by NEIL HARTNELL Bahamian fishermen have hailed the US prosecution of a Florida Keys man for illegally fishing in this nation’s waters as “monumental” in the fight to safeguard the industry’s sustainability and stocks.
#Industry participants told Tribune Business that the sentence imposed on Henry Danzig, ordering him to hand over a brand new boat to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) to aid with fisheries enforcement, will “send a strong message to go-fast fishermen out of Florida” and is something they “have been waiting” decades for.
#The case, brought as part of Operation Bahamarama, a joint effort between Bahamian and US law enforcement agencies to crack down on illegal and unreported fishing in Bahamian waters, was described by local fishermen as the only way that this nation can “deter poaching of fisheries stocks on all fronts”.
Islamorada recreational fisherman and restaurant owner Henry Danzig has purchased a roughly $200,000 new boat for the Bahama military as part of a plea agreement for illegally fishing that countryâs waters in May 2020.
Danzig, who is part owner of the City Hall Cafe in Islamorada, was caught by the U.S. Coast Guard on his way back to Islamorada from illegally fishing a remote area of the Bahamas called Cay Sal Bank. Keys anglers fishing around Cay Sal Bank is not uncommon.
Danzig had to purchase a 2021 30-foot Contender center-console vessel with twin 250 horsepower engines as part of his plea agreement. The vessel will be used by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force for law enforcement purposes such as patrols for looking people violating fishing rules.
Three Cubans who capsized and survived 33 days on coconut water, shellfish and rats atop a deserted rocky islet south of Florida were in U.S. immigration custody Thursday, and legal experts said they may be allowed to stay under current federal policies.