New Bahamas Fishing Reg's 2007

[quack quack]

Originally Posted by Predator Freeport

YOU OWN A BOAT???

Not right now sold it a few months back.But I organize 2 to 3 multi boat trips over there a year.I know you want to protect your fishery but draconian limits are not needed.Just enforce your current regs and all will be fine.

Listen I love the islands and I am upset that they are changing like this.I do not mean to offend any locals that is for sure.But things are changing over there and not for the good in my opinion.I got news for you this time next year you will see a large amount of foreigners working in the tourism and service industry over there.They are recruiting them as we speak

[The BEAST]

Originally Posted by quack quack

I got news for you this time next year you will see a large amount of foreigners working in the tourism and service industry over there.They are recruiting them as we speak

That might not be such a bad thing. Maybe we would hear a kind hello or see a smile before asking for our $$$$$.

What cracks me up is these guys defending these rediculous limits in the name of Sportmanship. What sport is there in deep dropping with an electric reel or watching a 20+ pound Grouper float away with a mouth full of inflated gut.

By their admission, the population of the entire Bahama Island chains is an est 350K. In Miami and the Keys there is a population close to 2 million yet we have more viable fish limits. Could it be we do impact studies instead of "hit or miss" legislation.

Catch'em up, Bahamas! 10 people on my dock have now decided to let you keep your fish and spend more time and $$$ in the Keys.

[lcosta02]

I think that some people do overdo the fishing. They should raise the pounds per boat to maybe 50 or 60, and more pelagic fish to maybe 20.

I'm a recreational guy. My family goes to the Bahamas for a month every year. We go to catch fish that normally can't be caught in South Florida. We also go for the relaxation, but mostly to fish. The money spent in going to the Bahamas cannot be justified with these new rules. We always spend a ton of money in everything over there in that month that we go, but now it's not going to happen.

And honestly, those big sportfish boats usually serve as sleeping accomodations for the crew. The only thing they spend money on is tournament fees and fuel. So if anyone thinks that the tournaments will provide the same amount of revenue as the hundreds of thousands of boaters then they need to take a step back and crunch some numbers.

Again, they should increase the pounds and number of pelagic fish per boat.

[Gaitor]

Maybe the Ministry will figure it out when they notice their coffers aren't as full as they once were. Boycott is a wonderful tool isn't it?

[CaptKen]

What burns me up is the Native fish traps nobody has brought up ! Im not talkin hundreds or thousands im talkin HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of fish traps ! Where is is the fish all going you ask ??? DUH wake up natives !
Its your own people doing the most damage, Its not me comming over twice a year leaving with cooler of fish in my little openfisherman. ! Its your own people partnered up with big companys to sell those fish that was caught in thier traps they bought and paid for and brought over to you in the middle of the night.
I can come over 10 times in a big sportfish battle wagon and never get stopped or screwed with once ! Then come over 10 times in a small open fish and get screwed with every time ! Why do think that is ??? Perhaps money ??
I read where boats in Harbour Is loading up on tunas and flying um back. I bet it was openfisherman, Yeah right! The point is they turn thier backs on the big money boys in thier battle wagons with the giant freezers. Nothin gets said. I was in San Sal and a native was bitchin about Dale Earnhardt whipin out the tunas and during the same conversation he pulls out a pict of him with a pick up truck filled to the top of Wahoos ! I mean to the TOP ! NO ICE JUST FISH !!!!
He then pulls out a pict of him and his buddy after an afternoon of deep droppin , They are standing in a boat with a 10' beam filled dam near to the top and 10' foward at least 3' deep with every creature that swims from 6oz to 60 lbs !! and again NO ICE !!!!
I was going over there wahoo fishing before there was wahoo tournments, I laugh at the articles of the guys braggig about inventing high speeding, Even then the few that were doing it were not being hogs about it, sure we would bring home a nice mess to eat but not take advantage of it,
Im sure there are game hogs everywhere but the weekend warrior in the small openfish comming over a few times a year is not the ones doing the damage.
I believe it will end up the same as the $300 per boat deal a while back, Even though $150 is still out of hand.
Ok lets see:
$400.00 fuel
$150.00 clear
$100.00 food and drink
$ 50.00 To Buy summer crab form the natives
$ 50.00 To buy Conch from natives even though im sure it is about to rot due to lack of ice.
___________
$750.00 for a few hours of fishing, I figure I could go slam 6 hoos and a 20 lb grouper and be back by dark to sleep in in my own bed. I dont think so !!!

