By ANNELIA NIXON

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association (BFFIA) has launched a petition demanding reforms in 11 key areas including a ‘fronting’ crackdown and changes to the licences held by captains and guides.

The Association’s attorney, Keod Smith, said that by end-Friday he expected to have more than 100 signatories to a petition that was unveiled at the Fly Fishing Industry Guides’ Homecoming Conclave. Some 80 persons were said to have already signed-up, and the Association now plans to seek support from those who were not in attendance at the conclave.

Among the petition’s goals is prohibiting foreign-owned ‘Bed and Breakfast’ type businesses, which often offer do-it-yourself fishing services. Prescott Smith, the Association’s president, branded this as ‘fronting’, and argued that the Government is losing “hundreds of millions of dollars” through these types of businesses.

The petition also calls for a warden programme, “not token wardens for birds only”, and its restructuring to provide enforcement powers in areas involving flats and marine resources. It is also seeking implementation of a conservation fund, which was passed into law in 2016; a declaration that the industry be protected and reserved for Bahamians only; that outfitters’ licences only be given to Bahamians in the industry when it comes to accessing flat fishing resources in the country; exemptions for certified guides; support of the Association through annual subventions; and the addition of stingrays to the protected species list.

Keod Smith said the petition is intended to inform the Government of issues that the Bahamian fly fishing industry wants addressed, noting that if it fails to act “we might actually petition Parliament”.

“I’m all about solutions,” Prescott Smith said. “I’m not interested in the talk. We generated a petition, and we documented all of the key things that even we’re working on. For example, SBDC (Small Business Development Centre) policy is part of the thing we are working on with them as well, so that you can get the exemptions for certified guides that will allow them to get the kind of equipment to expand the industry and the revenue…

“We generated a petition with about 11 key things on it. And we got the signatures of everyone here, and who hasn’t signed it, they will be signing it before they leave here. And, on that, it speaks to all of the key things that the Government needs to address that would deal with a lot of the pressing issues. It has been going on for so many years.

“For example, the warden’s programme, the appointment. So you had like 50-plus guides who were appointed as wardens. And while the minister of the environment did an incredible thing with the appointment under forestry, it’s restricted under the Wild Birds Protection Act. So even though the mangroves are under that division, they need to make an amendment that includes extending it to the flats. It’s not a big issue. This is just step by step.”

The conclave called for more partnerships to be established through the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) and the Association itself. “It isn’t just for SBDC to come up with the funds,” Prescott Smith said. “I’m going to use, for example, Royal Bank, or Bank of The Bahamas.

“You have millions of dollars passing through these institutions because of the revenue that comes into The Bahamas, the fly fishing. But unless you engage with them and say, ‘look, if we do targeted investment in this sector, it’s going to grow the industry, which means you’ll have more currency coming through the bank, and you can charge more fees’......

“And so let’s look at it. This industry doesn’t work without the fuel companies. To have that conversation with them, to say, ‘look, you know, you could do more targeted investment in this industry’. And so you grow the industry, and it means you’re going to sell more fuel,” Prescott Smith added.

“And let’s look at the airline company. So I spoke to Western Air, I spoke to Titan Air, and I said: ‘Well, you’ve noticed over the last five, ten years, you’re seeing more and more anglers show up with their fly rods. They’re sitting in your seats.

“Now imagine, if you partner with the industry, like in specific areas, how you can grow this sector? Because if you don’t do that, what is happening is there’s a lot of foreign encroachment because they realise the Bahamians are not aware... The majority of our citizens hear about this, but they don’t really know the details of the industry...

“Let’s say aviation. You have companies here, like Makers and other companies, where their business has grown tremendously by flying in all these clients. And many of the pilots are not even aware that the volume of business exists out there. And sometimes these float planes or sea planes are bringing in customers, and they’re taking them to these private yachts. They fish in The Bahamas, and they take them out. And, you know, there’s no local participation like that.”

Captain and guide licences are another pressing issue. Prescott Smith said amendments must be made to ‘A’ and ‘B’ licences. “For example, the captain’s ‘B’ licence,” he added. “If you get your ‘B’ licence in Abaco, it says on the licence that you are only to operate in the waters around Abaco, and that’s a bit of a problem, because guides sometimes find themselves fishing in shallow waters in different parts of the Bahamas...

“It’s like you can be issued your driver’s licence in Abaco, but that doesn’t stop you from driving in Andros. And so, because you’re fishing in the shallow water, it should apply to the flats throughout The Bahamas because these boats are not operating in the ocean.”