By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The National Fisheries Association’s (NFA) president is estimating that the crack down on compressor use post-crawfish season has reduced the amount of fish available for Easter by “at least 75 percent”.

Keith Carroll told Tribune Business that the volume of fish being sold over the holiday weekend was “way down” compared to prior years and said it was very telling that last Thursday he “drove straight through Potter’s Cay” while encountering little to no traffic at a time when the destination would normally be packed with persons making Easter purchases.

He attributed the decline to the police and maritime authorities’ enforcement of the ban on using compressors to dive outside of crawfish season, which recently closed on March 31. Fishermen, Mr Carroll added, simply do not want to risk being caught, and their boats seized and themselves being hauled before the Magistrate’s Court to face fines or other punishment.

As a result, fewer boats headed out before Easter to catch snappers, groupers, jacks and other fried fish that are sought-after by Bahamians for the holiday weekend. “I know there is not much fish in town,” Mr Carroll told this newspaper. “I don’t think it’s going too good because there is not much fish in town.

“What’s in town is selling, but there is not much fish here. When crawfish season closes on March, then it becomes illegal to use compressors. Most guys that fish for the Easter holiday are not allowed to use compressors so they don’t use them.

“A couple of years ago a boat got seized, and was held for a little while by the Government. They can’t afford for their boats to get seized so they just don’t go out.” Mr Carroll said that, once a fishing boat and its crew become used to diving with compressors, they cannot do without them. As a result, those boats still fishing for Easter are ones with crews who free dive.

The Association president acknowledged that, while the Government had banned compressor use for the April-July four month period between the crawfish season’s end and start of a new one, it is only in recent years that it has moved to enforce this.

“When the Government says you cannot use a compressor they are putting you on vacation for four months,” Mr Carroll told Tribune Business. “You can only use them for eight months in the crawfish season because the Government cracked down a few years ago. They started enforcing it, and one of the big boats got locked up; they brought them into Coral Harbour.

“The big boats don’t do it any more. I don’t really use compressors but I feel for those who do. You have some guys who just go for conch and fish, and only use compressors. When you tell them they cannot use it, you’re telling them to go on vacation for four months. When you’re bringing in the nets, and they get hooked, guys have to dive and clear the nets. If you cannot clear the nets, you cannot haul.”

Asked to estimate how much fish availability for Easter has declined as a result, Mr Carroll replied: “It’s way down, way down. At least 75 percent - snapper, grouper, fish for Easter. Mostly snapper and small jacks. I came from Potter’s Cay and drove straight through. Normally this time of year it would be backed up, but it’s just like a normal day.

“The fish we want to eat for Easter are not around like that because the fishermen do not want to take the chance of going out and using compressors because, if they get caught, the boat seized and they are hauled up before the courts, they may not be able to go out for crawfish season. That’s a problem. They’d rather just stay home.”

Mr Carroll said this is not just impacting Easter fish sales and volumes but also market conditions later in the year. “Usually those big boats, when they go out to fish, in summer they bring back a lot and stock up,” he explained. “We’ll be affected by this in the winter months, wondering why there is no fish, because they did not go out to fish in summer.

“They put the snappers in stock for the winter months. This just doesn’t affect Good Friday; it affects the winter months. It’s a big problem, and I see the problem every day.”

He added that there needed to be some discussion and consultation on potentially easing the four-month ban, adding: “I personally believe they should be allowed to use a compressor. This was ever in place from when they introduced it in The Bahamas; that it could only be used for crawfish.

“People then started using it for other things, and were able to do it, but the Government cracked down on it and they stopped going out.” Mr Carroll said violations of the law, and especially the inappropriate use of compressors, should be tackled through the imposition of fines on offenders rather than blanket bans.

“We know some fishermen took advantage of it, and dive in areas where they are not supposed to. If we put strict fines in place we can manage it,” the Association president added. “No less than 30 feet, and no deeper than 60 feet. Put fines in place if they are caught. If the Government finds out you are diving and bringing up catches illegally, you have to put fines in place.”