Just remember 1 thing, the big battle wagons comming over to fish the BBC are all self contained, The bring thier own whiskey and steaks, the have their own shitters which the dump in your water when they leave, Why pay big bucks to dump it back in the U.S. They dont even need to come ashore except to collect the hundreds of thousands of dollars for killing your blue marlin.

O and since im on a rant, whoever it was said that foreniers wont be involved in tourism in the Bahamas better wake up and smell the coffee ! I dont mean Bimini either, Go to some of the out Islands and travel around and see if you still feel the same way. You will find these people wont try to rip you off if you turn your back.

[captadamr]

No one would harvest lobster out of season if you didnt encoarge it by buying it from the fisherman. If there was no demand for it then they wouldnt do it. You fuel the problem more than anyone else. Allot of focus on the new Regs is toward battle wagon sportfishers. The harbour island issue and exuma keys issues are with large sportfisherman.

[CaptKen]

Originally Posted by captadamr

No one would harvest lobster out of season if you didnt encoarge it by buying it from the fisherman. If there was no demand for it then they wouldnt do it. You fuel the problem more than anyone else. Allot of focus on the new Regs is toward battle wagon sportfishers. The harbour island issue and exuma keys issues are with large sportfisherman.

Who fuels the lobsterman that leaves Spanish Wells circling the bank for 7 months killing thousands and thousands of summer crabs every day per operation ? and Im sure yo know what I mean 1 mother ship and 25 dingys filled up by noon, go get some lunch and gas up the compresser and go kill some more. O and hurry cause theres gonna be a boat meet us at dark to drop off some empty deep freezers and take our full ones away.

There again, its not the guy in the openfish doing the damage. We are the ones that go ashore and rent a room then get ripped off for a taxi ride to get a bite to eat. We cant haul away that much fish in our little boats a few trips a year.

Ever wonder why no tournments go on in nassau or nobody comes to fish there ? Or if they do they run 25 miles away to fish ?? now lets put our thinking caps on . could it be that the natives have killed everything near nassau ?

[CaptKen]

Originally Posted by captadamr

No one would harvest lobster out of season if you didnt encoarge it by buying it from the fisherman. If there was no demand for it then they wouldnt do it. You fuel the problem more than anyone else. Allot of focus on the new Regs is toward battle wagon sportfishers. The harbour island issue and exuma keys issues are with large sportfisherman.

Who fuels the lobsterman that leaves Spanish Wells circling the bank for 7 months killing thousands and thousands of summer crabs every day per operation ? and Im sure yo know what I mean 1 mother ship and 25 dingys filled up by noon, go get some lunch and gas up the compresser and go kill some more. O and hurry cause theres gonna be a boat meet us at dark to drop off some empty deep freezers and take our full ones away.

There again, its not the guy in the openfish doing the damage. We are the ones that go ashore and rent a room then get ripped off for a taxi ride to get a bite to eat. We cant haul away that much fish in our little boats a few trips a year.

[captadamr]

The demand for lobster in the USA and other countires fuels the commercial fisherman. The Spanish Wells boats operate from Aug 1-March 31st. I have allot of friends from that Island and im sure they are not harvesting summer crabs. The spanish wells fisherman have gaint freezers in the hulls of the vessels to store the lobster, not small deck freezers like you try to make it seem. Spanish wells has their own packing, freezing and sorting facility on the island. They are commercial fisherman, they have a set quota for each year, and just like any one else, the more they dive the harder they work the more money they make. It is there job, their lively hood to dive lobsters in SEASON.
It is the same situation with PLL, crabfisherman, those doing commercial deep dropping, and proabbly those using bouy gear for swords.

