The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The BAHAMAS Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) president said yesterday that he did not envision fishermen objecting to exports to the Dominican Republic, telling Tribune Business that any new market was good for the industry.

Adrian LaRoda’s comments followed those of Financial Services Minister Ryan Pinder, who told Tribune Business that once the poaching issue was dealt with the Dominican Republic could provide significant export potential for Bahamian fisheries.

“I think that any new market for exports is a good thing,” Mr LaRoda said. “Any increase in exports would be good. It will have to be well thought out, of course.

“Their dollars compared to the US dollar is not one-one, they do not have parity with the US dollar like we do. Fisheries imports for them could be very expensive.

“I don’t think any fisherman would object to having the Dominican Republic as an export partner. Everything would be contingent on getting the poaching issue under control. I think that the Government is taking some steps to deal with these issue,s and I commend them for it because any action is better than no action at all.”

Mr Pinder, who was part of a recent ministerial delegation to the Dominican Republic, described the trip as “encouraging”.

“Our primary motivation was to raise heightened awareness on a diplomatic level with respect to the illegal poaching in our waters by Dominican nationals,” he said.

“I met with the trade council, which reports directly to the president of the Dominican Republic, on furthering private sector trade initiatives, and we look to develop the business council between the two countries where private sector participants from the Bahamas and from the Dominican Republic could be members and interact in key industries where we believe that there is import and export potential.

“We believe once we address the illegal fishing component that that could turn into an external trade issue. There is still a very high level of demand for seafood in the Dominican Republic, and we feel that as we proceed in dealing with the poaching issue that they will in turn be a market to purchase our seafood, so we look to expand out trade in seafood into the Dominican Republic,” Mr Pinder said.

“We certainly believe that stone crabs, spider crabs, tuna, grouper and other scale fish are a great export opportunity into the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is certainly a key market for trade opportunities for Bahamian fisheries.”