As with the turtle protection drive in Trinidad and Tobago, the campaign to enact shark conservation laws in The Bahamas also seems to be gaining momentum:
Government ministers were encouraged to adopt legislation to outlaw shark fishing at a breakfast briefing on shark conservation hosted by the Bahamas National Trust (BNT) yesterday morning.
Experts from the international non-profit organisation the Pew Environmental Group told Cabinet ministers how such legislation would not only ensure the health of the coral reefs and sustain vital fisheries, it would also continue to support the lucrative shark tourism industry as local populations are unmatched elsewhere in the Caribbean.
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Sharks thrive in Bahamian waters by virtue of a long-line fishing ban imposed 20 years ago to prevent them from becoming by-catch – fish caught unintentionally.Around 40 species of sharks are estimated to live in Bahamian waters.
Because of the healthy population the Bahamas has become known as “shark diving capital of the world” and attracts visitors to the tune of $78 million a year.
It has also supported 60 scientific research publications over the last 20 years, and allowed for a healthy marine environment.
Mr Rand said: “There are few locations where you can get in the water and see sharks, and you have defacto protection now, but not legislative protection.
“We think this would be a great opportunity, not only for the sharks, but also for the Bahamas.”
The Pew Environment Group has worked with governments around the world and was successful in Palau and the Maldives which have become sanctuaries for sharks.
Although sharks have never been targetted by the fishing industry in the Bahamas, the threat of international demand for shark fins was raised when sea cucumber export company Sunco Wholesale Seafood Ltd CEO James Mackey told The Tribune he would explore the possibility of shark finning from his operation in Mastic Point, North Andros for export to Hong Kong.
Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Larry Cartwright reassured interested parties attending the event at the British Colonial Hilton yesterday that “the current policy of the government is to not allow for the export of shark fins, etcetera.”
However he did not indicate whether he would implement legislation to protect sharks as he commented on their multi-faceted importance for the marine ecosystem, tourism and scientific research.
Get more information in the complete article from the Nassau Tribune. Find out more about the Pew Environment Group and their marine conservation work at pewtrusts.org.
Previously on Green Antilles: Keeping The Bahamas an “Eden for sharks”, Shark research and conservation in The Bahamas, and Opposition to shark finning proposal in The Bahamas.
[Photo: Willy Volk]
Kudos to Cove and the many others with the BNT and Pew who are pushing for this legislation. Sharks need extra protections in the Bahamas as global stocks plummet.