The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Editor

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister yesterday said the Government will be looking to information technology (IT) to aid The Bahamas' battle against poachers and illegal fishing vessels.

Speaking at the Office of the Prime Minister’s weekly press briefing, Jomo Campbell, newly-appointed minister of agriculture and marine resources, affirmed that cracking down on poaching by foreigners is "one of the main priorities".

He added that the Government is exploring using geographical information systems (GIS) and other software to detect and monitor illegal vessels.

He said: “I personally have not had the chance to meet with the fishing community at large, but what I can say is, privately, conversations are underway to address that issue. One of the main priorities for us is prevention and detection. And so, conversations are being had with certain persons as it relates to GIS and tracking and detection systems, IT systems that we can use.

“Because if we can detect fishing boats that are coming into our waters that shouldn't be here, and we have a collaborative effort with the Royal Bahamas Defence Force who patrol our seas, you know prevention is always better than cure.”

Fishermen were calling for poaching to be treated as "a major economic crime" after discovering that many of their lobster traps had been emptied before the start of the season. Several of them complained that second home owners and visiting American boaters were exceeding their catch limits and fishing out-of season.

Mr Campbell said poaching is a regional issue, and Caribbean leaders will collaborate on how to "stem the tide" of illegal poaching during the upcoming Caribbean Agriculture Week events.

He added: "We will also be hosting a special session of the Caribbean regional fisheries mechanism's ministerial council where we will flesh out all of these issues because The Bahamas doesn't face the nightmare of poaching alone. And so what we want to do is get a collaborative approach as to how we as a region can stem the tide of illegal poaching in our waters.”