National

Director: Poaching Sees Significant Decline

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Department of Marine Resources has reported a significant downturn in foreign poaching activities within Bahamian waters.

Published

9 months ago

February 24, 2024

Berthony McDermott

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Department of Marine Resources has reported a significant downturn in foreign poaching activities within Bahamian waters.

Director Gregory Bethel attributes this decline to several new initiatives.

Over the years, there have been multiple sightings of Dominican poachers in Bahamian waters.

Back in 2019, 17 Dominican poachers were arraigned for illegally catching nearly 3,000 pounds of fisheries and collectively fined $23,000.

Fast forward to 2022, despite sightings of Dominican vessels by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, however the military has said attempts to apprehend them were unsuccessful.

However, poaching is not solely limited to foreign vessels. Bethel says even sports fishermen have been caught exceeding bag limits, posing another challenge for law enforcement officers.

Despite the decrease in poaching incidents, Bethel emphasizes officials are gearing up with preventative measures.

He says the marine action partnership project is underway, aiming to coordinate all law enforcement agencies regarding fisheries laws, thereby strengthening efforts against poaching.