ANTIGUANICE YACHTING INSIDER NEWSLETTER

Caribarena.com's Carol Williams reported on November 15, 2012 that Barbuda Fishermen Want Tougher Regulations:

Antigua St. John’s - Faced with a dwindling stock of chub fish, President of the Barbuda Fishermen’s Cooperative Devon Warner has signaled his intention to ask for tougher regulations.

Warner said the situation has been caused by irresponsible fishing habits of some fishermen from Antigua and Dominica. He was firm that the cooperative is not opposed to the increased number of Antiguan fishermen who have been plying their trade there for the past year, but said there are concerns about the methods being used.

“Some Dominicans and Antiguans fish for the chub and so on and this has a devastating effect on the reef because of the use of fishing nets that take out everything around the net,” he said. “We're not opposed to Antiguan fishermen fishing in Barbuda. What we are hoping to see is that they exercise a more conservative type of fishing."

Warner said the cooperative intends to approach the Barbuda Council for a system of zoning to be put into effect after the local government body holds election next year March.

"We're hoping (to have) zoning areas where certain times of year we would close one area off for diving to allow the fish stock to replenish. And we're looking to have the lagoon as a protected area where a minimal amount of diving takes place, because it is one of the greatest spawning areas for lobsters and so on,” he said.

The cooperative president said further that the council will have the authority to put additional safeguards in place to protect the sector in accordance with the Fisheries Act Regulations. Those regulations have not yet been signed by Fisheries Minister Hilson Baptiste.