New Recreational Fishing Rules for the Bahamas !

[CaptMarti]

Hi All,
Just got word that effective Jan 1 07 the Bahamas has changed their recreational fishing rules....drastically!

"Amendment of the Sportsfishing Regulations

The Department of Marine Resources wishes to advise the general public that the several amendments to the Regulations governing sportsfishing have been made and that these changes came into force on 1st January, 2007. The amendments which have been made to Regulation 48 of the Fisheries Regulations (Ch. 244 – Subsidiary Legislation of The Bahamas – 2000) have the effect of curtailing the amount of marine resources which can legally be harvested by foreign boaters visiting the Bahamas.

The general public is informed that Regulation 48 now reads:

48. (1) In sportsfishing the following rules apply-

a) A person shall fish by the traditional method of angling with a hook or lure attached to a line held in the hand or attached to a pole, rod or reel;

b) A person, unless otherwise authorized by the respective permit, shall not use a spear, a fish trap, or a net other than a landing net;

c) Each vessel shall use not more than six (6) rods or reels unless the operator is in possession of a permit authorizing the use of more rods or reels;

d) Any migratory fishery resource that is caught shall not in total consist of more than six (6) Kingfish, Dolphin, Tuna or Wahoo per vessel and any resource not intended to be used shall not be injured unnecessarily but be returned to the sea alive;

e) No vessel shall have on board any conch, turtle or more than twenty pounds of any demersal fishery resources (groupers, snappers, etc.) per vessel at any time and excluding not more than six crawfish per vessel.

(2) The limitations specified in (1)(d) and (e) shall also apply to a Bahamian vessel engaged in fishing for purposes other than commercial by persons who are not Bahamians;

(3) Subject to paragraph (1) no vessel shall have on board any fish unless its head and tail is intact.
The general public is advised that the Queen Conch (conch) is considered to be an endangered species throughout much of its range within the wider Caribbean area, including The Bahamas. The Government, in an effort to ensure the continued sustainability of local conch stocks, has decided to prohibit the harvesting of the species by foreign boaters.

The general public is further informed that the changes to the Sportsfishing Rules may be found in the Gazette SI 79 of 2006 dated 28 December 2006."


...read it yourself! here's the link:
http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/about...169643&level=2

Cheers!
Capt Marti

[CSY Man]

Aye, hope they make them rules even more restrictive:
It would keep the Sport-Fish killing machines away from the Bahamas.

Save the fishes and enjoy the sunsets I'd say.

The place is infested by big polluting boats with related high end-marinas and shallow customers.

Trying to get away from that stuff but it keeps spreading: Chub Cay has turned into Las Vegas lately.
Exumas next?

When I check in with the Bahamians I refuse a fishing permit on principle.
The islands are too pristine to try to clean out the remaining wild-life just for ego kicks. The wealthy red-necks doing it should get a life and grow a penis instead of compensating with fast boats and macho fishing.

[Benny]

C'Mon CSY tell us what you really think without the sugar coating - I agree about heavy sport fishing and related polution in all it's forms. Look at the reefs on the US eastern seaboard - all dead except for the Keys - I don't dive anymore in Florida except Key West where at least there is some live coral. It would be a shame if the rest of the Carribean ended up like the east coast of Florida.

Regards

[GordMay]

I find it difficult to disagree with the previous supporters of the new regulations (for similar reasons),

Notwithstanding, I must argue that the “Sportfish Maffia” don’t dive – they don’t (generally) take Lobster nor Conch.

As “budget” cruisers, we supplemented our larder with these 2 valuable resources.

I recall a conversation I had, with an Out-Island Bahamian (no “job”) ; wherein I queried him about his children’s/grandchildren’s future – should the over-harvesting of marine resources (conch & lobster, et al) continue, unabated.

His sobering reply was difficult to deny – “If I don’t feed them today; what matters tomorrow?”

This arguement, of course, doesn't apply to we cruisers (who choose to do this, there).

[bru]

It all seems very sensible from several thousand miles away. All except one bit ...

All fish must be complete with head and tail?

Hmmm. What happens if I've got store bought fish fillets in the fridge or summat?

[CSY Man]

Hmmm. What happens if I've got store bought fish fillets in the fridge or summat?

Perhaps the fishermen do it for a living?

Not for ego kicks as in "sports fishing"

Don't understand hunters either: They kill bambi for some primitive blood lust, not to feed their families.