The marinas in Nassau are full year round. I would not fish out of Nassau if i had the oppurtunity to run to another island. But as far as running away from nassau to catch fish, i was just out on friday morning for 3 hours, got 9 hoos around 20 pounds, one around 45 and 2 dolphin. We lost almost as many as we landed due to poor hook bite. I went out diving twice a month during August, September and october, and averaged 10-15 ten-twelve inch tails less that 5 miles away from Nassau, during an average 3 hour dive trip. I see grouper from 10lb to 30lb but i dont like the taste of grouper so i dont shoot them often.Im glad everyone had as thorn up their ass about nassau. I have caught the biggest blue out of Nassau this year, 11ft++, one of the largest wahoo 90lb, biggest dolphin 65lb, and consitenly the most tuna out of the entire charter fleet.

Oh snap hes a charter fisherman, no wonder he is in favor of the new rules................

As far as Cuba i was just watching a special on NG about cunban lobster fihserman, and they harverst just as much if not more than BAH fisherman, and ship them to Europe live. Hope there is some left for when cuba never opens up.

Capt Ken, seems you have it for the Bahamas, perhaps you should get your information straight before you post. Its like a baby wining, bah bah i cant do what I want in some one elses counrty that I cant do in mine.

[billspilingup]

Actually, in Capt. Ken's country, he and his friends can catch more than one big grouper or snapper, 6 lobster, and 6 dolphin. Bottom line is the new regs are rediculous, it's going to hurt the Bahamians who rely on the small boaters for income, and the native commercial fishermen are the ones putting year-round pressure on the resources. The few dozen lobster my friends and family take each year pales in comparison to the small whalers I would see loaded daily with small tails. And who kills more grouper (which I don't even like to eat all that much), me or a fish trap? I'll be gone in a few days, the fish trap won't be.

I forget, has anyone discussed yet the bleaching of reefs?

[CaptKen]

Ok I will give that one to you, I thought summer crabs were lobsters, at least thats what the native called them when he opened up 1 of his 5 freezers on the back deck that you say are not there. They were full of tails as He wanted to intice me a bit to bring few back for a price of course,

O then he pulls out in the middle of the night during a 35 knt blow and is gone for an hour and comes back in with differnt freezers on the back deck you say arn't there. I would bet empty ones.

And No I dont have in for the Bahamas, I love the Bahamas ! I just think it is corupt , I would like to see the blame put where it is due ! I just think your own brothers are doing way more harm 7 days a week than I could ever do maybe 4 times a year. I couldn't haul off enough fish in 4 trips a year to even come close to what fish traps are killing alone 7 days a week 24 hours a day right off Cat Cay !!!!

As for the lobsters, I could care less about a cockroach of the sea, I can pop outside my inlet and have 6 bugs with my eyes closed in 30 min.I would never go to the Bahamas for a bug.

[captadamr]

Summer crabs are what idiots over here call lobster out of season. Spanish wells fisherman wont ever call them summer crabs, ignorants on the out islands who dive them out of season call them summer crab. IMO no one should even think of buying undersized or out of season lobster, because if you are caught with them, you will be punished regardless of you or someone else diving them.

As far as bleaching, it is very uncommon these days for that to happen. Most fisherman are educated enough to know that bleaching kills the reef so no more lobster after that. Most if not all commercial lobstering is done from condos or habitats. Not very many commercial fisherman dive around reefs for lobster, it is just not lobster there to waste time when they can flip over all the condos they have on the banks.

I have said in previous posts that I think that the bottom fish limits should be revised. 20 lb per vessel is a little steep. But the more the topic gets dragged on the less I care about the changes.

