Bahamas fisheries regulations amended

By SUSAN COCKING

scocking@miamiherald.com

    o The government of the Bahamas has announced changes to its fisheries laws that should please South Florida recreational anglers.  Relaxing a law aimed at curbing overfishing of the islands' resources, the amended law:

   o imposes a recreational boat limit of 18 pelagic fish, including kingfish, dolphin, tuna, and wahoo; six conch; 10 lobster; and 60 pounds or 20 fish of finfish species such as grouper and snapper;

   o prohibits the sale of recreationally-caught fish;

   o requires billfish to be released unharmed, except those landed under permitted fishing tournaments;

   o allows U.S. recreational anglers to take fish home under the prescribed limits.

   o Biscayne National Park has announced it will raise camping and overnight docking fees , effective Nov. 15, at its two most popular sites -- Boca Chita and Elliott Keys.  Overnight docking fees will increase from $15 to $20, which includes use of one campsite with up to two tents and six people.  Campers without boats who are dropped off on the islands will see fees raised from $10 to $15.  Group sites, accomodating six tents and 25 people, will increase from $25 to $30.

   o Barry University professor Sharon Kegeles, in charge of the sport management-diving industry program, recently received the Bonaire Ambassador Medal from the country's ministry of tourism.  Kegeles, of Bay Harbor Island, has been leading groups of students to the Dutch Caribbean Island for more than 20 years.  Kegeles and her students have promoted tourism on the island and have helped with local reef cleanups.

Rene Arencibia's peacock bass photo

I was kind of hoping that readers would send in their photos, but only a few have been received so far.  I wanted to post this one as an encouragement to others.  The Florida Sportsman Forum is not the only place to post your favorite fishing photos; we probably should have done this long ago in the Herald.  Helpful hint:  when you send a photo, please identify the people and the catch and provide as much information about the circumstances as you feel comfortable doing.  There have been some well-publicized and highly-ridiculed gaffes made here in recent years that resulted in the blatant (and often hilarious) misidentification of fish photos.  This way, you know you will be associated with the correct fish and your name(s) will be spelled correctly! 

Just an FYI, I won't be posting anything for awhile -- probably not until late October.  Ironically, as I post this photo from Rene, I am preparing to depart on my own peacock bass fishing adventure to Brazil's Amazon region, where the fish are reputed to reach 20 pounds or better.  Of course, a full story will be forthcoming in the Herald and online. 

I recently returned from a 10-day liveaboard dive trip on the Nekton Rorqual out of Port Everglades to Cay Sal and Cay Lobos in the Bahamas. Many of you anglers are familiar with Cay Sal, with its reputation as a rich bottom- and pelagic-fishing destination.  Cay Lobos is less well-known;  it's a tiny atoll with an abandoned lighthouse  located only 11 miles from the Cuban coast, but still within Bahamian waters.  Labanderas Reef, a gorgeous cabbage-patch-like forest of coral, sponges, and sea fans, lies within easy kayak-paddling distance from the lighthouse.  Surprisingly, our group of 13 divers saw very little large fish life around Cay Lobos.  However, we did find lines of newly-set lobster traps, along with two or three ghost fish traps -- a possible explanation for the scarcity of large reef fish, such as grouper and snapper, in the area.  A story -- with photos-- is forthcoming in the Herald.