New Bahamian bag limits, What to do???

[CaptainMatthewSplane]

Well, I dont know what is more depressing, the new bag limits or the fish that we are supposed to let go. Does everyone feel the same way? One 60# Grouper is over the limit and means we are going to get a 500$ fine if we keep it. I dont know about ya'll, but the past few trips over there SUCK. I dont want to sound like a Cry Baby, but after paying the Customs and Imigrations $300, I want to fish without thinking about defense force boarding my boat and messing with me over a few snapper! They need to inforce the old rules, and not create new ones that are near imposible to obey! let alone inforce! Are we to just break the law and take our chances? What's an old salt to do?

[clt_capt]

A couple of the fishing mags are reporting that with the change in government, the fishing regs are going to be opened up again. I guess we are all waiting to see if the revised regs are more liberal.

Apparently tourism has suffered a bit - especially from the Fla Weekend crowd.

[reel fishy]

The best thing to do is not to support their economy by entering the country. Yes, it sucks to leave a place with fishing as good and convenient as the Bahamas. But the only way to effectively tell the Bahamas their regulations suck is to hurt them in the pocket book. The weekender is not the person that will directly affect their economy anyway. Big boats are where the money flows from. Most of the big boats are over there to chase billfish, they spend tons on fuel and dockage and don't care about the new limits. If you could convince your fellow captains and owners of these types of trips to take their business else ware, then we may have a bigger effect.

[Deep C]

Matt
As you know this debate is hot as hell down here. I do a month each year over there. For me it really didn't have a load of impact. That limit was effectively a daily limit as my people flew home with their fish. Fly out limits are still basically where they used to be. Yes we had to lay off on beating the slob groupers but as we were targeting big game most of the time it really didn't hurt.
I take it with a grain of salt. I read some statements that really struck home during the debates. How would we feel if there were a zillion Bahamian boats ove this side working the snook or swords? It wouldn't sit well with us. So we need to see their point of view that way. Then another comment really got me... "Its their waters, their livelihood, not our grocery store...
I was there for the elections last year and even met some of the candidates. The swing in their government and players inside indicates to me that the rules will be changed in our favor around new year... I already have heard from several that some of the islands are ignoring the country rules and are handing out the old regs to inbound boats at customs clearing time.

[aprilfool]

i spend about 6 months a year in treasure cay, off and on in the winter and the new prime minister is a friend of ours and yes they are working on the rule changes but as someone put it please dont forget it is their country! and sad to say most of the people complaining about the new regs are the biggest abusers!! having been going to the bahamas for the past 20 years i can tell you first hand that there are plenty of abusers of the old regs forget about the new ones! now for a quick question or two how many conch are you allowed in florida? how much lobster can my bahamian friends catch in florida?