By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Government was yesterday urged to rapidly bring revised fisheries legislation carrying stiffer penalties for poachers to Parliament, the head of the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA) warning that delaying placed the industry in “peril”.

Commenting in the wake of reports of an encounter a group of yachters had with poachers last week, Adrian LaRoda told Tribune Business that the latter were becoming more brazen.

“The boldness of these poachers is nothing new to Bahamian fishermen. They have had to deal with that for years now. Unfortunately, as we have seen in this recent incident, this has now expanded to the yachting business; people who are here legitimately. That’s not good for us,” said Mr LaRoda.

During a boating trip last week, Joseph Ierna Jr and his wife Nicola, of Ocean CREST Alliance, a Bahamian based non-profit ocean conservation group, and two other US couple,s reportedly encountered illegal Dominican Republic poachers while cruising the Cay Sal Banks, close to Bimini.

According to a the Bahamas National Trust (BNT), the poachers, who numbered in the hundreds, were not only working off two large vessels of 150-200 feet in in length, but were also camping on the west side of Cay Sal island.

The large number of poachers, including the ones camping on the island, gave an uneasy and unsafe feeling, which prompted them to depart the Bahamas ahead of their planned itinerary.

As they were departing, four separate Dominican fishermen in two dinghies even approached the yacht to sell the cruisers some illegal lobster and fish, which they held up and displayed.

“These poachers often come in large numbers and it can be a dangerous situation out there. This is serious. This situation is not getting better; it seems to be getting worse, and I know for a fact that our fishermen are not backing down,” said Mr Laroda.

He added: “The problem is they don’t fear the consequences. The blame lies solely at the feet of government. The Government must bring the revised fisheries legislation to Parliament.

“One of the things that will do is enforce stiffer penalties. Every day it is delayed it puts the industry in deeper peril.”

Mr LaRoda said the BCFA would move to petition the Royal Bahamas Defence Force for a permanent presence in the Cay Sal area.