So the poachers actually told the us coast guard they were going to poach. Are they not realizing what they are doing is illegal or do they not simply care.

Hold on though... poaching is one thing (you come in Bahamian waters without any weapons and steal our marine resources). <br/><br/>
But I don't think "shoot-outs" should simply get a fine or just a few months. To me that's attempted murder or at the very least assault with a deadly weapon. These guys need much harsher penalties than just paying money for nearly killing Bahamian officers doing their job!

Correct! Attempted murder.

If these guys are willing to shoot at a huge defense force boat then sure as shit they have been shooting at our fishermen all these years.

Did our defense force return fire? Was the big gun at the front of the boat (assuming we have one) being manned at the time of engagement - as a precaution? Does the gun even work? Or did we just give them warning after warning to stop shooting, until they ran out of bullets?

If you go to the Arawak Port sometimes you will see people collecting shipments of fish and seafood that was imported. Where are some of these shipments coming from? Dominican Republic! So they come in and steal our marine resources, are brazen enough to shoot at the Defense Force boats who try to stop them and turns around and sells the fish back to us what they stole. Does the Bahamas or Bahamians ever win? Ever?

This is a bigger problem than a few bullets. If these DR fellas keep this up, our oceans will be completely depleted and wiped out. In Africa, when poachers try to hunt rhinos they are shot on sight. I think we need to up our military game or they will keep on coming. Bahamas needs to put on some big boy pants like Cuba. Being passive is no longer an option if we are to survive.

Damn lousy shooting by the RBDF...,!!!.,how in do world dey can provide security for the nation...????...THEY NEEDS TO HAVE SOME OF THE POLICE ON BOARD DEFENCE FORCE VESSELS...MANNING THE GUNS....TO STOP THE INVADING ATTACKING FOREIGN VESSELS SHOOTING..TO KILL BAHAMIANS.......,!!.l

TThe Bahamas , Needs to update its laws of the sea....to stop the boat stealing too . The thief's in Abaco are going to effect the economy they gonna drive the tourist out of this country , we are not the only beautiful place in the world that rich people can invest in. Soon we will be like them other high crime islands where people stop going because it is un-safe.

And not all the boats reported stolen in Abaco are actually stolen. There is/was a scam going on where a person would bring expensive boats to the Northern Bahamas. They would sell these boats off for a fraction of the value, then go back to the US and report the boat stolen. And file an insurance claim. And so lately insurance companies have been hiring private investigators to track down missing boats, and of course, the incidence of missing or stolen boats have decreased.

We need to know if the RBDF is under orders to shoot only in self defense. It's about time the RBDF sinks one of the F### on the high seas!

Notice that the Dominicans didn't shoot at the Cubans! How much more did they need to do before " self-defense" kicked in?

The Dam Dominicans need a serious taste of their own medicine.

Has the Bahamas considered taking this issue before the United Nations, to seek economic sanctions against these “pirates” from the Dominican Republic? This is, in the end, a 21st Century version of piracy.

May God always protect the men and woman of the RBDF......how times changed...Three countries ..Three different names for their costal protection ...Cuban = Border patrol, Bahamas =Defence Force and United States = Coast Guard... and To think that May 10th 1980 could have been avoided if we had this knid of cooperation 38 years ago.!!

Unrelated to this but on my mind, has anybody else noticed how quiet Minnis and the FNM is on rebuilding Ragged Island? My prediction is that the FNM have already cut a deal for China to rebuild Ragged Island and provide a huge loan trap of a billion dollars. Part of the deal is that China would own the Ragged Island port (which
they would likely turn into a military base of sorts). The project was green lit, until the US dumped water on the fire by declaring China to be a foe of the US (Pence speech). These are just my predictions not fact! I am writing them down in case they happen, so we can be prepared. Knowledge is power!

I implore the Bahamas Government to pass a law that no foreign Government, namely China, shall be allowed to own key infrastructure in The Bahamas, and no Bahamian Government shall be permitted to enter potential loan trap agreements with China. I have looked at The Pointe just now and it is very impressive. It is also scary to know that this key feature of the Bahamian economy is owned by a foreign communist power. In hindsight, The British Colonial should never have been sold to China. The Pointe should have been built and owned by the Bahamian people. The Pointe gives China far too much leverage over the cruiseship port, Baystreet and The Bahamas economy! I believe The Pointe will turn out to be our "island in the South China Sea moment" (Perry was our Obama that turned a blind eye), and we will regret the sale for decades to come.