Hell I think the entire fisheries scheme needs to be revised, from lobster and fish quotas for commerical fishing boats, as well as the conch quoata.

The Goverment is also going after the commercial fihserman here as well, as there is a plan to cut the 1st and last month of the season out. so it will go from sept 1-april 30. I am a big fan of this because it will reduce the commercial pressure. They are also planning on implementing a closed season on conch as well

So its not just the American Boats being targeted.

[lcosta02]

Capt, please answer the following questions. I know you are not an economist or a government official, so here goes...

What is the largest revenue producer in the Bahamas?

Who are the largest contributors to that industry?

I am willing to bet that tourism is the largest, and Americans are the largest contributors. In a Google search I found the following about the Bahamas: recent figures show that tourism continues to account for more than 50 per cent of GDP. I also found this: The Bahamas has no income, inheritance, sales, dividend, capital gains or corporate tax. Revenue is raised largely from customs duties.

I understand a lot of people fly and take vacations on crusies to the Bahamas, but I cannot believe that more cruises go to the Bahamas than weekend warriors and families that vacation for a week or two.

I understand that you have pride and respect for your country, but don't be blind on the negative impact these new rules will have.

Don't you think that your country, which WE ALL LOVE, is going to be hindered by these new rules?

[Beer Bones]

I understand that everyone is a bit pissed about these new regulations but the thing is that we are trying to make sure our kids and grandkids will have somthing to fish. Our commercial fishermen are also having to cope with the changes that are coming on line. They where very upset when the government implemented a closed season for Nassau grouper but most if not all realize that in this day and age the oceans face extreem over fishing. There is a report out that fisheries around the world could collapse by 2048 if nothing is done. I would love it if there was no need for regulations but sadly in this day and age we must protect what we have left. I think some of these reg's are a bit harsh but i applaude the government for at least trying to do somthing to protect my kids birth right. If this has the effect of losing a bit of $$ now due to less weekend warrior's comeing over i am fine with that. I dare say i bet in a couple years there will be even harsher limitations on what we can catch. It is up to ALL of us to protect the fisheries, the days of saying "it's not my problem" are gone.

[captadamr]

Well said my friend

[CaptKen]

That was well put
Im just glad that you guys do see that it is your own doing incredible damage also. And I wouldn't call it commerical as much as I would label them as poachers.
1st I could care less about a lobster, Im not going 60 or 70 miles to catch something I can catch all I want 1 mile away. My point is tough I can come over and put a native on the boat and dive with a compressor shoot fish lobsters get checked and as long as I have a native Im good to go, Try it alone and your up the creek.

Im glad to see that you guys can see that is not just the weekend warrior comming over a few times a year inflicting all the damage.

Now it looks like I have less than a month to run over and fill a cooler full of Queens and slam a few Hoos. JUST KIDING !

[quack quack]

When all is said and done wouldn't it have been better to just inforce the current laws rather then re invent the wheel.We all know that local poachers do more damage then the people that come over for a week or two a year.But inforcement never goes after local's.That is your biggest problem and banning fishing all together by all tourist will not change that.You guy's need to enforce your own laws on your own people.

[islandshark633]

For what it is worth I talked to Fisheries twice and they have been bombarded with emails about all this and they are reviewing the issue. As of now the new laws have not been enacted and are under review. The feedback from this forum and other sources is going to infulence what the final law turns out to be, which may well be different from what has already been published.

They have promised to let me know and I'll pass it on.......of coarse the horse may have already left the barn so closing the gate may not make much difference....

[lcosta02]

Originally Posted by islandshark633

For what it is worth I talked to Fisheries twice and they have been bombarded with emails about all this and they are reviewing the issue. As of now the new laws have not been enacted and are under review. The feedback from this forum and other sources is going to infulence what the final law turns out to be, which may well be different from what has already been published.

They have promised to let me know and I'll pass it on.......of coarse the horse may have already left the barn so closing the gate may not make much difference....

All we can do now is pray and hope.