Plenty of pasta and garlic sauce in the super market, the days of killing yer own food for necessity is over.

Notwithstanding, I must argue that the “Sportfish Maffia” don’t dive – they don’t (generally) take Lobster nor Conch.

As “budget” cruisers, we supplemented our larder with these 2 valuable resources.

Yeah, as a budget cruiser I would eat of the sea-bed as well, but I sure as hell would not kill them poor things just to hang the dead bodies on a wall and brag about how much they fought back.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by bru

It all seems very sensible from several thousand miles away. All except one bit ...

All fish must be complete with head and tail?

Hmmm. What happens if I've got store bought fish fillets in the fridge or summat?

RECEIPT....

[Fishspearit]

It's clear CSYman why you don't understand hunters or fishermen; you completely misunderstand the motivation. What a cynical view of man you have to think that we fish for our egos and hunt for "blood lust". Most sportsmen are law abiding, conservation minded, ethical hunters and fisherman who love being on the water and in the woods. With increasing white tail deer herds and wild turkey our country has shown that we can maintain sustainable numbers of game with sensible laws. While you may live penned in a concrete zoo down there in Ft. Lauderdale, most of our country is rural. Sure, I can go to the grocery store and buy a styrofoam and plastic packaged loaf of ground up steroid laden cow fat, but I prefer to eat venison that I bowhunt, clean, and process myself. I probably spend 100 hours in the woods for every deer I've killed. If it were about bloodlust than it wouldn't be very satisfying.
You're a pilot; why does man fly? We aren't birds, we don't belong up in the air. The long peace of sitting in the woods hunting or on a boat waiting for a fish to bite is a lot like filling the Genoa and turning the engine off. Like sailing & flying the hunting & fishing is mostly just about relaxing with a few minutes of excitement thrown in the mix.
The number of hunters or fishermen that don't eat everything they take is extremely small; it's ignorant to try and portray the majority of sportsmen in that false light. Nothing builds a great respect for nature like spending large amounts of time with it. I, like almost all sportsmen, understand the need for sensible laws to protect our fish and animal populations, and we follow those laws. Save your venom for the poachers and law violators.

[bru]

Originally Posted by GordMay

RECEIPT....

Doh! I should have thought of that!

More bl**dy paperwork

[CSY Man]

It's clear CSYman why you don't understand hunters or fishermen; you completely misunderstand the motivation.

You are right: I don't

What a cynical view of man you have to think that we fish for our egos and hunt for "blood lust".

Right again, I am cynical: let them poor things live..

Most sportsmen are law abiding, conservation minded, ethical hunters and fisherman who love being on the water and in the woods.

Ethical hunters and fishermen?
Kill in cold blood is ethical?
If ya love being around nature why kill your surroundings?

While you may live penned in a concrete zoo down there in Ft. Lauderdale, most of our country is rural.

Pretty rural where I hang out in the Bahamas as well.
Hate to see the local wildlife being taken out by guys with nothing better to do. All in the name of being "Sportsmen"

but I prefer to eat venison that I bowhunt, clean, and process myself.

Go for it, the cavemen did as well.
Listen, no bad feelings towards folks that eat their catch, I have a problem with the guys (Not many girls) that kill to get their rocks off. Seems there is plenty of them around. Otherwise they would not get a $500,000 fishing boat to catch a $10.00 dinner.

You're a pilot; why does man fly? We aren't birds, we don't belong up in the air.

Agree. What does that have to do with killing innocent animals for kicks?

The long peace of sitting in the woods hunting or on a boat waiting for a fish to bite is a lot like filling the Genoa and turning the engine off. Like sailing & flying the hunting & fishing is mostly just about relaxing with a few minutes of excitement thrown in the mix.

Try to read a good book for excitment, or go snorkeling or treasure hunting. No blood on yer hands...Or is it too boring?

The number of hunters or fishermen that don't eat everything they take is extremely small; it's ignorant to try and portray the majority of sportsmen in that false light.

False light?
Most of these so-called Sport Fishermen dumps the injured fish back in the water, then try to catch it again using live bait.
Not sure they qualify as "Sportsmen". Morons seems to fit better, but that is only my opinion. No offense unless ya qualify.

Save your venom for the poachers and law violators.

