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**wadadlichild** » 2012-06-19 00:19

@morris Could not agree with you more. Its obvious that A&B does not have enough men and women in law enforcement protecting the country whether it be on land or water. Violent crimes are out of control. Foreign fishermen in and out of our back door without fear. Get the members from the defense force and put them to work. Have them out patrolling our waters. We need them. It seems to me that the government is waiting for more tourists on their honey moon to get their heads blown off before they take action. I guess one international incident regarding tourist is not enough. Why wait until we get punch in the face to act? A&B reputation can't take much more blows. How embar**ing for hotels to tell guess that they don't have any lobster on the menus for whatever reason. These tourist dream of going to a tropical Island and indulging. One can only imagine the conversations they have with families and neighbors once back home.

**John French II** » 2012-06-18 23:55

Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock. Why will Blue GoAB not set Politics aside and engage Eli and many others of the EAG who are passionate about preserving and enhancing the environment of this SIDS?
Throne Speech 2012:Quote:

It is therefore my government’s intention, to establish during the first quarter of this parliamentary year a committee to develop The National Strategic Plan of Antigua and Barbuda 2021. ... “Each Endeavoring All Achieving” will have six broad strategic goals: ... Preserving our environment and building a stronger physical infrastructure
Economic sustainability ... The development of a NSP will ensure that we plan for a secure future. It will require all hands on deck.

Grand Glutinous Words, Sham from begining to end. Enforce the 2004 ACT.
Many voices in the wilderness have suggested the realigning and restructuring of the Army into the Coast Guard, Police & Fire Departments; Marine & Fisheries Training:Quote:

Fiscal Balance; Education For All; A&B - Best Brand

other Pillars of the Strategic Plan. Quote:

the ABDF will pursue the transition of the ABDF light infantry to that of a marine capable force

Mercy

**eli** » 2012-06-18 22:33

if you care and want to see some fisheries management out there sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/prime-minister-hon-baldwin-spencer-take-action-now-to-save-antigua-barbuda-s-coral-reefs

**Margaret Habib** » 2012-06-18 11:30

The Spiny Lobster is a widely popular food among locals and our visiting tourists and if we are not careful we are in danger of wiping out its entire population. Regulations need to be in place to ensure that the young lobsters and females are not captured for sale and consumption. From the tip of the antennae to its tail the average adult grows around 10cm which takes about seven years of growth to reach this size. In the last decade catches have declined because of intensive fishing and change or changes in habitat.
Protecting and shielding our marine life is an on-going process. It takes many of us to make this happen. Education is the key to bring awareness and insight to this unjust and senseless act. We are committing a crime against ourselves that will ricochet in the ensuing years which will affect both the fish stock in our waters and our daily bread and **er. We need to zone our waters. We need to protect our seas, and we need to plan a sustainable future for us and for our marine life.
It is time to act and the time to act is NOW!

**Margaret Habib** » 2012-06-18 11:28

So, what is the hue and cry about? Why are people so concerned? The main problem from the people calling for legislation is the over-fishing of certain species of fish, such as the parrotfish and lobster.
The parrotfish are extremely important to our reefs. Found in fairly shallow waters, these schools of fish feed on the reef and excrete it as sand which gives us our beautiful beaches. The average parrotfish in a year can produce 90kg of sand! Protecting our parrotfish will also save our coral reefs from being overgrown with seaweed. They are colourful and make a delightful and watery canvas for our underwater enthusiasts.

**Margaret Habib** » 2012-06-18 11:27

We have been reading recently about the lack of governance in protecting our marine life.
Many of us have relatives and/or friends who depend on the abundance of fish, lobster, conch, etc for their livelihood.
As the years progressed our waters have become a port of call for outsiders who have benefited financially from purchasing sea stock at higher prices than most locals could afford. Unfortunately, this has caused the exploitation, drain and depletion of fish so badly that voices are now being raised out of concern to try and curb this raping of all aquatic fish and other marine animals calling on the Ministry of Fisheries to do something about it.
The problem here is that all those involved are unaware or uninformed of realizing the danger of their own lack of judgment; the fishermen, intentionally using nets with little regard of danger to reef or fish; the ministry not having the necessary power and tools to prevent this from happening, and the foreigners commercializing to their advantage a weak and weakened system.

**Help** » 2012-06-18 10:47

We need HELP. My 2cent on this matter is not much but do the general public know that the fisheries only get 10cents per pound in tax and they say they have no money! So let's do the Maths. 5000pound x $10.00= $50,000. Fisheries= $5000.00 This is from one fisherman! Why should stop now and their kitty need the money.

