The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president yesterday slammed as “absurd” accusations that the industry is not doing enough to aid the crackdown on illegal fisheries practices by failing to alert the authorities to suspect vessels.

Peter Maury told Tribune Business it was “stupid” and “dumb” to suggest that legitimate Bahamian marinas are “part of the problem” as he asserted that previous tip-offs the sector has provided about out-of-season crawfish catches and unlicensed charter operators generated no response from the relevant law enforcement agencies.

Emphasising that Bahamian marina operators would “never knowingly let anyone mess up our marine resources”, he added that the authorities’ failure to act on their previous calls had caused such a loss of trust and confidence that few bothered to submit reports on suspected illegal activities because “nobody comes and does anything about it”.

Mr Maury hit back after both Paul Maillis, the National Fisheries Association’s (NFA) secretary, and Mike Cenci, the WildAid senior law enforcement adviser who played a key role in last week’s apprehension of an alleged illegal sports fishing charter, suggested to this newspaper that Bahamian marinas could do more to aid the fight against such operators who abuse this nation’s laws and maritime resources.

Mr Cenci, in particular, called for marinas to provide more support for law enforcement agencies by tipping them off to the presence of suspected illegal fishing charters. He argued: “The revenue that marinas get does not compensate for the value of fisheries they are ripping off.”

And Mr Maillis disclosed that the activities of unlicensed foreign fishing charter operators was one reason why Bahamian fishermen were ambivalent over the new and increased boating fees imposed from July 1 last year. He acknowledged there was a “split” in the fishing community over the issue, with many believing they were justified due to the economic loss and damage being caused by such illegal practices.

Mr Maury, though, asserted that it was “hysteria” and “insanity” to suggest that marinas are turning a blind eye to suspected law-breakers just to earn extra revenue. He called on law enforcement and the fishermen to meet with the ABM and its members to address any issues and “come up with a solution”.

Amid escalating “rumours” that the Government may revise the new and increased boating fees that were implemented on July 1 last year, Mr Maury said he and other Bahamian marina operators - as well as the Ministry of Tourism - faced “non-stop” criticism and concerns at last week’s boat show in Stuart, Florida.

He added that boaters forcefully expressed that “they feel ripped off” by The Bahamas charging “extra for this, extra for that”, and said: “It was not a good feeling as a Bahamian that this is what the rest of the world thinks of us.”

The ABM president also suggested reports of last week’s illegal sports fishing charter apprehension had “caused confusion” among law-abiding foreign boaters, as they seemed to suggest some of the charges against Rayne Check and its two-man crew related to the number of rods the vessel possessed. While Bahamian law imposes catch limits and how many rods can be thrown at one time, he added that there are no curbs on rods on board.

Mr Maury also vehemently rejected suggestions that marinas are failing to offer full support for the drive to eliminate illegal fisheries and maritime practices.

“We’ve done this,” he told Tribune Business of assistance provided by the industry to law enforcement. “I have sat with a lot of marina operators that have called the authorities, but nobody is interested and nothing happens.

“In one case I called the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries that we had a boat in the marina loaded with lobster pre-season. They said: ‘Well, we haven’t got a boat’. I said: ‘The boat is right here in the marina. You don’t need a boat. You can drive over, walk over’. I know this is true because we talk about this as marinas.”

Mr Maury said such experiences have diminished trust and confidence among Bahamian marinas that the authorities will ever act on their tip-offs. “They said we’re part of the problem. That’s just stupid, just dumb,” he blasted. “They don’t even understand what we’re talking about.

“How are we part of the problem when nobody comes? Nobody reports it any more because they know nobody will come and do anything about it. Fishermen can say we don’t do anything, but where was their help in combating the Dominican poachers? They say we don’t do enough, but they have the same problem. They love to blame someone like us, and say it’s the marinas, but they can’t stop it themselves and who’s helping them?

