By Pauline Kayes (BonaireTalker - Post #100) on Friday, July 25, 2008 - 11:26 am: |
I have been snorkeling on Bonaire for over 15 years now and in the past 6 months, it is clear the fish populations are declining rapidly. I used to see so many eels, rock hinds, graysbys, etc. and now there are fewer and fewer.
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By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Bonaire Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1595) on Friday, July 25, 2008 - 4:28 pm: |
Pauline..I completely agree with your sentiments. I would also like to see this banned; but there is a major difference between spearfishing and snorkel fishing. The former was done by tourists on the island many years ago. The latter is to my knowlege only done by the Bonaireans. I suspect because of that, it would be much harder to ban the practice.
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By Ron Gould*** (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1673) on Friday, July 25, 2008 - 5:33 pm: |
Bonaireans should be allowed to fish the Island, and I have met people that fishing is their only income. I have seen visitors fishing, and not eating/selling what they catch. If a ban should happen it should not affect the locals... Ron
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #383) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 5:08 am: |
I agree with you Ron.
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By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Bonaire Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1599) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 6:22 am: |
Lets get back on track. This isn't about fishing from shore with a rod/reel or from a boat with a line in the water. None of which should be banned nor is it the subject of this thread.
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By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #101) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 8:15 am: |
Vince is exactly correct. In addition, it is not like someone fishing from shore with a reel and line and catching one or two fish. The guys work together and haul in 20-25 fish a snorkel! Yesterday I snorkeled in front of the Plaza hotel where fishing has been banned and there is a huge difference in the fish population there compared to Windsock, Batchelor's Beach, etc. because the latter sites are where snorkel fishers operate.
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By Seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3421) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 8:29 am: |
Unless no fishing zones are established and monitored, so that there is a nursery for fish to grow up, numbers of fish and their size will continue to plummet. I remember when I would see many lobsters on a dive, now one hardly sees any, and those are usually well hidden. Snorkel fishing is simply not fair to the fish, nor to the people who come to the island to see fish. Fish are the ONLY wild food that is commercially collected and eaten; this is done on a massive scale, and there are many casualties of these industrial fishing methods that are thrown away. Establishing no take zones provides more fish for everybody, fishermen and divers alike.
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By elaine sculley (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #342) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 9:36 am: |
wow
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By Windsurfer (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 1:14 pm: |
Well Elaine, maybe you should tell the locals that! Maybe you should educate them! From your words I understand that they are pretty dumb.
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By Jan Klos - ( Hamlet Bonaire ) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #696) on Saturday, July 26, 2008 - 4:17 pm: |
I have seen several people snorkle and fish. Once the fish is caught it was brought in, cleaned and cooked. I have not seen anyone using this procedure to sell them. Of course I am not on Bonaire 24/7, notr am I watching all the wholesalers or restaurants.
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By Pietri Hausmann (BonaireTalker - Post #42) on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 8:56 am: |
maybe us locals will not run out of fish so quickly if we limit the consumption of fresh fish to ourselves and ban the consumption of fish by island visitors .. i think it looks like this demand is stressing our supply ....think about it ..
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By Kevin W. Williams (Bella Vista Estates) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #586) on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 9:47 am: |
Seriously, the pressure should be on quotas, not technique. In theory, snorkel fishing is ideal: the fisherman chooses exactly what fish he wants, and is able to avoid juveniles, endangered species, or use any other criteria that helps the reef stay healthy. He's able to target his locations precisely.
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By elaine sculley (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #348) on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 12:59 pm: |
windsurfer
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By Antony Bond (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #385) on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 4:39 pm: |
Kevin has it spot on.
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By Pauline Kayes (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #102) on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 6:14 pm: |
Kevin, yes, establishing quotas would be excellent but who would be enforcing on all the snorkel-fishers?
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By Kevin W. Williams (Bella Vista Estates) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #588) on Sunday, July 27, 2008 - 10:31 pm: |
I think that fisherman licensing is a necessity, and would be the way to regulate things like this. I never lived anyplace that you could fish without a license, and it really surprised me that it was possible here.
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By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Bonaire Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1601) on Monday, July 28, 2008 - 5:50 am: |
Kevin: I've never heard of a license being required for salt water fishing. Exactly where are you thinking of?
