Men arrested for catching undersized conch

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

TWO Bahamian men have been arrested after they were allegedly caught fishing undersized conch.

According to police reports, Defence Force officers were on patrol around 2pm on Wednesday in waters two miles off West End in the vicinity of Sandy Cay when they spotted two men onboard a vessel. While conducting a search, the officers discovered 164 juvenile conchs, and two five-gallon buckets of conch that were previously taken from its shell.

The two men, aged 36 and 61, of the Bight, West End, were arrested for breach of Fisheries Act and taken into police custody. The undersized conchs were confiscated.

Comments

asiseeit says...

Great job! We need more fisheries enforcement. Here in Nassau you see the guys all along the shore spearing with coolers and it is said that they are already (never stopped) spearing crawfish. I wonder if anyone checks on them?

Posted 27 June 2014, 12:37 p.m. Suggest removal

B_I_D___ says...

FANTASTIC!! Well done!

Posted 27 June 2014, 12:42 p.m. Suggest removal

DillyTree says...

Great to see some enforcement taking place! Well done!

And I do hope the offenders will get more than a slap on the wrist. Take the boat, equipment and sell at auction for funds to be used for conservation and enforcement efforts.

This is also just days after the Community Conch's survey of the very same area these young conch were taken. I hope the young conch will be put back in places where they can grow to maturity and help make our conch industry a sustainable one.

Posted 27 June 2014, 12:55 p.m. Suggest removal

asiseeit says...

I am also very hopeful that the big Foreign long line fishing boats off of Abaco and Eleuthera will be caught one day. These guys sneak into our waters at night and kill untold amounts of Fish.

Posted 27 June 2014, 1:22 p.m. Suggest removal

ThisIsOurs says...

These fishermen are summarily arrested for breaking the law , as well they should, meanwhile the tenant at Summerwinds, who also committed an offense was allowed to remain free so that he could throw a party

Posted 27 June 2014, 1:39 p.m. Suggest removal

abacogirl says...

They really need fisheries to do their job in Abaco, foreign boats seen craw fishing and when they are called their response is" well check it tomorrow!"

Posted 27 June 2014, 9:31 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

Catching two Bahamian small scale fishermen ............... while hundreds of Dominican large scale fishermen roam the Banks from Ragged Island to South Andros!!!!!!!

Which is bigger news???????????????

Lawbreaking is lawbreaking.............. but the Dominicans are big time lawbreakers!!!!!!!!!

Posted 28 June 2014, 10:30 a.m. Suggest removal

SP says...

@ sheeprunner12 Good point!.....But the two Bahamian small scale fishermen don't shoot big guns at Defence Force officers.

Posted 28 June 2014, 2:49 p.m. Suggest removal

sheeprunner12 says...

I suppose so................ won't the HMBS ADHanna have big guns????? LOL

Posted 29 June 2014, 11:10 a.m. Suggest removal

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