Group fights to keep fishing limits:
By Keesha Bethell and Vernon Clement Jones, Guardian Business Desk -
Nassau, Bahamas:

An environmental group is urging the government to reconsider its intention to remove controversial catch limits on sportfishing, warning the move would hurt another industry integral to the economy.

"I find it very, very disturbing," said Sam Duncombe, President of the environmental organisation re-Earth. "Since when do we allow the average business to get involved on this level when you're talking about the conservation of marine resources? These are not the only people (the sportfishing industry) that you speak to - you speak to the scientists, most importantly."

The comments come on the heels of recent statements by the newly-appointed Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Lawrence Cartwright, who suggested that he would increase the number of fish sportfishing vessels can legally claim.

"Most of the changes will be based on the feedback received from the (sportfishing) tournament organizers and the marinas throughout the country - basically, to try and satisfy their needs," said Cartwright. "I can go so far as to say that the numbers presently in the bag limits will be increased."

The exact nature of those changes to the regulations, only introduced in January, may come as early as today.

The present limits restrict the amount of fish that can be caught by anglers in an effort to protect Bahamian marine life from depletion.

Sportfishing vessels, for example, are currently limited to catching six pelagic fish per boat, such as dolphin, kingfish, wahoo and tuna. For dermersal fish such as snapper, grouper and hogfish, the limit is 20.

Duncombe commended the former minister of marine resources Leslie Miller for introducing the regulations.

"If anything Mr. Miller was absolutely correct in reducing the catch because it is the conservative approach to something we are not fully aware of," said the long-time environmentalist.

But the effects of Miller's move have been nothing short of harmful for the tourism industry, charge some tour operators who complained about a drop in bookings.

Still, the country's billion-dollar commercial fishing industry could ultimately bear the brunt of Cartwright's planned reversal of that policy.

"We do not know what our fisheries stocks are," said Duncombe. "For this government to then turn around and say 'no, we are going back to business as usual', it's really concerning me."

Chief among Bahamian exports are crawfish, Nassau grouper and conch. They represent the very fish stock which pirate fishing operations target in these waters.

Critics of bigger bag limits for tourists point to a blurring of the lines between outright illegal fishing vessels and those operating under the pretense of sportfishing.

Duncombe is in fact a proponent of the idea of extending the stricter regulations to Bahamian nationals.