I wish to advise the general public, particularly fishermen, seafood buyers and processors and those in food service related activities, that there will be a restriction on the harvesting, possession and selling of Nassau Grouper during the period from 15th December 2007 to 28th February 2008.

This closure is a continuation of efforts, started originally in 1998, to provide protection for the Nassau Grouper at the time of year when the Nassau Grouper forms large schools, or aggregations, in distinct locations of The Bahamas for the purpose of reproduction. This is a most critical period for the Nassau Grouper as it is then most vulnerable. It is the time when these fish are found in large quantities and swollen with eggs.

The Bahamas is one of the last areas where the Nassau Grouper may be found in any abundance. Elsewhere in their former range they are rare, and most of the commercial fisheries that once flourished have disappeared.

The Nassau Grouper stocks in The Bahamas, like all the other fisheries resources, are not unlimited. The long history this fish has enjoyed as the favorite food fish of Bahamians and its habit of forming seasonal aggregations where the numbers rose to the thousands has, unfortunately, led some persons to maintain that their strenuous fishing efforts could not possibly have any significant impact on such numbers. Unfortunately, this is not the case. One does not need to draw illustrations of other areas where unregulated hunting, tree cutting or fishing has caused resources once thought to be limitless, to virtually disappear.

The result of unrestricted fishing of the Nassau Grouper is well known. There is simply no need for The Bahamas, having been enlightened, to repeat the mistakes of others.

Bahamian fishermen have generally supported the government’s efforts to protect the Nassau Grouper stocks. I would like to thank them for their support and seek their continued cooperation. I am aware that these measures result in a loss of income as many fishermen rely upon fishing in the winter. Without these measures, the long term prospects are significantly worse.

The escalating activity of foreign fishing vessels during the time when Bahamian fishermen are not being allowed to target the Nassau Grouper is of concern to us all. This is a very real problem and the recent reports of gunfire being directed towards Bahamian fishermen by suspected poachers illustrates one aspect of the seriousness of the problem. Another is the damage being done to the Nassau Grouper stocks through the aggressive fishing activities these foreign vessels are known to engage in.

The Royal Bahamas Defense Force is the vanguard in combating this problem. They will be making every effort to ensure that extra attention is paid to the critical
areas that these poachers target.

There are ways in which Bahamian fishermen can help in these enforcement efforts. I am asking Bahamian fishermen to continue to provide information on their sightings of suspected poaching vessels. These reports should be directed to either the Royal Bahamas Defense Force or to the Department of Marine Resources. What is most important is that these reports be timely and contain as much information as possible regarding the description of the vessels and their positions. This information is critical to the long term success of enforcement activities.

If we want to have a sustainable commercial fishery for the Nassau Grouper, restrictions of this nature are very necessary. I seek the cooperation of those in the industry and that of the general public to make this undertaking successful.