CARIBBEAN SPORTFISHING ECO-TOURISM trade An Economic Resource Worth Growing
Generates Jobs, Income, Taxes and Trade Photo courtesy of Marc Smestad
Growth of the
ECO-TOURISM TRADE Sportfishing is compatible with conservation, and the recovery and sustaining of billfish stocks. It is a positive economic engine throughout the wider Caribbean that can grow and return greater benefits to nations and the region as a whole. Anglers will continue to travel to fish in the Caribbean region only if billfish abundance is high so hook-up rates are high, which is dependent upon responsible management. Without a concerted message from the Caribbean sportfishing community and related businesses that is directed at government tourism and fishery officials there will be little protection for the fish. NO protection for fish means dependent sportfishing eco-tourism trade and local artisanal and commercial fishers will suffer. These strong voices needs to be established before each wider-Caribbean nation’s fisheries departments, before the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (especially its Council), before the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission and before the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, (ICCAT) which has binding authority over all nations’ Atlantic-wide allotments for tunas, billfish and some sharks. Failure to establish this strong voice, means: No Voice, No Fish, Diminished Jobs and Lost Economic Returns. At ICCAT Caribbean government representatives skillfully negotiate for artisanal and commercial fishers’ interests and some negotiate to aid distant-water-fishing nations, but little is asserted to conserve the fish most important to the region-wide sportfishing eco-tourism trade. In many Caribbean nations artisanal fishers, small commercial fishers and anglers co-exist harmoniously. However as distant-water-fishing vessels land
Photo courtesy of Ron Hamlin
tons of billfish and tunas in the region, abundance declines and local fishers and anglers, businesses and potential visiting anglers lose. Issuing licenses/permits for access into national Caribbean waters or re-flagging vessels from distant-waterfishing nations actually removes fish, fishing opportunities, jobs, income and tourist trade from throughout the region. Distantwater-fishing vessels have the capacity to land tunas, billfish and sharks throughout the range of these fish, but Caribbean fishers, anglers and dependent businesses do not. A Caribbean-wide management and conservation strategy can better insure jobs, income, food security and trade benefits to the whole region.
Photo courtesy of Marc Smestad
The Economics of Sportfishing Photo courtesy of Gary Chouest
Economic Returns can flow to Coastal Nations
That Implement Billfish Conservation Measures Sportfishing eco-tourism is a strong economic driver for Caribbean communities. Visting anglers are driven by the likelihood of catching a lot of billfish. Anticipated quality of a billfishing trip greatly influences anglers’ destination choices. Anglers most often select fishing destination where commercial fishing is restrained. Responsible management of billfish can maximize catch rates and economic returns to Caribbean communities.
Currently over 760,000 U.S. anglers travel annually to the Caribbean to sportfish, yet little priority is given to the sportfishing eco-tourism trade or billfish conservation in the region. Most Caribbean nations include fisheries management within the agency responsible for agriculture and not Photo courtesy of Viljoen surprisingly there managers are inclined to view fish only as a consumable food item. Consuming marlin and sailfish returns less in economic benefits to the Caribbean region than would managing primarily a catch-and-release fishing and the eco-tourism trade. Millions, perhaps billions of dollars are not being realized in the Caribbean as billfish stocks continue to be overfished, primarily by distant-water-fishing nations’ vessels. Reflagging these vessels to Caribbean nations does not make them local vessels, only vessels that take from locals. Here we give three examples of strong economic returns to communities following improved billfish conservation.
Isla Mujeres, Mexico - Marlin and Sport Fishing
magazines, both international publications with widespread circulation in the sportfishing community recognized that Isla Mujeres, Mexico on the Yucatan peninsula as being one of the “most desired sailfishing destinations.” Marlin rated Isla as Number Three among its “Easy Billfish Destinations” to fish for Atlantic sailfish. Sport Fishing magazine rated Isla Mujeres in their “Top 20 Sailfish Hot Spots” of the world. Of the estimated 10.3 million U.S. anglers who travel abroad each year to fish, 7.4% chose to
travel to Caribbean Islands to fish while 16.3% went to Mexico (both Atlantic/ Caribbean and Pacific). The objective of a recent study on tourism and fishing in Isla Mujeres was to establish a value for each sailfish caught and released. This study was based on anglers’ “willingness to pay,” which was directly related to their anticipated catch rate where good conservation and management of the species was in place. In Isla Mujeres anglers catch and release on average 15-20 sailfish a day in the winter and early spring high season, with exceptional days yielding catch and release rates of 50 plus fish a day. A key contributor to the quality of this fishing is a 50 mile conservation buffer zone around the islands in which neither commercial longline or purse seine vessels can fish. The recapture rate for sailfish tagged in this region is 44.4%, which documents that the fish caught and released are surviving to become available for additional tourists and locals to catch on another day. Tourists spend money on charter boats, hotels, restaurants and other local businesses. Some of these anglers visit to fish in tournaments, which contribute additional revenues into the local economy. The survey estimated that anglers were willing to pay $89.41 for each additional sailfish caught in a day.
