FAB hopes for “effective co-management” by both fishermen and regulators
Fishermen are widely seen to have won a battle with Government, after the Throne Speech confirmed that the implementation of proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) will be paused.
This is a fulfilment of a PLP election platform promise, and the implementation of new MPA’s will be paused “until an agreement is reached with local fishermen on better enforcement and fairer data collection rules to support any new marine protected areas.”
A spokesperson for the The Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda today said they are gratified with the commitment to pause MPAs.
The FAB also highlights the draft Fisheries Management Plan that they submitted to Government in early 2024:
“Most jurisdictions around the world have such a document, Bermuda does not.”
“FAB hopes to work with Government to establish effective co-management between fishers and regulators, and to promote responsible ocean stewardship.”
“In this age of rising prices and global trade uncertainty, it is imperative to support local food producers and sustainably manage our marine resources.”
BATTLE OVER B.O.P.P.
The proposal for new Marine Protected Areas has been a point of contention between fishermen and Government ever since the draft Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Plan was rolled out more than two-and-a-half years ago, by then-Deputy Premier and Minister of Home Affairs, Walter Roban.
Ongoing protests from fishermen eventually reached the Cabinet lawn in January 2023. Allan Bean, President of the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda, stated that “The FAB is not able or willing to support a proposed plan that is not based on accurate data and comprehensive stock analysis…”
In subsequent discussions, Fishermen and Government could not agree over the proposed MPAs. The Fishermen’s Association stood by their claim that there was insufficient data to justify the MPAs proposed in BOPP, and they withdrew from the process.
In early 2024, the FAB published its own draft Fisheries Management Plan – including recommendations for a publicly funded Fisheries Director, guiding principles to sustain fishing alongside the marine ecosystem, and a call for a ticketing system for enforcement against fishing violations.
Then, in November last year, an independent review of Government’s ocean plans appeared to justify the FAB’s concerns. The review called for more data to back up the plan, and demonstrable enforcement against current fisheries violations.
Government stated they would integrate the panel’s recommendations into their Blue Prosperity Plan.
When asked if the panel review had shown the FAB was correct about the lack of data, Minister Walter Roban responded “…is there ever a perfect data? No there isn’t… Every time that we made an assessment was based on the best data possible.”
Mr Roban did not believe the FAB withdrawing from the consultation process was helpful. FAB Secretary Jamie Walsh disagreed, saying “We could not have gotten where we are without pulling out, and we could not have gotten here without the independent panel.”
Even as the Fishermen’s Association has ostensibly won a battle to have more say on marine enforcement and data collection, they are still apprehensive in their discussions with Government.
When the PLP promised a pause to MPA’s in their election platform, the FAB responded on social media, “Will the “pause” die an unnatural death after the election? Will the author’s intent become a blurred line of bureaucratic confusion?”
“Whatever the answers, we are hopeful of positive, mutually beneficial outcomes for the humans and the environment.”
