FRITZ THOMPSON SHOULD THINK AGAIN ON CONCH
The scientists published a study which indicated that if we do not manage the conch populations in our country today, we will see the total collapse of the resource in ten to fifteen years. Casuarina McKinney, the Executive Director of the Environmental Group BREEF believes the science and asked for the creation of managed replenishment zones. On Friday 8th February Fritz Thompson, a fisherman from West End, said he believes that we ought to be taking more conch out. He doesn’t believe the science. This is a real problem. The northern cod fishery collapsed in 1992 after 500 years of providing a good life for the fishermen of Canada. However, no one believed the scientists when they told them that the fishery was about to collapse from over fishing. Mr. Thompson should not depend on anecdotal evidence to drive his harvesting conch. Believe the science. If we do not manage, not stop, what we are doing with the harvesting of conch today in The Bahamas, we are headed to its total collapse. Mr. Thompson as a fisherman should be one of the first ones to lead that charge to protect his way of life in the long term and for his children.