Costa Rica - A study in Costa Rica revealed that in 2009 $599,000 generated into the Annual Gross Domestic Product of the nation was linked directly to sportfishing tourism. This influx of wealth was generated by 283,783 tourists mainly from from the U.S. and Canada.
The survey reported that of the $467 million spent $329 million was for travel, including lodging ($119million), restaurants ($15.6 million), flights and fishing services ($88 million) and land transportation in the country ($6 million). These expenditures generated over 30,000 jobs in Costa Rica. The annual household income of visiting anglers averaged nearly $200,000 with about 70% of those with incomes in excess of $125,000. In terms of gross creation of new capital the sportfishing sector produced $279 million and in tax revenues they generated $77.8 million to the nation.
Los Cabos, Mexico - A study in 2007 and
2008 estimated that 354,013 anglers, mostly international tourists, fished in waters of the Los Cabos region. They spent approximately $1,785 each for lodging, charter boats, food, transportation, tackle, fuel and a lot of other things. The economic effects then rippled through the local economy creating: $636.6 (USD) million in retail sales – new dollars, created 24,426 jobs, produced $245.5 million in local and federal tax revenues and $1.25 billion in total economic activity. Tourists who fish in the region are estimated to provide 24.1% of total dollars injected in to the region, including cruise ship visitors.
Above: Tag returns from sailfish off Isla Mujeres, Mexico show the positive impact of catch-and-release recreational sportfishing.�
With more visiting anglers Caribbean nations could surpass the economic returns to the Costa Rica and Los Cabos, but it requires making sportfishing a priority industry that requires positive conservation and management measures from government fisheries offices and support from government tourism and sport offices. Selling out local billfish resources to distant-water-
fishing vessels robs the Caribbean nations, individuals and businesses.
GOOD CON$ERVATION PAY$
Photo courtesy of Richard Gibson
Missing Voices for Billfish Management
waters (Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Guinea). ICCAT compiles fishery landing and bycatch statistics from member nations and from all cooperating entities fishing for these species in waters under ICCAT’s jurisdiction. Many small nations do not have the infrastructure to collect fish data, which is crucial for the
Sportfishing voices from anglers, clubs, marinas, tournaments and the wide range of sportfishing related sales, service and tourism businesses need to be united in their support for strong billfish conservation and management. These voices should be directed to national, regional and international organizations described below. Growth of the wider Caribbean’s sportfishing eco-tourism trade must include representation from the national agencies that are concerned with Tourism, Sports and Fisheries. Billfish migrating through the Caribbean can generate greater economic returns to nations if managedsustainably to support the sportfishing ecotourism trade with allowances for needed local consumption. Most anglers catch and release their billfish leaving them available for other paying tourists and local anglers to catch again. Billfishing is compatible with conservation –
good con$ervation pay$!
management and conservation of highly migratory fish – billfish, tunas and some sharks. Statistics reported by nations establishes their catch history, which is taken into account when landing allocation decisions are made for tonnage of each species. There are 48 member nations of ICCAT with very few from the wider Caribbean region, only Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize, St. Vincent & The Grenadines. ICCAT has binding decision making authority established through its multi-lateral treaty and agreed to by its member nations. Caribbean sportfishing interests have NOT BEEN PRESENT at this forum; this should change.
Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission International Commission (WECAFC) WECAFC is an international organization that promotes the for Conservation effective conservation, management and development of living marine resources within its area of competence, in accordance of Atlantic Tunas with the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, and ICCAT is an inter-governmental fishery organization, established by treaty, and is responsible for the conservation of tunas and tuna-like species (includes billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean and its adjacent seas (Caribbean, Mediterranean) and all adjacent
it addresses common problems of fisheries management and development faced by members of the Commission. The members are: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, France, European
Photo courtesy of Antonio Amaral
Community, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Korea (Rep. of ), Mexico, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Spain, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United Kingdom, United States, and Venezuela. There are seven Working Groups including one on Recreational Fishing charged with providing fishery management advice and recommendations, based on the best available scientific information. WECAFC has no binding fishery management authority.
Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) CRFM is an inter-governmental organization whose mission is: “To promote and facilitate the responsible utilization of the region’s fisheries and other aquatic resources for the economic and social benefits of the current and future population of the region”. The CRFM’s Ministerial Council, comprised of Fishery Ministers from member countries, has binding decision making authority. That authority is to promote the efficient management, conservation and development of shared, straddling and highly migratory marine and other aquatic resources of the Caribbean Region through attainment of competence over the resources and through co-operation with the relevant competent organization. Member nations include: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and the Turks and Caicos Islands. CRFM has no binding authority for highly migratory fish (billfish, tunas) beyond promoting management measures established by ICCAT.
