By KEESHA BETHELL, NG Business Reporter

keesha@nasguard.com

The slackening of controversial sportfishing regulations implemented in January are likely to be announced as early as Friday, said newly-appointed Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Lawrence Cartwright.

"I haven't seen the final draft as yet," he said, revealing that the matter is still before the Attorney-General. "But there will be some changes."

The present regulations restrict the amount of fish that can be caught by anglers in an effort to protect Bahamian marine life from depletion.

Sportfishing vessels, for example, are currently limited to catching six pelagic fish per boat, such as dolphin, kingfish, wahoo and tuna. For dermersal fish such as snapper, grouper and hogfish, the limit is 20 pounds of fisher per boat. Both sets of rules require that the head and tail of the fish be intact for identification and counting purposes.

"Most of the changes will be based on the feedback received from the (sportfishing) tournament organizers and the marinas throughout the country - basically, to try and satisfy their needs," revealed Cartwright. "I can go so far as to say that the numbers presently in the bag limits will be increased."

Former Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Leslie Miller, however, called any proposal to change the regulations in favor of sportfishing "a disgrace and an affront to the people of The Bahamas" .

"Why should we allow foreigners to come here and reap our waters unabatedly?" he said. "We can't go in anyone else's waters and do it.

"Why should they do it?"

Members of the Bahamas Hotel Association have taken a different view on the regulations, blaming them for a decline in business.

"While we commend the Minister (then Leslie Miller) for his efforts to protect our natural resources, the recent catch limits are causing visitor cancellations in the northern and northwestern Bahamas in particular," said Russell Miller, president of the Bahamas Hotel Association (BHA), during a recent press conference at the British Colonial Hilton hotel.

He was unable to point to specific numbers, suggesting government data on tourist visits would ultimately bear out the assertions.

Some skeptics suggest the solution to the problem is the implementation of a catch and release method of fishing, a practice used within recreational fishing circles, intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury.

Thomas Lockhart, dock master of Grand Bahama Yacht Club, said the regulations are hurting his business "tremendously".

"A number of groups we expected to visit this past spring and summer have canceled as a result of the new regulations," he said, confirming the previous statements made by the BHA president.

According to Lockhart, a group of persons on a fishing trip could spend up to $100,000 in one week, therefore prominent sportfishing venues such as Grand Bahama could be losing out.

In fact, anglers are reportedly resorting to locations south of the archipelago such as The Turks and Caicos Islands and Puerto Rico, in response to the regulations.