Thanks for the advice, but I still stick to my opinion that killing for sport is not my cup of tea and I don't understand or agree with those who do.
I also feel free to ridicule the "hunters" and the "sport fishermen", I think they should get a life.

You may get a warm and fuzzy feeling about there being too many deer and turkeys around and you are doing nature a favor by culling the numbers, and by God, you are doing all the killing with the blessing of the law.

I say live and let live instead.

Guess it is a difference of opinion.

[Panama Dave]

CSY man,
Are you a vegetarian?
Why is it abhorrent to kill something and eat it but ok to eat it if someone else kills it for you? That cheeseburger was walking around eating hay at some point.
Dave

[Tspringer]

Originally Posted by CSY Man

Ethical hunters and fishermen?
Kill in cold blood is ethical?
If ya love being around nature why kill your surroundings?

No offense, but unless your a total vegan your a hypocrite. Do you have any leather products at all on your boat? If so... why the cold blooded murder of an innocent animal just so you can have leather products where there are plenty of synthetic products that work just as well.

Just because you personally didnt do the killing doesnt mean you are not the killer.... if you eat meat or use animal products your just as guilty.

Another point: What you advocate is WORSE than what you are against. It is the hunters and fishermen who pay for the parks and natural resources management efforts. Without them the system would not work. Also, man has removed the natural predators from the environment. Due to this deer populations in areas without hunting very rapidly get out of control. This leads to food shortages and disease resulting in sick herds and animals dying off in large numbers, a cycle that repeats itself resulting on perpetual suffering.

Years back on Jeckyl Island off the GA coast the enviromental nuts succeeded in getting deer hunting banned where before the DNR had sponsored annual hunts. Within several years the deer population had soared, the herds were sick and starving and the suffering of the animals had all the animal rights groups in a uproar. So DNR brought back the hunting....

Here is another arguement I like to spring on vegetarians and such who feel eating animals is inhuman or whatever: What is worse, for an animal to be born and then live a while but end up slaughtered for food or for that animal to never have lived at all? Because what vegetarians propose is for all these tens of millions of animals to never get the chance to take a breath at all. Personally, I find the concept of that sort of animal genocide to be worse!

I used to hunt a good bit when i was younger but now have neither the time nor inclination. But I do understand that hunters and fishermen are the TRUE environmentalists as they pay for the efforts and they are out there first hand participating.


Terry

[CSY Man]

No offense, but unless your a total vegan your a hypocrite.

Huh..?

Never said I was against killing animals for food or leather products Einstein.

My beef is with guys killing the fishes strictly for pleasure..
Not with people eating their catch.

(Thought I said that earlier)

[svHyLyte]

I'm not sure I see the "sport" in Sport Fishing. What's sporting about killing hundreds of pounds of fish that will never be eaten?

This past weekend we traveled to Key Largo. One evening we had an early dinner at a waterfront restaurant adjoining a small marina catering to "sport fishermen". We watched more than one boat off-load dozens of fish for a few visiting "sportsmen" who promptly lined up their catch on the dock for photo's--in one case 34 fish! Later we saw a couple of these birds tossing many of the by then dead fish into a nearby dumpster claiming "they aren't worth keeping!" So why have killed them!

Taking a fish for one's supper is one thing. Killing something for "sport" makes no sense at all. These characters fly into an area, kill off the wildlife for "sport" and leave, leaving the environment and the local people, many of whom are dependent on their catch for sustenance, the poorer for it.

If you want to do some killing for sport, contact the US Military. They'll fit you out with the proper equipment at no charge and give you an all expenses paid trip to a few places where you can try to do all the killing you'd like and where it might actually serve a useful purpose. And its quite "sporting" as the "game" can shoot back--and quite well.

svHyLyte

[Panama Dave]

CSY man,
I believe we have a basic misunderstanding here. I agree with you about the "Sport Fisherman" who catch fish for a thrill and throw them back injured not knowing if they'll survive or not. I believe the only reason to hunt anything is if you plan to eat it.
I was disagreeing with your initial statement that you wish the fishing laws were more restrictive.
Most cruisers only kill to have fresh meat for dinner.
I am on a cruising budget and would rather spear a lobster for dinner than pay $38.00 for it at the restaraunt at Emerald Bay Marina.
The best Conch salad I have ever had was at the Conch Spot in Georgetown. I will continue to pay $8.00 for one when I am there but please don't advocate scrict laws to prevent me from making my own when I'm "out island".
Dave