Contemporary and emerging fisheries in The Bahamas—Conservation and management challenges,achievements and future directions |
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| Authors: | Krista D Sherman Aaron D Shultz Craig P Dahlgren Claire Thomas Edward Brooks Annabelle Brooks Daniel R Brumbaugh Lester Gittens Karen J Murchie |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Biosciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK;2. Science and Policy, Bahamas National Trust, Nassau, Bahamas;3. Daniel P. Haerther Center for Conservation and Research, John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois;4. Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Odanah, Wisconsin;5. Fisheries Conservation Foundation, Champaign, Illinois;6. Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan;7. Perry Institute for Marine Science, Waitsfield, Vermont;8. College of DuPage, Glen Ellyn, Illinois;9. Cape Eleuthera Institute, Eleuthera, Bahamas;10. Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California;11. Department of Marine Resources, Nassau, Bahamas |
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| Abstract: | The harvest of marine resources has long‐standing cultural and economic importance to The Bahamas and other small island developing states. Tourists and residents place a demand on local marine resources, particularly Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus (Latreille), queen conch, Lobatus gigas (Linnaeus) and Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus (Bloch), and many fishery products are also sold on the global market. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing coupled with inadequate regulations and enforcement are the main factors contributing to the decline of Bahamian fisheries along with other anthropogenic impacts. This article reviews the status of fisheries management in The Bahamas using economically and ecologically important species as case studies to highlight conservation successes, knowledge gaps and deficiencies in existing management approaches. The review concludes with an examination of how emerging fisheries and improved conservation management strategies have the potential to improve economic and food security throughout the archipelago. |
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| Keywords: | commercial fisheries extractive fisheries marine protected areas recreational fishing small island developing states sustainable fisheries management |
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