The Tribune

By NATARIO MCKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

Fishermen yesterday said the recent capture of two Dominican fishing vessels was proof the Royal Bahamas Defence Force could be effective in curbing poachers if given the necessary resources, as they revealed crawfish yields were down by up to 30 per cent.

Speaking with Tribune Business, Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance president Adrian Laroda said: “This last arrest is further evidence of the problems that we have been facing. Every week we are seeing more vessels and larger vessels coming into the country. This proves the point that once the vessels are out to sea they can be effective. That has been our bone of contention because they were not being deployed and the vessels were not being adequately used. I hope that with the return of this boat into Nassau there is another vessel down in the southern Bahamas because it makes no sense to bring these boats all the way into New Providence and leave the southern Bahamas unmanned. The Defence Force has been given the assets and now they have no excuse not to act, to perform and execute their duties in the manner that they are required to do.”

On Sunday, two Dominican registered vessels and a group of Dominican fishermen were reportedly apprehended for fisheries violations in Bahamian waters by Royal Bahamas Defence Force patrol craft HMBS Durward Knowles while on routine patrol in the southern Bahamas. Around 2am, a 49-foot Dominican registered fishing vessel with a crew of three Dominican nationals was apprehended east of Cay Santo Domingo with an undetermined amount of fisheries products on board. The second arrest happened at 10.30am when HMBS Durward Knowles sighted and intercepted another Dominican Fishing vessel several miles off Cay Santo Domingo. A crew of eight Dominican nationals were aboard and a large quantity of fisheries resources was found.

“We are seeing more and larger vessels coming in now,” Mr Laroda added. “Just the other day we had a report from an operator who said he saw a boat about 180 feet long. That’s a huge ship so it tells you that these people are getting huge sums of money to fund their operations and come here. It’s big business.”

In an effort to bolster the RBDF fleet, the Christie administration earlier this year announced plans to purchase nine new RBDF vessels via a loan from from Deutsche Bank. The bank provided $149 million to build each of the ships, and an extra $75 million to cover civil works for a total of $224 million. The remaining $8 million will accommodate any changes that may arise in the project.

Laroda also noted that Bahamian fishermen have taken a “big hit” this crawfish season. “We have had a bad two to three months and we have taken a big hit. The yield in some places is down 30 per cent. It’s not looking good,” he said.

“Even when the poachers come and raid our traps we are still hoping to see juvenile lobster or eggs left but now we are not seeing anything and we do not know what methods these guys are coming in the with. There is simply nothing left and that is worrisome to us because at this rate it going to take us many years to undo the damage being done today.”