Officials Make Crawfish Bust
2nd August
By Kendea Jones A 47-year-old Andros resident was arrested Wednesday and his alleged haul of undersized crawfish seized as marine resources authorities - true to their word - stringently enforced regulations.
Chief Fisheries Inspector Gilford Lloyd told the Bahama Journal that the man was caught around 4pm at the Potter’s Cay Dock with over 1,000 pounds of the lucrative catch.
“As a Bahamian citizen you can catch whatever amount is permissible under the Fishing Act, so there is no violation here on that part of it,” said Mr. Lloyd while at Paradise Fisheries on Mount Royal Avenue where the crawfish were being inspected.
“We are just looking for undersized products. I suspect he has quite a bit of it. We’ve gotten information throughout the closed season that people were out there catching crawfish during the closed season.”
Even before the season officially got underway on August 1, marine resources officials were warning fishermen to adhere to the rules of the season, which include the minimum length of the crawfish that may be caught.
Officials from the Department of Fisheries warned Tuesday that people wishing to harvest crawfish are required to have a crawfish measuring gauge in their possession at all times, and are also warned that the possession of dishwashing liquid, bleach or other noxious substances aboard any vessel while fishing without a permit for the substance is unlawful.
The department also warned that fishermen about regulations governing the harvesting of marine turtles, including a reminder that the legal measurements for the harvesting of loggerhead turtles is a 30-inch back length, and for green turtles, a 24-inch back length.
The typical season has had its share of challenges, with some officials urging conservation efforts. Poaching has been a big problem as well as severe storms affecting the underwater habitats.
“We wish to encourage fishermen to obey the fisheries laws and save me and everybody else some time and work,” Mr. Lloyd said.
“You can see from the frozen crawfish that [the Andros resident] was doing this before the season had officially opened.”
M. Lloyd said the man in question was being processed and risks a fine of $3,000 or one year imprisonment.
Last year, Bahamian fishermen landed $92 million worth of crawfish, according to Deputy Director of the Department Edison Deleveaux.