Sad view

[DRsharky]

Today after leaving my boat, walking by the other end of the bay I saw a fishing boat full of fish. It wasn't on the main beach, but on a secluded area, away from the daily traffic. The fishermen, not from here (I know most of them by now), were unloading their catch to a small truck. I passed by to see what kind of fish they have; maybe I could get some good one for dinner. I stopped and looked and what a sad view that I didn't expect.
Beside other fish they had five nurse sharks, most of them really small, only about 3 feet long, two or three good size eaglerays chopped already. I couldn't believe my eyes, it made me sad and angry. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me to take a picture and report them to the local authorities.
For the rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about how the people ruin the marine life not realizing that if they don't let the fish reproduce there won't be much to fish later on, never mind divers that won't have anything to look at under water.

 

[Timoblue]

For the rest of the day I couldn't stop thinking about how the people ruin the marine life not realizing that if they don't let the fish reproduce there won't be much to fish later on, never mind divers that won't have anything to look at under water.

I do not think conservation is at the top of the agenda for these people, just the $ sign.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I agree with you...but on the other hand I have a hard time rushing to judgment on some things when you consider the economics of much of the caribbean. Sometimes people do what they need to do to feed their families. It is still stupid and short sighted, but long term conservation efforts can be a luxury you can't afford if the kids are hungry. That is quite frankly the truth about most third world environmental abuses - whether it is illegal fishing on a reef, slash and burn farming in the amazon, or overgrazing of range land in just about any region stricken by drought.

It is a larger economic problem that requires a much better economic solution than the average caribbean government can muster.

 

[AquaExplorer]

I agree with you...but on the other hand I have a hard time rushing to judgment on some things when you consider the economics of much of the caribbean. Sometimes people do what they need to do to feed their families. It is still stupid and short sighted, but long term conservation efforts can be a luxury you can't afford if the kids are hungry. That is quite frankly the truth about most third world environmental abuses - whether it is illegal fishing on a reef, slash and burn farming in the amazon, or overgrazing of range land in just about any region stricken by drought.

It is a larger economic problem that requires a much better economic solution than the average caribbean government can muster.

True...but this was the same problem for those in agriculture "back in the day". Until someone, somewhere showed people that by letting a field lie fallow for a season (you mean, NOT plant for a season? But, but, but....we will STARVE!) they got BETTER yields.

It IS very short sighted for even those on the lower socio-economic scale to ignore the collective wisdom of the world and just "fish, fish, fish" while using the "we need to eat" excuse.

 

[Gen San Chris]

This Is not unusual especially in Asia, we try to tell fishing folks not to catch juvanile fish but its food on the table and money in the pocket so you cannot really blame them! A bit more education might help!

 

[Damselfish]

It IS very short sighted for even those on the lower socio-economic scale to ignore the collective wisdom of the world and just "fish, fish, fish" while using the "we need to eat" excuse.

I don't think they're ignoring it, I think in most cases they're not aware of it.

 

[DRsharky]

I posted this earlier at some other thread. I was living 2 years on the north coast of Dominican Republic, and the dive shop I worked with started together with National Geography a program how to protect the marine life and corals. They did it in Mexico long time ago and it works, so now the Mexican fishermen educate fishermen from other countries like this one to do the same. They were talking to Dominicans and explaining them that if they protect the area, they will have actually more fish then now.
I know it's a long time process, but it saddens me to see dead baby sharks or rays.

 

[DA Aquamaster]

Reading some of the posts above it occured to me that the crab fishing industry in the mid atlantic states has the same problem. In the Chesepeke bay for example the habitat has been damaged and some of the restoration projects had promise but no one wanted to spend the money to do it right (create banks at least a 1 off the silt, rather than just a few inches thick) and no one wanted to stop fishing for them long enough for the population to recover.

We do little better in terms of fishing where again people are not willing to reduce the yield to a level that will allow the variosu fish populations to recover. We keep trying to focus on identifying a sustainable yield when in fact the populations are so diminished no yield is sustainbable if recovert is the goal.

So again, I am hard pressed to bash the Dominicans when we do little better ourselves.

 

[ba_hiker]

... feet long, two or three good size eaglerays chopped already. I couldn't believe my eyes, it made me sad and angry. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me to take a picture and report them to the local authorities.

Got a cell phone? get one with a camera next time. never be without a camera again. good if you get in a car accident, etc...

 

[Plumb bob]

We do little better in terms of fishing where again people are not willing to reduce the yield to a level that will allow the variosu fish populations to recover.

Too true, Our crap stinks waay worse than theirs as we are not doing it to put food on the table or eek out a subsistence level living, we are generally doing it to buy a bigger car or put gold tassles on the bathroom curtains....