“There were a lot of fishermen waiting to access their traps, and when August 1 came there were a lot of heads lying around, and a lot of areas that shouldn’t have been empty were empty. It’s not as if there’s been a consistent downward trend in lobster. Last year was an amazing year for fishermen.”