By Jim Field
Commercial fishing is evil. (Note: Alaskan crabbers and East Coast lobstermen are the exceptions--both "get it" when it comes to sustainable fisheries.) Yes, an extreme position to take, but as a sportfisherman I think it's a principled one. We want a sustainable fishery; they want to monetize the fishery today to put money on the table. I think they should go find other work, and their governments should force the issue. Here's information out of the Bahamas to process.
TBF Friends,
If the Bahamas completes its permitting that would authorize commercial purse seining of tuna in the waters of the Bahamas, the negative impact will kill the sportfishing tourism industry in the nation. Such a large scale net vessel will have bycatch not only of blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish and spearfish; it will also inadvertently kill marine mammals as well as endangered sea turtles. Why would a nation that has demonstrated responsible fishery and ocean management for years now take huge steps backwards, steps that could economically and ecologically permanently damage the entire archipelago?
Recent socio-economic studies completed by The Billfish Foundation (TBF) document that responsible sportfishing of billfish, primarily catch and release, generates far more economic return to a nation than large commercial vessels that take, kill and move on to others waters while only having to pay a few license and permit fees. Once vessels like this are permitted to fish the region, the nation's waters become depleted of many marine fish that are indicators of the health of their ecosystems. Large pelagic fish like billfish and tuna help support a number of jobs and industries throughout the Bahamas; their presence in the waters is important also for balancing the functions of the ecosystems.
TBF is sending its economic and scientific data to the Prime Minister and other important officials in the Bahamas in hopes that they see the huge error of someone's poor idea and halt it before the purse seine vessel can ever make one set. TBF President Ellen Peel is prepared to go to the Bahamas immediately with scientists and reports to talk with officials about what they are considering. TBF appreciates the eyes and ears of concerned anglers, captains, mates, hotel and marina owners, tackle shops and tournament directors who have so diligently sought out and shared information with us on this soon to be conservation travesty.
Vessel in Freeport, Bahamas currently being outfitted with mile long, 900' deep, purse seine fishing nets
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