This is a big joke. The Bahamas is a bullshit country. The Dominicans obviously have absolutely no respect for RBDF!

Think they would be alive today had they opened fire on a U.S. or Cuban vessel? Why weren't the offending Dominicans shot?

We need to confiscate their three “motherships” and everything else they have. STOP PLAYING with the D.R., they're NOT playing with us!!

As for government to pass laws on foreign govt ownership ...much concern was placed on the PI hotel with best preferred terms arrangement employing massive labour force.....but government ....rather politicians who watch massivive mismanagement of taxpayer money in the job of managing a 10 billion dollar evonomy........and nobody joing to jail....no investogations for fraud.........nobody fired for rank incompetamce....none responsible for massive yearly subventions.......will have no choice but to prosiitute the country toget a few dollars to run da country....shareholders done spoke 35 to 4 to change tings....

Re Bogart I always assumed there was a provision somewhere in Bahamian investment policy or laws that a foreign country/government cannot own large infrastructure or commence business in the Bahamas due to sovereignty issues. Do you know of anything like this?

What Bahamians are unaware of is that Dominicans believe that the Bahamas belongs to them. They are of the opinion that The Bahamas was stolen from the Spanish by the British. They consider themselves to be direct descendants of the Spanish and by extension they view The Bahamas as stolen property from them. I had an opportunity to raise poaching as a concern to a Dominican and this is what I was told.

"And not all the boats reported stolen in Abaco are actually stolen."

John instead of complaining about Americans all the time you should be grateful for their help. If the USCG wasn't in the area then the RBDF wouldn't even known about the Dominican Poachers.

Boat thefts in Abaco are down because the Abaconian people got tired of the bad publicity and pressured the authorities to act.

Deddie, you are incorrect in your assessment, plain wrong actually and I am Dominican. We are mostly of color and we don’t think the Bahamas is ours or have ever claimed that, we love the Bahamas and it’s people and I’m sorry to hear there’s Dominicans poaching around Bahamian waters and shooting at the RBDF. We have 10 million people on our side of the island, there’s going to be bad apples.

Open fire on the RBDF, ram the RBDF vessel and all the Captain gets is 16 and 18 months?!?! Our laws are a a JOKE! You try opening fire or ramming an American Coast Guard cutter. They’ll blow your ass right out of the water or sink your boat right where you are and if you’re lucky they’ll hoist your sorry ass out of the water and you’ll be doing serious time in the big house! Is it any wonder the Dominicans keep returning?! We really are a joke!

What Bahamians need to realise is there is no such thing as territory: You own only that which you fight to protect.

RE BahamaPundit..G.ood point ...what yinna figthts to ptotect....
On the FDI...investments that encroach...imperil..etc
The word "strategic".....seems to fall under ambit of the Economic znd Planning Unit in ....While there are the protections for local businesses in certain areas...this has been questions raised on "fronting" which has to be proved......In small countries like the Bahamas ...I do not bdlieve any laws exist to intervene to correct imbalances in foreign companies having policies... measures to overtly affect direct govt policies.....my take say current on the banking control is when foreign banks HQ domiciled elsewhere have local follow certain paths in business policy plan to ...say give loans in say certain areas say ...vacation loans...while govt policy is pushing small business .."strip mining".areas for maximum profits....actions pf Directors....paid by these companies...
.....It is "business" to craft policies to steer ...lead...anyone...countries ...for maximum yields and....gain long term stretegic objectibes..
.etc...foreign businesses can eadily place themselves in positions of influence...size of labour force hired...and make redundant say 2,000....later....donations rtc...to have govts prostitute demselves....or railroad policies...
Clear lack of legislation....anslysts....anti competition....Trust...Ombudsman...Consumer Finamcial Protection...Independent Bank Regulator...Financial Conduct Authority...encourage bad business