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Dive into Bahamas' prolific sea
WELCOME BAHAMAS - NASSAU, CABLE BEACH & PARADISE ISLAND - 2006
Dive into Bahamas' prolific sea
Marine life is on the increase
Divers are finding more marine life than in years past when they plunge into The Bahamas' crystal clear ocean. That's the result of careful planning and lots of effort, says Stuart Cove of Stuart Cove's Aqua Adventures.
"Kudos to our government for being in the forefront," Cove says. Early moves, such as banning fishing with a trigger-operated spear gun decades ago, have helped protect local marine life.
Closed fishing seasons in recent years have also contributed to The Bahamas' success. As a result, visitors snorkelling or scuba diving in local waters see more fish all the time.
Closed fishery
Two years ago, the Bahamian government banned grouper fishing during the critical December to February spawning season. "We're already seeing the results of that," Cove says. "We're seeing more grouper, and we're seeing larger grouper... Today, The Bahamas has the only spawning aggregates seen in the Caribbean."
When they spawn under a full moon, grouper gather in large clusters called aggregates. The larger the aggregate, the greater the genetic diversity in the resulting offspring. Cove believes the free-floating larvae from protected breeding areas are helping to repopulate waters around The Bahamas.
But, as with coastal waters elsewhere in the world, Bahamian marine life has actually declined over the past 30 years or so. The recent improvement is a rebound and only the start of a recovery. While stocks are improving, they are not back to what they once were.
Both Cove and Leroy Lowe, owner of Bahama Divers, say fish populations are below what they were when they opened their dive businesses in the 1970s.
Several factors - including global warming, increased commercial and recreational fishing, loss of critical habitat and more human visitors - are all thought to have contributed to the declines. Efforts in The Bahamas have slowed some of the effects, and local waters are in better shape than many other areas in the Caribbean region, according to some experts.
A wide-ranging effort
Thanks to a wide-ranging effort by many groups and governments, marine life is slowly being restored to historic levels.
Lowe, who takes divers to different sites than Cove, has also witnessed both the decline and the rebound. The reefs off Rose Island and the north shore of New Providence are a case in point.
"The yellowtails and the parrot fish are still in pretty good shape? But angelfish, small groupers and hogfish are nowhere as common as they used to be."
At protected sites near Athol Island off the eastern tip of Paradise Island, Lowe sees increased marine life today, compared to five years ago. He believes the increase is due partly to his clients feeding fish there. Regular use by dive operators also discourages poaching.
As part of the foresight that Cove praises, The Bahamas now has laws to protect the marine environment. The most prolific sites are marine parks, some of which are protected by patrolling officers.
Increased turtle sightings
Changing habits have also benefited some species. Fewer people today eat turtles so their numbers have jumped and divers are enjoying more sightings.
In the spirit of the divers' motto "Take nothing but pictures; leave nothing but bubbles," both Lowe and Cove protect the dive sites they use.
Rather than throw an anchor overboard and drag it until it catches, Lowe sends divers over the side to set their anchors carefully in the sandy bottom, well away from sensitive coral heads. Cove has permanent anchors with buoys where his boats tie up. These practices protect the corals.
Protecting the reefs is more important than it may seem. Corals are the foundation of all marine life. They provide protection, food and nurseries for many species, as well as adding another colourful element to a scuba or snorkelling trip.
Both Lowe and Cove are pleased to see the increase but feel that more needs to be done to replenish fish stocks.
The country's system of national parks preserves and protects some critical habitat, but the system should be expanded, says Cove. He would like to see the creation of ?economic? parks with features that would attract divers. This would create jobs and economic opportunities throughout the archipelago.
Lowe wants to see the warden system expanded and to have more game officers on the job. Much has been done, he says, but more remains to be done.
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