Local crawfish fishermen breathed a sigh of relief that the newest emergency orders permit trap setting and lobster fishing beyond the curfew hours under the new COVID-19 lockdown measures.
Roger Fox, a fisherman of more than 35 years who lives on Long Island, said he hopes the much anticipated start of crawfish season – which begins on August 1 – will bring some economic activity to the island during these tough COVID-19 times.
“That definitely is a relief, it’s a change of pace for sure and hopefully it can bring some revenue to the island as well,” he said.
With fishermen on average getting $15 a pound just before the season ended in March, Fox said he’s not so confident with all that’s happening in the world that fishermen will get the same amount.
“We won’t expect to get the price we got in March, but you know hopefully it’s at a point where it can be profitable you know. But expecting what we got in March, that’s way too much I think,” he said.
“Of course all the fishermen are quiet, you know, we’d be grateful to get $10 right now.”
Progressive Liberal Party Senator Clay Sweeting, who is also the shadow minister of agriculture and marine resources and is a part of a family business of fishing, said he still believes profits can be made despite the harsh economic terrain.
“I think it’s important that we try to enhance at least the sectors that we can try to salvage like the fishing industry. I think it might be one of the sectors that was less affected by the shutdowns throughout the country economically, because the season ended at the end of March and they were still able to get a good price for the lobster. So now the season starts August 1,” he said.
“Now in regard to price, I assume that they will still be able to get a fair price. I’m confident they won’t get what they got last year, but I think they will be able to receive a fair price that they will be able to make money from, from speaking to fish house owners.
“I think because this wasn’t a banking or financial collapse like in 2008, where the lobster went from $19 a pound to $7 a pound overnight, I think that plays a role, because money is still there, it’s just whether or not the need is there for lobster as an eating source worldwide, that will be the challenge I think.”
A weather system churning in the Atlantic Ocean which meteorologists say could impact The Bahamas as a Category 1 by Saturday, also poses a threat to anxious fishermen waiting to hit the seas.
Sweeting said while he doesn’t think a storm will impact the industry too deeply, he believes industry stakeholders may push the season start date back by at least two days.
Speaking about the threat, Fox said, “With this weather to the east of us threatening, it seems like we’re being challenged double, on all sides.”
More than 4.3 million pounds of crawfish valued at $68.1 million were exported from The Bahamas in 2018.
The government received royalties in the amount of $1.08 million for those exports, the lion’s share of all fisheries exports.
The post Crawfish fishermen relieved new orders permit fishing beyond curfew appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/07/29/crawfish-fishermen-relieved-new-orders-permit-fishing-beyond-curfew/
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