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By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6682) on Monday, July 28, 2008 - 8:14 am: |
Ahh, Vince times are a changing many states are starting to require fishing licenses even for salt water. Regardless of the licenses there are still strict quotas, types and size requirements on anything caught in salt water. Daily quotas are fairly easy to enforce.
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By Tribs, at home. (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6523) on Monday, July 28, 2008 - 10:32 am: |
I'm with Kevin, never heard of a place that does not require, even for salt water. Our entire group had to buy licenses for Florida saltwater fishing and that was a decade or more ago. Does this mean all people follow the law? Obviously not.
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By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Bonaire Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1602) on Monday, July 28, 2008 - 11:22 am: |
Well I was a big proponent of the no fish zones which have now been implemented. I also agree 100 per cent that fish regulations as to quantity, species & size would be prudent for their government to implement. And the worse practice (as Kevin points out)is when they throw the nets into the sea as I've seen them do down south & haul everything in.
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By Jerry C Ligon (BonaireTalker - Post #12) on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - 8:51 pm: |
Sustainable Tourism and Knowledgeable Choices When We Order Fish
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By Timmmy - Bonairian Bottom Dweller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5819) on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - 9:07 pm: |
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By Timmmy - Bonairian Bottom Dweller (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #5820) on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 - 9:29 pm: |
Great info Jerry - thanks
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By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Bonaire Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1623) on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - 6:05 am: |
Wahoo & Dorado it is when on Bonaire. Thanks Jerry for your well written & interesting article.
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By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6710) on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - 7:44 am: |
Great info, Jerry. I more I learn about fishing always leads me to the same conclusion, we need to stop it for 50 years, then see.
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By YucatanPat (Sand$ A3) (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #211) on Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - 2:49 pm: |
Jerry, you don't post often but when you do people listen - thanks for the information.
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By Yo MO - Meet me at the 3Day in Atlanta (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #4071) on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - 12:41 pm: |
Please Pat - I think that would be interesting
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By John Gnann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #104) on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - 12:52 pm: |
I saw a young man snorkel-fishing in front of BelMar last week. He must have had 20-30 little grunts, graysbys, yellow-tail snapper, etc. trailing behind him on his stringer. In Florida or the Bahamas, such a fisherman would have another name - "shark bait."
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By Seb (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #3449) on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - 1:26 pm: |
Thanks for sharing that Jerry.
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By Vince DePietro (Bellevue Bonaire Condo ) (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1628) on Thursday, August 7, 2008 - 4:45 pm: |
Hmmm Too bad no sharks on Bonaire's lee side.
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By John Gnann (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #105) on Friday, August 8, 2008 - 11:27 am: |
To add my subjective observations to Jerry's objective data, I recently did 36 dives in Bonaire over 2 weeks, ranging from Red Slave to Karpata. I saw exactly one (1) tiger grouper, and it was an immature fish. The only big fish I saw (other than large parrot fish and tarpon) were a few cubera and dog snappers, no large grouper at all.
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By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #19) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 6:42 pm: |
Updates? Is it still legal?
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By Bart Snelder (BonaireTalker - Post #47) on Friday, June 12, 2009 - 7:19 pm: |
New legislation will be implemented. Snorkel fishing is one of the practices the government plans to ban. www.bonairegov.an has the proposals published. eilandsbesluit onderwaterpark. It is in Dutch, if you want an English translation, try their contact link. I would imagine Marion from bonhata could send you a translation in English. Regardless, at least on Bonaire, groupers and many other species have not been declining just from fishing practises, but also from pollution and disease, to be clear; not necessarily connected. For example moray eels numbers have been declining dramatically, just recently. Trust me that is not a species specifically targeted by snorkler-fishermen, or any other fisherman for that matter.
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By eddie blizzard (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 3:46 am: |
Thanks Bart and a big thank you for letting us know that snorkel fishing and fish decline are
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By Jerry C Ligon (BonaireTalker - Post #30) on Saturday, June 13, 2009 - 10:17 am: |
Sorry Bart, but I disagree with your comment. How can you say, without any documentation that
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By Bart Snelder (BonaireTalker - Post #48) on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 4:03 pm: |
Hi Jerry, You just confirmed my point.
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