...protection of our borders against illegal immigration, poachers, gun and drug running, human smuggling... and Trafficking in Persons

The Democratic National Alliance (DNA) says, We need 21st Century Protection of our Borders

The Prime Minister’s 2012/2013 budget communication has allocated a tremendous amount of money for the purchase of vessels for the defense force. No doubt the rationale for this is for the protection of our borders against illegal immigration, illegal poachers, gun and drug running and human smuggling and trafficking.

Illegal immigration has been one of the critical issues our country has been facing for many years and if it is not arrested, we will lose our country. Illegal immigration has strained our country’s resources in health care, education, social services and national security. Illegal Immigration has infiltrated our country so much so that we now have many different subcultures.

Illegal poaching has now become a common occurrence. Other nationalities are raping our waters every day. They do it because they realize that our leaders do not have the answers to this concern. They have our leaders figured out because they know that our leaders will come up with the same type of plan they have used in the past in anticipation that it will work this time.

Many of the crimes committed today are because of illegal drugs and the availability of guns on our streets. These guns and drugs infiltrate our beloved country from other countries and have wreck havoc on our once peaceful society.

Human smuggling and trafficking is very much alive resulting in persons penetrating our borders.

The PLP administration has decided that more vessels will help with addressing these vexing problems. But this is very much unrealistic. No matter how many vessels are purchased, the problems above will still exist. You ought to remember that vessels have been purchased in the past and we still have the same problems today. It did not work! Illegal immigration, gun and drug running, illegal poaching and human smuggling and trafficking are still on the rise. So what does this administration do…the same thing that was done before…purchase vessels!

The Commonwealth of the Bahamas is made up of 700 islands and Cays covering 150,000 square miles of sea. This tells me, and I would think the average person, that no matter how many vessels are purchased, it would be virtually impossible to man our waters. However, with the use of technology we would be able to monitor our borders and determine what is on and under the sea. This is what the PLP administration should be investing in. By the touch of a button you are able to determine who is trying to enter our country. You would not have to rely on defense force vessels being at the right place and at the right time in order to detect those entering our borders for illegal purposes… all of this can be monitored by way of technology.

I would encourage this administration to go to the Democratic National Alliance’s website at mydnaparty.org and watch our town meeting on immigration. There we discussed the technology that can be used in order to facilitate 21st century protection of our borders.

In order for us to move this country forward, we cannot afford to do the unsuccessful things we have done in the past and anticipate that it would be successful in the future. Let’s start thinking outside the box!

Branville McCartney
DNA Leader

Spanish Wells: ...local fishermen urged Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham to get tough on poachers from the Dominican Republic before they are forced to take matters into their own hands

Fishermen urge PM to get tough on poachers

tribune242


DURING a town meeting in Spanish Wells, local fishermen urged Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham to get tough on poachers from the Dominican Republic before they are forced to take matters into their own hands.

With the Commodore of the Defence Force Roderick Bowe, Deputy Prime Minister Brent Symonette, and the Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources in tow, Mr Ingraham told the fishermen he knows how important the fishing industry is to the Bahamas and to the fishermen of Spanish Wells.

Mr Ingraham noted that the Bahamas is spread over 100,000 square miles and law enforcement would like to be "everywhere" at the same time, but this is an impossibility. However, he did add that since coming to office, his government has strengthened the Defence Force with two new airfcraft, additional watercrafts, personnel, and will soon be completing a base in Ragged Island.

When the floor was opened to the fishermen, many recounted their own personal accounts of running into Dominican poachers while on the high seas.

Many put forward the motion that the government either increased the fines issued by the courts to these unscrupulous poachers, or confiscate the vessels and sink them.

Another issue raised was the prevalence of Dominican fishermen on Bahamian vessels - an issue Mr Ingraham said was "very troubling" for the government.

"It's complicated, because we are unable to tell Bahamian women who to marry. We are unable to do that. Secondly, Bahamian owned boats come along and say I need an engineer. We know that they are fooling us; we know that.

"The Deputy PM is here, he is the Minister of Immigration. I have asked them for a list of all the permits for all foreigners on all boats in the Bahamas which he has now sent me, and I will send them something back very soon on that issue. We expect to reduce substantially the number of foreigners who have any kind of permits on these boats - but that ain't ga stop them from getting these 'quickie marriages' now.

"But for the actual work permits, to work on these boats or the compressors they use to get all these conchs will be reduced substantially," he said.

