The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH it is only 11 days into the 2016/2017 crawfish season, preliminary indications suggest that “things are looking promising”, according to Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) vice-president Keith Carroll.

Mr Carroll said that while a true indication of the season’s potential yield would not likely be known until the end of the month, early reports suggest that the season is shaping up to be better than last year.

He credited this to Defence Force patrols during the offseason. The crawfish season opened on August 1 and runs to March 31, 2017.

The BCFA has long voiced concerns over poaching by foreign fishermen, primarily Dominicans, particularly during the closed period. However Mr Caroll believes that the addition of new vessels to the Defence Force’s fleet has helped to put a dent in the poaching practice. Last month RBDF marines were involved in a shootout and subsequent high-speed chase with suspected Dominican poachers in the Cay Lobos area.

“I really think that because of the work the Defence Force, especially what they were doing when the season was closed, has helped local fishermen, especially the boats down south. Based on what I’m hearing, the boats that usually have trouble to the south, they are reporting that things are way better than last year and it’s a result of the Defence Force beefing up their patrols. The fishermen are grateful for that,” said Mr Carroll.

“Things are looking promising, especially for the guys from Long Island whose boats were on land after the hurricane and had no work since October. They seem to be doing well. What I’m hearing right now is that the fishermen are doing way better than previous years.”

On Da Hook weekly fishing review, see News section page 19