The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs Clay Sweeting defended the government’s efforts to manage queen conch fishing yesterday.

His comments responded to a letter published in The Tribune, in which the writer demanded answers about the government’s progress on advancing the “conchservation project”. 

Minister Sweeting said his ministry is continuously aiming to strengthen the Department of Marine Resources, despite strained financial resources.

In a press statement, he said: “The Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Resources and Family Island Affairs continues its holistic efforts to manage the queen conch fishery on behalf of, and in partnership with, the Bahamian people.

“We are all in this together. The need to balance urgent current needs against the absolute necessity for sustainability is at the forefront of the ministry’s considerations.

“This responsibility involves due consideration of reputable scientific studies and, importantly, the opinions of a variety of stakeholders such as the Bahamas National Trust and direct resource users such as fishers. Future generations not yet able to speak for themselves are also heavily considered.”

Mr Sweeting noted initiatives the government has implemented to protect conch and other marine resources.

“Fisheries officers have also been placed throughout the islands. The officers are increasingly equipped with needed tools such as trucks in order to conduct enforcement patrols. In addition, training and technical tools to scientifically measure the size of conch at landing sites have been supplied to fisheries officers,” the statement said yesterday.

“Measures, such as a closed season, a minimum lip thickness of 14mm to protect juvenile conch, removal of conch from bag limits, the landing of conch in the shell so enforcement officers can determine maturity and other measures have received consideration. One necessary initial measure implemented in January 2021, included a ban on the export of commercial quantities of conch to help to reduce fishing pressure.”