National Fishery Ministers /Departments Each nation has the authority to manage fish within its jurisdiction – national waters and out to 200 nautical miles or the equidistance between two nations. Management does vary widely due in part to the presence or lack thereof of funding and government infra-structure. For the United States, the Caribbean Fishery Management Council is the federal organization that has authority to manage non-highly migratory fish in U.S. jurisdiction.
Photo courtesy of Josh Proverbs
Caribbean Conservation Leaders Setting Examples for Others The late Sid
Johnson was an avid angler and longtime TBF member who distinguished himself in the southern Caribbean region over the years by not only being an excellent competitive sport fisher, but also by promoting catch and release fishing and overall billfish conservation. Long before these practices were embraced by the vast majority of anglers, Johnson was a member of the Trinidad and Tobago Game and Fishing Association and served as its Secretary from its inception in 1986 through 2007.
series tournaments. The VESPER team includes boat owner Jerome Mcquilkin, Captain Gerard “Frothy” de Silva, Mate Nigel Garcia, Anglers Derick Tardeau, Anil Roberts, Ayoub Kabli and James Layton. Johnson set a sportfishing conservation example for all anglers fishing in the Caribbean.
Captain Anderson Kinch is a commercial
Johnson was serious about what science was indicating about Atlantic billfish. In 1995 he, with friend the late Jim Edminston, attended the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute’s science conference where Johnson presented a paper on the status of billfish in his nation’s waters. It was apparent to him and Edmiston that anglers’ catch rates were falling despite improved fishing skills, techniques, gear and hours fished. More and more billfish were being landed by commercial vessels. Johnson was particularly distraught with the growth of the activities of foreign Taiwanese commercial fishing operations that were allowed to set up a trans-shipment operation center in his country of Trinidad and Tobago. TBF worked with Johnson to document the related billfish declines and overfishing in hopes of persuading the government to change their acceptance of operations that killed so many billfish. Unfortunately the reaction from Trinidad and Tobago’s government was disappointing; even today distant-water-fishing fleets are authorized to operate within some national waters in the Caribbean, despite the fact that the fish they kill takes from all local fishing interests. Distant-waterfishing vessels can travel and land fish throughout the fish’s range, but Caribbean fishing interests do not have the capacity to do so, they are left with what is left behind by the industrial fleets of other nations.
commercial fisherman from Barbados who has distinguished himself by becoming a leader and supporter of fish conservation. Anderson first stepped beyond a fisher’s daily routine to learn about fishery science when he decided to attend meetings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI). Kinch was and remains very interested in learning from presentations given by scientists at ICCAT. Subsequently more than once Kinch authored and gave presentations at these meetings from a fisher’s perspective on the struggles with understanding some aspects of fishery management. At GCFI meetings near Barbados Kinch convinced other fishers to attend the meetings. Respect for Anderson grew among all who attended the GCFI meetings for it was apparent that he was serious in wanting to find ways to help conserve fish that he and others in the Caribbean depended upon for food and income. GCFI presented Kinch with its most prestigious award, The Peter Gladding Memorial Award. This award is given to a commercial fisher each year whose fishing experience and conservation actions have exemplified responsible fishing practices compatible with conservation. The Peter Gladding Memorial Award is named in honor of a commercial fisher who contributed greatly to conservation efforts. It took a decade, but Gladding was very instrumental in getting Rileys Hump partial, then full protection. He then became the most profound fisher/MPA advocate.
In 2012 TBF established the Sid Johnson Conservation Memorial Award to be presented each year to the fishing team that released the most billfish during the South Caribbean Billfish Classic series. The trophy for the 2012 season was presented to team Team VESPER with 22 releases during 6
In 2006 Kinch was voted to join the board of directors of GCFI. His leadership skills have also been used in leading the Oistins Fisherfolk Association in Barbados, which is attempting to establish a locally managed marine area in the bay just off shore from downtown Barbados. He also served on the executive board
of the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk. This organization spearheaded an attempt to establish a Caribbean wide fisherfolk organization. Kinch made another giant step when he managed to purchase the commercial longline vessel he had captained for some years becoming an owner and operator. Although relatively small by comparison to the large distant-water-foreign vessels authorized to fish by some nations within the Caribbean, Kinch’s boat is a source of pride to himself and those who know him. On one longlining trip Kinch caught and landed a blue marlin that had been earlier tagged by an angler. Kinch contacted The Billfish Foundation to report the recaptured fish and provide needed data. In turn, TBF sent Anderson, as they do with all reported recaptured billfish, a certificate that memorializes the recapture. The Caribbean, and indeed the world, would be better off with more folks like Anderson around.
