The Tribune

LAST evening, Joann Behagg transformed the Doongalik Studios on Village Road into a ceramic showcase as she presents an exhibition entitled “All Dead, All Gone”.

This ceramic environmental exhibition, which closes November 29, is attempting to bring awareness to the Bahamas’ failing fishing industry and the frightening, rapid depletion of its resources.

According to the artist, this depletion is an ongoing daily process that is being exacerbated through poaching, over fishing, the fishing of undersized fish, bleaching of the coral reefs, the dangerous erosion, blockage and destruction of mangroves, environmental pollution and coastline degradation.

“The dwindling resources of available fresh local fish for sale within our food chain has resulted in us now seeing ‘Swaii’ (a catfish found in the rivers of Vietnam) on the menu at buffets in hotels and restaurants in the Bahamas, as well as other imported species,” she said.

On November 10, 2014 an advertisement by the Ministry of Finance was published in The Tribune highlighting fishery items for sale that were seized by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force on October 18, 2014. The list includes: Crawfish 14,943 lbs, Hogfish 3,585 lbs , Hind 1,094 lbs, Snappers 1,119 lbs, Turbot 1,114 lbs, Parrot Fish 3,839 lbs, Grouper 2,472 lbs, Margaret 2,588 lbs, and Grunts 578 lbs.

With “All Dead, All Gone”, Mrs Behagg hopes to awaken the public’s consciousness and spurn them into action to avert a crisis. The exhibition will be on display Monday to Wednesday from 10am to 4pm and on Saturday from 9am until 1pm.