“Every time we call, nobody comes. I know marinas have done it before and they have had the same result. Don’t tell us we’re doing nothing. I don’t want to get into a war with the fishermen, but do they think we just sit around and watch these guys? If they are out there, take a picture of the offending boat and I’ll do something about it and send it to the authorities. Show me the pictures, show me the proof,” Mr Maury continued.

“I don’t want to write them off, but at the same time to say we’re part of the problem.. We certainly wouldn’t knowingly let anyone mess up our marine resources and I don’t think any ABM members would. It’s a stupid conversation. Let’s have a sit down and discuss it like reasoned people and come up with a solution. When we see someone poaching or doing something wrong, do something about it.

“These accusations are absurd. It’s so ridiculous it’s not even possible it could happen, but I guess some people take them seriously and believe them.” Mr Maury also argued that the reduced boating traffic and visitors to The Bahamas, which many are blaming on the new fees and how they were implemented, is depriving the Government of vital revenue income that could help finance the crackdown on illegal fisheries practices.

“As far as fees go, and the process of boater entry, that needs to be fixed,” the ABM president told Tribune Business. “Some people have said the Government are going to revise the fees down to what they were, but I just cannot believe that. That’s just rumours, but they have to make a decision. We’ve talked to everybody we could.

“It’s crazy. Everyone’s up in arms. I spent a weekend at the Stuart Boat Show. I heard more of it non-stop. That’s the fees. They [boaters] feel it’s offensive the way they are being treated.. having to pay extra for this, extra for that. They just feel ripped off and like everyone’s killing them. They just don’t have faith in the country.

“I hope by mid-February that they make some changes. We had the Ministry of Tourism, and a dozen Bahamian marinas in Stuart, and everybody was telling us the same story. It’s nothing but bad reviews for The Bahamas. We’ve been going to three boat shows and hearing how bad we are. It’s not a good feeling as a Bahamian that this is what the rest of the world thinks of us.”

Mr Maury added that reports of the circumstances surrounding the Rayne Check’s seizure had also unsettled boaters. “There’s some issues with clarity of the law with this US boat they got,” he added. “This charge about how many rods confuses people. It’s just wrong. That’s caused more confusion. The law doesn’t say that: There are no restrictions on the number of rods.

“Catch limits, and that you cannot throw more than six rods at a time, is in the law. The feedback from boaters is that they think The Bahamas is just making stuff up to try and catch them. They don’t realise that saying this stuff, people industry and who have been doing it for a long time following the law, say The Bahamas is making stuff up to charge them with.”

While The Bahamas’ new two-year frequent digital cruising card (FDCC) has gained traction with boaters, others have pointed out that The Bahamas has gone from charging $600 for a cruising permit, which included a fishing permit and no anchorage fee, to a $1,000 cruising permit fee, $350 anchorage fee and $300 per month fishing permit fee.

The ‘temporary’ 12-month cruising permit fee for a vessel below 50 feet in length has risen from $300 to $500, a two-thirds or 66.67 percent rise, with those between 50 feet and 100 feet seeing an increase of similar magnitude from $600 to $1,000. And the new anchorage fees range from $200 to $1,500 “for foreign pleasure vessels not mooring at a marina”, and are again linked to vessel size.

A key element in the Davis administration’s fiscal strategy has been to avoid imposing new and/or increased taxes and fees on Bahamian families, likely due to the potential fall-out for general election votes. Instead, the increases have fallen heavily on foreign visitors, and not just cruise passengers but, in particular, the private aviation and boating markets.

Boating industry contacts spoken to by Tribune Business said that, while not opposed to ensuring that visiting boats and yachts pay their fair share in taxes, any increases in fees/levies must be reasonable and proportionate in scale, with the industry properly consulted in advance and informed of changes in sufficient time so that they can adjust. Much of the backlash is over lack of notice and consultation.

The Government perceives the private aviation and boating markets as having deep pockets, and the ability to pay more because users are wealthy. However, this newspaper has been told that both sectors are incredibly fickle and, if participants perceive they are being targeted for taxes because they are wealthy, they have the means and transportation to go elsewhere besides The Bahamas even if it costs more.