The Fisher to Fisher blog shares some news from The Bahamas about efforts to conserve the local lobster fishery.
From a press release issued by the Bahamas Marine Exporters Association:
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scientists recently met with personnel from the Department of Marine Resources (DMR) along with stakeholders including seafood distributors, processors, and environmental groups such as The Nature Conservancy to outline the steps for certifying the Bahamian Lobster Fishery as a “Certified Sustainable Fishery”. If this process is successful, The Bahamas would have the first “Certified Sustainable Fishery” in the Caribbean, and this certification will assure the broadest possible market for Bahamian lobster tails exported and served in environmentally‐friendly restaurants and resorts worldwide. Certification by the Marine Stewardship Council MSC would also assist in providing added objective assurance to The Bahamas that its lobster fishery is well managed.
See the complete press release below or read it on Scribd:
This move is a response to a European Union (EU) ban on the importation of Bahamian lobster tails:
The Bahamas has been shut out from exporting its multi-million dollar Lobster Tail trade to the European Union (EU) for six months now, with the Government and fisheries sector working feverishly to put a new catch certificate requirement in place before the season opens again in just under one month.
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[T]he Bahamas will not be allowed to trade with the EU if the chain of custody for lobster tails is not certified by use of the catch certificates, which will allow purchasing entities to trace catches from their possession all the way back to the fishing boat that made the catch – and possibly even back to the exact spot in the Bahamas the product was caught.This requirement is part of a global mandate to help countries ensure their food exports are safe and traceable, and that they keep their marine resources in check to ensure sustainability.
[Photo: carfull53 ]
