Neighboring Bahamas has called on authorities to adopt a policy that is held in the most stern regards n the Turks and Caicos Islands- the closure of the lobster season
RTC has learnt that assistant fisheries superintendent of the Bahamas Clement Campbell has told Ministers that the Bahamas should follow the example of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and implement a stringent ban on seafood being sold at restaurants outside of the season.
The crawfish season is closed from March 31 – August 1.
Campbell pointed out that there are several eating establishments that can be found during this time period offering menu options made from this crustacean. The popularity of the crawfish as a delicacy has unfortunately led some unscrupulous persons to harvest undersized crawfish in an attempt to meet the demand for it.
He outlined how the TCI uses the full extent of the law and regular sea patrols to ensure that the season remains closed so they can reap a bountiful harvest at the start of every season.
“What I would like to see is that when the crawfish season is closed there is no crawfish available for the four months. If anyone says they can’t eat crawfish for four months, something has to be wrong with them,” he said. “As small as Turks and Caicos is, that’s their law, and they execute it. So why can’t we do the same thing?”
Back in November, Campbell brought to the attention of the media the fact that persons catching undersized lobster are becoming cleverer in smuggling the illegal goods, taking the crawfish out of the shell before packaging it for sale, making it nearly impossible to determine its size.
