Different Bahamas Regs for the Super Rich ?

[Boatguy30]

Not sure if you saw the recent PEOPLE magazine article on Tiger Wodd's ex-wife. There are several pictures supposedly taken in the Bahamas in 2006. She's holding a string of perhaps 6 15 lb grouper she supposedly speared herself. Those Swedish gals must be awfully handy with the Hawaiian Sling!

I'm joking of course, as a high powered spear gun was certainly used for a recreational diver to have a one-day take like that. Or did they manage to pen up several group for "sport" hunting.

Also shown in the article is a haul of a few dozen conch the couple "free dove for" in the afternoon.

What do other cruisers think this practice? When is the last time you were in a Bahamas anchorage and were easily able to pick off a few dozen conch?

Perhaps the officials encourage the super rich to have these, illegal "sports" affairs. Nice to think they're paying the same $300 we all are for the fishing license and subject to the same rules.

[SVMorningStar]

Does kind of make you stop and think. We saw his yacht(s) this spring while anchored in Lake Worth, W. Palm. Small ships. Surely he's paying more than $300 for them. Makes you wonder what anyone needs with two of the things! Not my style. Anyhow, we spent 2 months in Abaco and Andros this spring and only found one eating size conch the whole time (granted we're not exactly world class conchers). There's a reason it's getting harder to find the things!

[colemj]

Depends where you are in the Bahamas. Many places throughout the islands are untouched where there are hundreds of large conch under your boat at anchor as well as lots of fish easily gotten with a pole spear or hawaiian sling. We spent two seasons solely in those places eating nothing but seafood freshly caught or gathered. I haven't seen the magazine, but what you describe is well within believability without invoking spear guns or other illegal activity. Surprisingly, we found the Abacos to have great fishing and conching (2009). Again, depends where you go...

Mark

[CSY Man]

I am sure ol Tiger is about to sell his yachts now that the pricetag for his divorce came to $750 million.

Having read the interviews and stories on and about his girlfriends, I can only conclude he is a fool...

[capn_billl]

I saw several large conchs in the Bahamas off of Nasua island last month. I didn't take them as I didn't buy the fishing permit. It is always possible they were taken legally, and it is just as possible they were not. What is the penatly for an illegal fish?? a fine? The super rich can safely ignore any laws that include fines by simply paying tham as levied. Some might consider this wrong, but it can also be considered a feature. If the purpose is to conserve wildlife, the laws in the Bahamas don't seem well enforced on the locals either. And the're are few rich. It doesn't have to be fair thats just the way it is.

[dw5055]

It's her yacht not his. It was a wedding present to her.

[defever]

you are allowed 6 conch PER BOAT in the bahamas .. eat 'em up and you
re allowed to get some more...don't think it's the cruisers who are wiping out the fish/conch in the bahamas---it's the locals. they take hundreds of conch at a time and do not pay any attention to the nassau grouper closed season or the lobster closed season...i'm not talking about the real commercial fishermen but rather the guys who venture out in their little skiffs and wipe out a reef...

i've been cruising the bahamas for years, love the islands and their inhabitants but if things continue at this pace, there'll be nothing left...