A proposal is being considered to implement a licencing regime to limit fishing by work-permit holders in the Cayman Islands.
Citing depleting marine resources fuelled by a growing population, Sustainability Minister Dwayne Seymour told lawmakers Thursday night that the proposal “would prohibit” non-Caymanians from catching and keeping reef fish while fishing in the near shore.
“It would also go a further step to prohibit non-Caymanians from taking our scarce conch, lobster and whelk resources,” Seymour said as he contributed to the debate on a private member’s motion seeking that government consider amending the appropriate laws and regulations to require work-permit holders to obtain a licence to fish.
The motion was brought to the House by government backbencher Bernie Bush and seconded by Bodden Town West MP Chris Saunders.
Seymour said the ministry has had preliminary consultation with the Attorney General’s Chambers on legislative reforms that are needed for the proposal and “I will be bringing this paper to my colleagues for consideration in short order”.
Proposed regime
Seymour said the fishing permitting system proposes a near shore game fish permit that would allow for catch and release.
It has been suggested that a permit be introduced for the fishing of tarpon and bone fish by way of rod and reel only, without live bait and only in water less than 150 feet deep.
There is also a proposed pelagic fishing permit that would allow for catch and keep of certain pelagic fish species and catch and release of certain billfish species in more than 150 feet deep.
“Only non-Caymanians would be required to apply for these permits. These proposed measures aim to protect fishing for Caymanians while continuing to support the growth of local businesses and the tourism industry. The proposal indeed requires legislative reform and, as my colleagues have suggested, including penalties under both conservation and immigration legislation,” he said.
The realisation of this proposal, he said, will require significant collaboration between the Ministries of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency and Wellness, the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Border Control and Labour, and the Department of Customs and Border Control and the Department of Workforce Opportunities and Residency Cayman.
“Additional funding will also be required to implement and enforce the proposed permitting system. The Department of Environment will require additional budget to cover the necessary increase in staff such as conservation officers in order to properly monitor and administer these new restrictions,” Seymour said.
The ministry and the DoE, he said, “are working diligently on this issue to ensure Caymanians of today and tomorrow will be able to enjoy these fishing traditions as we did when we were children”.
He added that he will be sharing more information on the proposal with a wider community in “due course”.
The motion on the fishing licence was passed in the House. Though it was successful, it remains up to government to carry it forward into action.
Long overdue
West Bay North MP Bernie Bush, in presenting his motion before Seymour’s statement, said a fishing licence is long overdue.
“Something has to be done. It is felt that our own people must stand a fighting chance to catch a decent size fish, both from the shore and from small boats close to shore,” he said.
Bush said a system similar to Florida’s can be implemented, where licences to fish can be purchased at fishing shops.
He argued that fish are not getting the chance to reproduce and juvenile fish are being taken without concern.
Saunders, in speaking to the motion, agreed that something had to be done to address the dwindling marine resources.
“When your population increases by 25% in three years and you look at the forecast, which will be by over 30% in the next five years, which I also think is a bit conservative, we need to start looking at our natural resources,” he said.
As a country, he said, the environment has to be looked at in many different aspects.
“The marine environment is one that we also have to look at now. I think we have reached a point now where it has become a dangerous issue. I have heard many people complain about not being able to even catch fishes,” he said.
This is not the first time such a measure has been contemplated.
In 2007, an amendment to the Marine Conservation Act required non-Caymanians to hold a licence from the Marine Conservation Board at cost of $400 per year, or $150 per month, in order to fish.
In a 2010 court case, four people were accused of fishing without a licence. Then Chief Magistrate Margaret Ramsay-Hale – now Cayman’s chief justice – said the law was discriminatory and unconstitutional.
The provision was later repealed with the passing of the National Conservation Act in 2013.
There are currently no fishing licence requirements nor fees for anyone, whether resident or visitor.
Opposition Leader Joey Hew, who supported the motion, raised questions on enforcement and being able to distinguish work-permit holders from tourists and Caymanians.
He urged consideration for setting up a proper framework and making the licences accessible.
Hew, as well as Newlands MP Wayne Panton, spoke to the “cultural differences” in the community and the fact that there are marine species that some people would consume while Caymanians would not.
“There has to be an educational aspect to it as well,” he said.
Parliament resumes on Monday at 10am.
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The real problem is illegal overfishing and taking of conch and lobster. Especially in marine protected areas. This is almost NEVER a work permit holder or tourist.
Increase the patrolling of our waters and incarcerate lawbreakers.
There is currently no catch limit on most fish aside from Nassau Grouper, conch, welk, lobster and sprats. It has also recently become law that Nassau Grouper and Squab (Parrotfish) cannot be taken by spear.
Absolutely NOBODY should be fishing. Doesn’t matter who you are. There are so few fish left, can’t Caymanians understand this?
I see tourists fishing on SMB all the time. No one says anything As the person before me said there are too few fish in the water now. there should be a 5 year moratorium on fishing for a couple of miles in every direction. I scuba dive 3 days a week for 5 months a year. There are many less fish than there use to be. On the north side there are no big fish
Having witnessed the decline of our reef fish on many thousands of dives since 1983 I can tell you that the decline of our reef fish has been every bit as precipitous and egregious as the increase in cars and our human population over the same period. Our greatest heritage is still being squandered away. Can you relate to that? So, with the reef fish (include all marine life from our shoreline and reef shelf) we most love to eat in such a perilous state, shouldn’t we make every effort to ensure restoration of what’s left, rather than continue to take half measures? Yes, of course we should! I believe that all Caymanians would agree to a Caymanian only fishing permit (I’ve discussed this with many Caymanian fishermen, all of whom were agreeable), free to anyone with Caymanian status. This would exclude all others from catch and keep. A paid hook and release license could be made available for purchase through your local fishing guide, DoE and fishing equipment outlets. By definition, reef fish live from shore to about 240′ down the drop-off, but not in pelagic waters. This would not affect pelagic fishing nor fishing charters. The idea is to restore what was once our best strategic food reserve for future generations should cargo ever suffer a prolonged delay in a global catastrophe. It would certainly also increase the ability of the economically depressed to catch dinner, which is currently growing more and more difficult. Some species are so depressed I’m seriously concerned for their longevity in the face of our growing population. It would also boost diving tourism immeasurably (take it from a hard core diver). In the meantime, knowing the severity of the problem if you can afford to eat anything else, please choose to do so out of compassion… especially if you are not Caymanian.
If I could edit, I would change a sentence to read “A paid hook and release license could be made available for purchase through your local fishing guide, DoE and fishing equipment outlets to all others, expats and visitors who still want to fish”.