By Dave Hurteau

From a press release generated by The Billfish Foundation:

A commercial Bahamian purse seine netting operation is attempting to obtain permits to begin operating in the islands of the Bahamas for yellowfin tuna, much to the frustration of conservation groups and sports fishing interests…

“Purse seine netters are indiscriminate,” Ellen Peel, president of The Billfish Foundation (TBF), said. “Such a large scale net vessel (with nets reportedly a mile long) will have bycatch trapped in the nets of not only blue marlin, white marlin, sailfish and spearfish but it will also kill marine mammals such as porpoises and bottle nosed dolphin as well as endangered sea turtles…”

“That negative impact will kill the sportfishing tourism industry so vital to their nation,” Peel said.

TBF is asking for the Bahamian government to enact a moratorium so its lawmakers can have time to look at scientific and socio-economic data…

Recent studies completed by TBF in Mexico and Costa Rica, 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…

“We’ll see what happens hopefully to resolve this quickly in the coming weeks, if not days,” Peel said.

Comments (9)

from Del in KS wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Commercial fishing is why the Salmon and Halibut fishing in AK is not what it once was. Hope they can stop this mess.

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from jakenbake wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Honestly that makes my stomach turn. Let's hope the folks in charge keep in mind who's generating the money that pays their salaries... I like tuna as much as the next guy but this sounds like it would be devastating to the whole system...

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from seadog wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

This is really bad news--I hope the Bahamians come to their senses. Sport fishing & diving is a huge part of their economy. Florida struggled with the net issues for years. Some species are recovering but it's still an issue.

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from wilksey88 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Are there any good sources to find out where certain animal products end up? The reason I ask is that one of the best ways to prevent things like this before they even come to fruition might be to find out where the yellowfin tuna will be marketed and how and avoid those products and try to help others do the same.

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from country road wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Commercial fishermen have an unblemished record of raping and pillaging any fishery in which they are not heavily regulated. I devoutly hope that the Bahamaian government can keep the purse seiners out of their waters. Modern commercial fishing is too efficient for natural fishery to withstand unregulated harvest, and even then, the regulations are frequently too little and too late, even when the regulations are enforced. There are some happy exceptions such as the redfish in the Gulf of Mexico, but they are rare.

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from buckhunter wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

This is a classic battle between recreational fisherman and commercial fisherman. Both the purse netters and The Billfish Foundation are battling over the right to kill the most fish for economic gain.

The point I would like to make is TBF does harm the billfish population by promoting sport, commercial and competitive bill fishing and the mortality rate that comes with it. I do not agree with purse netting around the Bahamas but do not be so quick to cast your stone at the commercial fisherman when TBF also kills billfish for money.

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from Mike Diehl wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

They ought to keep the purse seiners out. The ocean has been trashed enough already by the bycatch industry.

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from bigfishguy wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

Japan is destroying the whale and bluefin tuna population with nets.

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from bigfishguy wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

I wrote a report on japanese commercial fishing

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from Del in KS wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Commercial fishing is why the Salmon and Halibut fishing in AK is not what it once was. Hope they can stop this mess.

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from country road wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Commercial fishermen have an unblemished record of raping and pillaging any fishery in which they are not heavily regulated. I devoutly hope that the Bahamaian government can keep the purse seiners out of their waters. Modern commercial fishing is too efficient for natural fishery to withstand unregulated harvest, and even then, the regulations are frequently too little and too late, even when the regulations are enforced. There are some happy exceptions such as the redfish in the Gulf of Mexico, but they are rare.

+4 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jakenbake wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Honestly that makes my stomach turn. Let's hope the folks in charge keep in mind who's generating the money that pays their salaries... I like tuna as much as the next guy but this sounds like it would be devastating to the whole system...

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from seadog wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

This is really bad news--I hope the Bahamians come to their senses. Sport fishing & diving is a huge part of their economy. Florida struggled with the net issues for years. Some species are recovering but it's still an issue.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from buckhunter wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

This is a classic battle between recreational fisherman and commercial fisherman. Both the purse netters and The Billfish Foundation are battling over the right to kill the most fish for economic gain.

The point I would like to make is TBF does harm the billfish population by promoting sport, commercial and competitive bill fishing and the mortality rate that comes with it. I do not agree with purse netting around the Bahamas but do not be so quick to cast your stone at the commercial fisherman when TBF also kills billfish for money.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from wilksey88 wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

Are there any good sources to find out where certain animal products end up? The reason I ask is that one of the best ways to prevent things like this before they even come to fruition might be to find out where the yellowfin tuna will be marketed and how and avoid those products and try to help others do the same.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Mike Diehl wrote 1 year 49 weeks ago

They ought to keep the purse seiners out. The ocean has been trashed enough already by the bycatch industry.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bigfishguy wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

Japan is destroying the whale and bluefin tuna population with nets.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from bigfishguy wrote 1 year 48 weeks ago

I wrote a report on japanese commercial fishing

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.