Nassau - news

[type_57]

Hey gang... I just heard about this from a local news source.

If you are in the waters near Nassau make sure you are all legal and settled.
Defence Force Harbour Patrol arrest boaters for illegal spear guns, compressors and undeclared ammunition – Magnetic Media

[Paul L]

Yikes, $1,000usd fines for having spear guns onboard

[a64pilot]

You have to have a permit for a compressor?

[JPA Cate]

We hadn't heard of it till we left the States, but spear fishing with tanks is illegal, as well as considered unsporting in many countries. If that is true for Bermuda, then that would be the reason they require a permit for the compressor: it alerts the yachtie to the rules.


Ann

[a64pilot]

Big jump from a compressor to spear fishing though.
Yes I understand the I believe incorrect dislike on SCUBA spearfishing. I'd like to see anyone free dive a 100+ ft wreck and spear fish. Plus I see spearfishing as being way more sustainable than line fishing, because you pick what you shoot, line fishing you can catch anything, and often the fish is done for from the trauma of being winched up from the deep, the fight, the hook etc.
However that is just my feelings, I am not taking any of my spear guns to the Bahamas, they are in storage. But I had planned on taking my Hooka, I'd like to know more about this compressor thing.

[Captain Bill]

It will be interesting to see what becomes of the illegal compressor charge. This happened a few years ago in the Abacos where a guy with a Hookah had his compressor confiscated because he was also in possession of lobster, though there was no evidence he actually used the hookah to collect the lobster. The BDF was forced return his hookah and apologize. Since these guys were caught in violation of speargun and firearms laws they may have a different experience. The only compressor permit required in the Bahamas is for harvesting spiny lobster and conch with a compressor and it is only available to Bahamian citizens. Harvesting any seafood of any type with compressed air in the Bahamas is strictly prohibited for non-Bahamians. This does not mean that merely having a hookah or air compressor requires a permit or is illegal. I use a hookah all the time in the Bahamas for sport diving and underwater photography and have been checked out a couple of times by the police to make sure I was not harvesting anything while using the hookah. My experience is that most Bahamians associate the use of a Hookah with seafood harvesting and are likely to call the cops on you if they see a non-Bahamian using a hookah. If these guys were caught with a speargun and a hookah then they were just illegal, not illegal because they didn't have a permit. After a local nearly got in a fight with me over my use of a hookah I checked this out thoroughly with the Bahamian government. Their response was no permit is required or available to non-Bahamians and that use of a compressor/compressed air to harvest any seafood is strictly prohibited.

[Amapola]

We do not spear fish. However, we are armed and have a Brownie for diving. We declare our weapon, rounds of ammo, and our Brownie. We've been boarded several times in Nassau, Abacos, and the Exumas without any trouble.

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Big jump from a compressor to spear fishing though.
Yes I understand the I believe incorrect dislike on SCUBA spearfishing. I'd like to see anyone free dive a 100+ ft wreck and spear fish. Plus I see spearfishing as being way more sustainable than line fishing, because you pick what you shoot, line fishing you can catch anything, and often the fish is done for from the trauma of being winched up from the deep, the fight, the hook etc.
However that is just my feelings, I am not taking any of my spear guns to the Bahamas, they are in storage. But I had planned on taking my Hooka, I'd like to know more about this compressor thing.

You can spear fish but only with Hawaiian sling or pole spear. Get a fishing license when you clear in. No extra charge. And I know Bahamians that regularly free dive over 50 feet to shoot fish. Nowadays I can get to 20 odd feet but very little bottom time. Go down, have a look, time to go back up.