Captain Kelvin “Red” Bailey began his sportfishing career in 1965 working as a mate for famous captains Tommy Gifford and Johnny Harms. It wasn’t long before Red became “Captain Red” and ran charters for Harms before he transitioned to a private boat that he captioned for Dr. Lyman and Nancy Spire running their Abigail II and III. With his great skills at the helm Bailey took many anglers on to achieve significant billfishing accomplishments. In 2004 Bailey was inducted into the Atlantic Blue Marlin Tournament Hall of Fame in recognition of his many sportfishing achievements. Beyond all the records and accomplishments Bailey racked up over the decades, Bailey is also recognized for his leadership in sportfishing conservation. He is an avid proponent of tag and release fishing and trolling with single hooks. In fact, Mold Craft lure manufacture in Florida produces the red, white and black “Red Bailey” lure that contains only one hook. Bailey recognizes and enthusiastically promotes sportfishing in the Virgin Islands and the whole Caribbean region; he is a true sportfishing conservation ambassador for the region.
Red Bailey with Don Tyson at TBF event. Photo courtesy of Scott Hartley
Dont Be A Sellout! Selling access rights and reflagging distant-waterfishing vessels “sells out” the whole Caribbean region, its locals, its businesses and results in fewer available fish for locals, fewer jobs, less income sources, lower economic returns, diminishment of food security and the sportfishing eco-tourism trade and all its related businesses. Even where a Caribbean nation does not have the capacity to fish for highly migratory fish, with species overfished or nearing overfished status, there is no suprplus of fish to be taken. Authorizing distant-water-fishing vessels from other parts of the world to take from Caribbean people and businesses by fishing its waters and
contributing little to the overall good of the region makes no sense or cents. Such practices merely “use” the Caribbean to other nation’s advantage. Distant-water-fishing fleets can move and catch fish throughout the range of highly migratory species, but not any of the Caribbean fishing interests or its ecotourism trade and businesses have such capacities. All these Caribbean interests are dependent upon protecting fish so the Caribbean, its people, its jobs and its eco-tourism trade grows and benefits a growing and prosperous Caribbean.
Growth of the Billfishing Eco-Tourism Trade
Requires: Responsible and sustainable use of fish resources is essential to benefit jobs, food security, trade and economies.
AND REQUIRES: Government fishery managers to
Photo courtesy of Gary Chouest
manage billfish for maximum abundance if the sportfishing eco-tourism trade and sport are important to the region.
AND THIS REQUIRES: Governmental tourism and sports managers must advocate for responsible fish management and conservation to support prosperity to the eco-tourism trade and sports trade, related jobs and financial benefits in the region.
AND: Caribbean sportfishing voices must be vocal and support responsible decisions and decision makers.
Voices of Anglers, Clubs, Tournaments & Businesses Dependent Upon Billfish & Tunas Needed
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International Commission for Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
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Caribbean Fisheries Regional Mechanism & FAO Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission
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National Fishery Management Ministeries/Departments National Tourism & Sports Ministeries/Departments
Photo courtesy of Marc Smestad
A Sportfishing Paradise United States
Nassau
Bahamas
Havana
Turks and Caicos Islands (U.K.)
Cuba
Grand Turk
Cayman Islands (U.K.)
Dominican Republic British Virgin Islands (U.K.)
Haiti
George Town
Jamaica Kingston
n
Santo Domingo Navassa Island (U.S.)
Anguilla (U.K.) Saint Martin Saint Barthelemy (France) Netherlands Antilles (Neth.)
San Juan
Port-au-Prince
Puerto Rico (U.S.)
Belize
Basseterre
St. John’s
Saint Kitts and Nevis Plymouth
Antigua and Barbuda
Montserrat (U.K.) Guadeloupe (France)
Basse-Terra Isla Aves (Venezuela)
Honduras
Dominica
Roseau
Martinique (France)
Fort-de-France Tegucigalpa
Saint Lucia
Casrties
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Isla de Providencia (Colombia)
Nicaragua
Aruba (Neth.)
Isla de San Andres (Colombia)
Managua
Oranjestad
Netherlands Antilles (Neth.)
Kingstown
Barbados Bridgetown
Grenada St. Georges’s
Willemstad Port-of-Spain
Costa Rica
Trinidad and Tobago
Caracas
San Jose Panama
Panama Colombia
Venezuela Guyana
Photo courtesy of Richard Gibson
The Billfish Foundation (800) 438-8247 • www.Billfish.org 5100 N. Federal Hwy., #200 • Fort Lauderdale FL 33308