By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

A LOCAL conservationist has called statements about protected marine animals made by Deputy Prime Minister Peter Turnquest “backwards”.

As he spoke in the House of Assembly about a constituent who is recovering from a recent shark attack, Mr Turnquest said as the country is protecting sharks, they are now encroaching on fishing areas used by fishermen who are at risk of attack.

He also said sea turtles, another protected marine animal, are now feeding on the country’s already limited conch supply.

“This is an issue that I think we’re going to have to address at some point because fishermen have continuously put the point to me that as we protect the shark and as we protect the turtle, they are now becoming a nuisance and a danger to fishermen,” the East Grand Bahama MP said.

“As the fishermen try to catch the fish with a line, (a) shark comes and takes them. They dive, they are at risk of being injured. The turtles (are) eating the conch and the lobster. So it’s becoming quite a challenge.”

Mr Turnquest stressed he did not want to enter into a “conservation argument”, but said this was an issue that needed to be studied at some point, so that humans are not disadvantaged while another species is protected.

When contacted for comment yesterday, Shelly Cant-Woodside, director of science and policy at Bahamas National Trust, hit out at the remarks.

“First of all the comment that sharks are encroaching on us while we are fishing is backwards,” Ms Cant-Woodside said. “It’s really that humans are ever encroaching on their habitat. And, they are the lions and tigers of the ocean so they are always going to be present and do their jobs.

“Unfortunately, fishing is an act that attracts predators. So very similar, if we were walking through the African Savannas, and you’re going hunting, you are going to attract predators. It’s not really related to the sharks being protected, because shark populations basically remain the same, because we never hunted them before the protection of sharks and we don’t hunt them now. So there is no change in population and science has been showing that.”

In a previous interview, Ms Cant-Woodside said that nearly 100 million sharks are fished for the shark fin soup industry annually, but The Bahamas has a ban on shark fishing to keep its shark population intact. In The Bahamas specifically, she said, the protection of sharks has prevented certain companies from reaching into Bahamian waters to fish for sharks.

“With humans increasingly going in the ocean and doing certain activities that will attract them, you are making food easy to locate,” she continued. “If you’re fishing and there is fish blood in the water, then you are going to increase your chances of those interactions with sharks.”

Regarding the East Grand Bahama MP’s remark about sea turtles feasting on the conch population, the BNT policy maker said it is not the turtles to blame, but rather human beings.

“Sea turtle populations are increasing for sure, but to think that they are causing the conch population to decline over say humans, let’s say it’s all about finger pointing,” she said. “Humans are removing more conch out of the water than any sea turtle can. Many people do not understand that there are very few species of sea turtle that eat conch.

“And, they only eat conch at certain life stages as well. So actually the impact of sea turtles on conchs is minimal. Let’s also remember that the sea turtle population is still only one percent of what their natural population used to be like before the industrial revolution.

“So if it was because of sea turtles then I would say, ‘well how did conch survive back in the day?’ Those are not directly correlated. Conch populations are in trouble because we are over fishing, point blank.”

Ms Cant-Woodside noted that she “heard” Mr Turnquest’s words, which are in sync with what a lot of fishermen are saying, but unfortunately a lot of those conversations are not guided by science.

“We could ‘unprotect’ all these things, but things would be in a much worse state than they are in today,” she said. “With all species, we need to continue the conversation of conservation, absolutely, but I do think that people have to accept some of the science that is stated and I do think that we have to come up with sensible solutions to help protect both people as well as these resources that we need for our very own survival.”