Gill nets concern West End fishermen

[LuckyLady]

Gill nets concern West End fishermen
By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL

FN Senior Reporter

http://freeport.nassauguardian.net/n...8051040806.php

The practice of gill net fishing is of great concern to fishermen in the West End community, who say they have observed a drastic depletion in the volume of marine life in the waters there.

Yesterday, the Freeport News spoke with several of them, who appealed to the authorities to ban the practice completely.

Bonefishing guide Thomas Rolle, who was born and raised in West End, said over the past few years he has noticed an increase in the number of fishermen using the gill nets and a corresponding decrease in the numbers of fish present in those waters.

"I know that one time ago there were maybe one or two guys netting but now it's out of control now. We have about 15, 16 or 17 boats - they're netting the same areas every day and we're in trouble now but before long there isn't going to be anything there," he lamented.

The problem with the gill nets, he said, is that it kills the fishes automatically once they become entangled, even the fishes that are not wanted.

The majority of the fishermen in the West End area are opposed to the use of the nets, he claims.

"I hate nets because I know the fish don't have a chance. They get tangled in the nets, once the head goes through you've got to pull the fish out of the net by the head, so you're destroying the fish."

There is no need for the nets, he says, and fishermen should be able to make an honest living handlining.

The practice is especially hard on the fishermen who depend on handline fishing as their only source of revenue.

"So many people around here make their living handlining. It's a sport but it's a way to make a living. We have a lot of people here who rely on catching snappers and groupers and other types of fish to make a living... Right now, everyone is really doing bad, guys are suffering because they can't really make a living."

Rolle said he believes the people who practice this type of fishing are not being considerate, and are not thinking of the possible harmful effects on the marine life.

"They're just thinking about their pockets, they're thinking about what they can make, they're not thinking about tomorrow. Greed plays an important part and if I can make $4,000-$5,000 a day netting some snappers, they don't think about anything else," he said.

Rolle said he believes the net fishermen may also be taking for granted the fact that the marine resources are so plentiful.

"I think ignorance has a lot of do with it. We come from this beautiful country, we have so much fish, and so much conch and lobster here I think these ignorant people take it for granted, that it will always be there."

Another West End native, Nathan Johnson, said he worked as a fisherman before finding employment at the Ginn project. When that work ended, however, he returned to fishing which is his number one source of income.

It has been a struggle, he says, to make a living since it is harder to find fish.

"I remember back in the days I used to live right up the street and my mother used to go on the seaside and within 30-45 minutes, she could have caught a bucket of fish and go home to feed her family. If you tried that now you would be out there for hours just trying to catch one fish," he said.

"We're not trying to take bread out of anyone's mouth because I know they've got families to feed too but at the end of the day, you can't be selfish, you can't be "all for me." It doesn't work that way."

Another resident of West End, Berkley Kemp, said he has been fishing for most of his life and has witnessed a definite change in the availability of the fish.

"I used to go right around here and catch fish, but now you can't even do that. I used to have a place, I used to go out to and I could have come home with a cooler of fish, now you can't - the fish aren't even there anymore," he said.

He recalled going on a fishing trip almost 45 miles from shore, and returning frustrated after catching less than an ideal number.

"When you run all that way and you come back with one bucket of fish, and gas is over $300 just to run to these places, it's very upsetting," he said.

He also noted the damaging effect the weights attached to the bottom of the nets have on the sea floor.

"They don't realize the damage that these nets are doing to the bottom. When that lead gets on that grass, there's no conch that's going back there anymore. It kills the grass, kills the whole bottom."