**Morris** » 2012-06-18 10:31

Something must be done before the damage becomes irreversible. As a military leader, I have often suggested that the best way to help protect our shores is to get rid of the ABDF in its current capacity and use them as a supplementary force to fill the gaps. Honestly, who or what is the greatest threat to ANU's national security? There is none! So, instead of having those guys run around the island playing war games, why not convert them into a maritime security force?

**Dig It** » 2012-06-18 10:04

Eli, as always, well said! We wouldn't know what we have, until it is all gone!

**Dig It** » 2012-06-18 09:58

Now we know (or have known) the consequences of "over-fishing" of the Chubb Fish, and, the method use to catch them, what do we plan to do about it? Obviously, those fishermen who don't give "two-tooths" about the environmental impact of their actions on the Chubb or the coral reefs, need to be "fined" or "jailed" for wiping out their own marine life! Yet, we need tougher laws in place to carry this out, and, citizens who are willing to report "bleaching" of the reefs for the fish! And, the Fisheries need to do more to get "legislation" pass, as our lobsters and chubbs are becoming more and more "endangered!"

**Have Mercy!** » 2012-06-18 09:26

Those fishermen need to STOP using household bleach to catch fish. What kind of UNETHICAL practice is that? The red chubb bang good when e season and fry dry but that is no reason to damage the coral reefs man.

**eli** » 2012-06-18 08:44

...again to be clear it is long GILL NETS used for catching reef fish on a aggressive commercial scale which is the unsustainable method.

I find it very strange that around the world Fisheries ministeries have put controls on gill netting and often banned it along coral reefs and other breeding areas, but here there us a totally uncontrolled use of them. People need to get out more and have a look at what's going on. Go to the fisheries facility at Point Wharf and find out when the French boats are loading up. Go and see for yourself how much is legally exported. I know for sure that large quantities of seafood isn't getting fisheries blessing before it's exported. Our country's only natural resource capable able of sustaining our economy is the Coastal Environment and we are permitting it to be destroyed through a lack of management. I agree that fishermen have to live but they are themselves being permitted to wipe out their own industry. History repeats itself way too much and none of this is unique to Antigua. Remember when saltfish was cod fish? Google what happened to cod!

**Captain Hindsight** » 2012-06-18 08:37

This is JUST NOW getting attention. People have been bleaching the reefs for a long time now. The fisherman don't realize that, yes they are making money now, but in 5 years there's going to be no fish anymore and they'll be out of a job. But in typical Antiguan fashion, they don't think ahead.

**eli** » 2012-06-18 08:22

raises some good points about the destruction of parrotfish & by extension the reef. Chub are the key species keeping coral alive by eating moss (algae) off the coral. While doing this they produce much of the beach sand that we are famous for. Clorox is being used on a small scale but most of the 8000 lbs a week being exported (legally) through fisheries is caught without it. Chub (parrotfish) swim every afternoon back in from deeper waters along the east coast of Barbuda to the safety within the huge barrier reef there. The gill nets lay in their way & the fish are easily caught. This happens every night & no bleach is needed. The parrotfish sleep inside the reef at night & this is something the net fishermen from Antigua figured out & capitalize on.
The unsustainable method is gill netting and this is something that needs to be tackled. I have been on the reefs there before & after this practice started. They are killing the reef while this species is quickly being erased from our waters. Fisheries has to stop permitting this fish from being exported so that the species can be saved from extinction in our waters. http://www.facebook.com/AntiguaConservationSociety

**marco polo** » 2012-06-18 08:14

Story after story about the absence of the rule of law.... The slow but inexorable demise of civil society....

**Vicnes** » 2012-06-18 07:48

As if all of raw sewage flowing into sea is not enough, we are now allowing these boneheads to use bleach to catch fish.

The people of Guadeloupe must be unaware of this practice or they won't be buying and eating fish contaminated with bleach.

**Robinhood** » 2012-06-18 06:08

Please tell me something is beng done about this pratice. Fishing is the
Last natural resource you have. Time to make bleach a control chemical.
anyone caught in Barbuda should be sent to prison - no trial"

**R. Berry** » 2012-06-18 04:48

And do you think the Government and majority of A&B care? It is likely the people exporting these fish are probably related to members of Government and/or the Opposition, and they don't pay taxes either.

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