The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) and The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) wish to go on record as supporting the annual closed season for Grouper beginning December 1, 2012 – February 28, 2013.
According to Casuarina McKinney- Lambert, Executive Director of BREEF, “The Bahamas is one of the last remaining strongholds for the Nassau Grouper throughout its geographic range. The Nassau grouper is already commercially extinct in many neighbouring countries, and is recognized as an endangered species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The closed season is critical to ensuring that future generations of Bahamians can enjoy this important fish.”
The BNT hears the concerns expressed by Mr. LaRoda about weather related hardships that fishermen may be facing, but we do not agree that a short-term economic gain at the expense of spawning groupers would be worth the long term impact that would be wrought as a result. The BNT therefore, does not support the recommendation to shorten the closed season to allow the harvesting of gravid groupers, and suggests that government not delay the implementation of the closed season for this important species. In fact BNT joins with BREEF to continue to advocate for a more rather than less comprehensive and ecologically significant closed season. The reasons for continuing with a three month closed season for grouper include:
1. A three–month closure that is consistent from year to year and covers the major spawning period (normally December – February) should effectively protect spawning biomass.
2. The Bahamas is probably the last remaining stronghold for the Nassau Grouper throughout its geographic range. As such, effective protection of this species will mean that the Bahamas will likely be the only country where this species can be harvested commercially. Additionally because of this fact there is international attention on and interest in, the condition of the species in the country.
The BNT truly feels that due to the extensive education and outreach done by BREEF, the BNT and the Department of Marine Resources, that fishermen and the general public understand the need for a closed season on this economically important fishery resource. While fishermen remain concerned about the high level of poaching of grouper that takes place by Dominicano poachers during the closed season, many fisherman have told us that they are seeing positive results from the closed season and also express that they do not want to see our grouper fishery crash, as have others in the region.
The Bahamas has implemented a country- wide closed season for Nassau grouper since 2004, and over the past several years, this closed season has consistently taken place between December 1st and February 28th, which is the fish’s peak spawning period. BREEF, The Trust and other conservation organizations have requested that this seasonal closure be permanently legislated, as is the case for crawfish and stone crabs.
“The BNT feels that shortening the closed season would take conservation back a few steps, and reverse the great strides that have been made in our efforts to restore The Bahamas Grouper population to its former sustainable yield status.” said Eric Carey, Executive Director of the BNT. “It is our considered view that The Bahamas should be moving toward a permanent legislated closed season to ensure that grouper is protected throughout its reproductive period. We feel that not having a consistent fixed period will lead to confusion and uncertainty and continued requests to postpone the closed season.”