Wives and children of foreign-born fishermen ‘offended’ by Fisheries Bill
The wives and children of several foreign-born fishermen in The Bahamas said yesterday that the government’s Fisheries Bill, 2020, which seeks to prevent non-Bahamians from engaging in commercial fishing in The Bahamas, is “offensive and not fair”.
Sixteen-year-old Gisele Liriano broke into tears as she explained the fear that her father’s livelihood of fishing is in jeopardy if the bill becomes law.
The bill was passed in the Senate yesterday.
It reads: “No person shall engage in fishing, or be employed on a commercial fishing vessel for fishing other than sportsfishing in the fisheries waters, and use or be employed on a commercial fishing vessel licensed under this act for fishing other than charter sportsfishing unless that person is a citizen of The Bahamas.”