Mr Ingraham also added that a number of "big" fishing companies that have these vessels which employ these Dominican fishermen will soon start "squealing" not long from now.

While the Prime Minister admitted that there is very little he could do to stop persons from stealing crawfish out of other fishermen's traps, he did foreshadow that the government will be looking at doing something about the "large quantity of crawfish" that is produced on the same day that the crawfish season is opened.

Mr Ingraham commended the fishermen of Spanish Wells for being law abiding, admitting he knew of persons who were out catching crawfish a week before the season was even slated to open.

"We mean you well - no matter what anyone else will tell you, we mean you well," Mr Ingraham said.

"We do have your interests at heart. We would like to do the best that is possible to make it safe for you to ensure that you are able to reap that which is in our waters and to reduce the number of times that others, who have no right to do so, are able to do so in the Bahamas.

"I want to thank you very much for coming, I don't want to make you any promise, other than what I have said. You have to make your own judgment as to what happens in the future as to whether you think you have an affect on us in the government or not. All I assure you is, I heard you, I am not deaf, I have big ears, I understand," he said.

August 04, 2011

tribune242

Caribbean Blog International

Tommy Turnquest - National Security chief says: measures are in place to protect The Bahamas’ multi-million dollar crawfish industry from poachers...

Measures are in place to protect crawfish industry
By CHESTER ROBARDS
Business Reporter
crobards@tribunemedia.net:



The National Security chief said yesterday that measures have been put in place to protect this country’s multi-million dollar crawfish industry from poachers who can remove up to $22million worth of the product per annum from Bahamian waters.

Tommy Turnquest said a defence force ship as well as a smaller, faster craft, have been assigned to patrol the Great Bahama Bank where poachers have been spotted and confronted by Bahamian fishermen in the past.

He cautioned fishermen not to approach the poachers if they happened upon them but to call for assistance.

“We don’t expect Bahamian fishermen to be out there in a fight by themselves,” Mr Turnquest said.

He added that for the greatest protection of this country’ marine resources, the Great Bahama Bank is where the defence force has been stationed.

According to him, the construction of a new defence force base at Gun Pointe on Ragged Island will bolster the protection of the bank by providing easier, faster access for patrol boats.

However, fisherman in the past have complained that calls to the defence force have led to nothing but inaction, and they insist that poachers are often simply released with their illegal catch shortly after being captured by authorities.

With the crawfish season just five days old, and Bahamian fishermen facing the challenges of a new catch system that will allow their crawfish tails to be traded with European Countries, they are even more desperate than ever to pull in large hauls.

Last year saw an almost 50 per cent decline in the price of crawfish due to the global recession.

And at the beginning of the year, this country saw the makings of a trade embargo on crawfish tails to the EU due to the absence of a tracking system called the catch certificate.

Representatives of the fisheries sector told Tribune Business recently that the certificate was key to restarting trade, while adhering to the Marine Stewardship Council's (MSC) - the world's leading environmental certification programme for wild-caught fisheries - mandates.

Glenn Pritchard, president of Tropical Seafood, and Mia Isaacs, president of the Bahamas Marine Exporters Association (BMEA), said implementing the catch certificate will be the most important focus for the fisheries industry, as the Bahamas would not be allowed to trade with the EU if the chain of custody for lobster tails is not certified by use of those certificates.

The certificates will allow purchasing entities to trace catches from their possession all the way back to the fishing boat that made the catch - and possibly even back to the exact spot in the Bahamas the product was caught.

This requirement is part of a global mandate to help countries ensure their food exports are safe and traceable, and that they keep their marine resources in check to ensure sustainability.

While certification from the MSC is voluntary at this time, many importers of this country’s lobster tails are increasingly demanding that the country be certified in an effort to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing issues.

When the Bahamas brings into force the MSC certification it is likely that many poachers, who are said to come form the Dominican Republic, will find a closed market for their product.

Mr Turnquest told Tribune Business in April that his department was investigating possible links between poachers and Defence Force officers. According to him, “intelligence operations are in place”.

However, he said yesterday that those efforts have yet to yield any findings to substantiate those claims.

Mr Turnquest said the Government is diligently attempting to resolve the poaching problem which exists within the Bahamas’ 100,000 square mile maritime border and the possibility that some Bahamians, even within the institution charged with policing these waters, are abetting it.

“We have in place some systems,” he said. “We have a limited amount of persons who know where these vessel go, but we continue to monitor it.”

August 06, 2010

tribune242

Bahamas Blog International