 
Guest editorial
Gill net fishing ban
is imperative
Olasee Davis
Wednesday, April 9th
2008
In 1989 Hurricane
Hugo became the most
memorable storm in
more than 50 years
in Virgin Islands
history. The storm
was a category 4
with winds of 140
mph. In addition,
wind gusts were
estimated as high as
160 mph. Hurricane
Hugo devastated St.
Croix primarily as a
result of the high
winds. The day after
the storm, the
island looked like a
war zone. Every
green vegetation on
land was burned up
from the salt blast
of the storm wind.
Like what
happened on land,
the storm wave
action impacted the
marine environment.
Coral, seagrass
beds, etc., all was
impacted by the
storm wave action
under the ocean.
Boats, corals,
seaweeds, sand, etc.
all were washed up
on the shoreline.
With the storm, the
fishing industry was
hit hard uprooting
fish pots from the
ocean floor. Fish
pots or fish traps
were the most
popular traditional
method of catching
fish in the Virgin
Islands
Fish pots are
made from chicken
wire, mangrove wood,
manjack wood, and
other local tree
wood. The fish pots
have an opening hole
in the wire where
the fish enter.
Local fishermen
sometime add bread
fruits and other
bait inside the pot
to catch the big
fish.
With Hurricane
Hugo some
"fishermen" turned
to gill and trammel
nets to catch fish.
In 2006 the use of
these nets were
banned by the
Turnbull
administration.
However, the ban was
not enforced.
About nine
fishermen used the
net on St. Croix.
One fisherman told
me that when anyone
uses any destructive
methods to catch
fish, they are no
longer fishermen.
Fishermen are
conservationists -
they want to protect
their livelihoods.
Recently, the
Planning and Natural
Resources Department
commissioner
announced that he
will enforce the ban
on gill and trammel
nets. This
announcement created
quite a controversy.
Consequently, the
director of Fish and
Wildlife, a division
of DPNR, resigned
from his position
because he disagreed
with the
commissioner's
decision to ban the
nets.
Gill netting is
also banned in South
Carolina, Texas,
Georgia, Florida,
and several
Caribbean islands.
It was in 1994 when
fishermen were
introduced to gill
nets by sale
representatives from
a major commercial
fishing gear
supplier who visited
the Virgin Islands
to promote net gear.
Since gill and
trammel nets were no
longer able to
market in Florida
because of the ban,
the Virgin Islands
became the dumping
ground for this
method of catching
fish. This type of
harvesting fish in
our waters is very
destructive.
Gill nets catch
everything insight
whether it is what
the fishermen want
or not. This
includes endangered
species like sea
turtles and
stingrays.
However, if
fishermen were using
line or fish pots,
they could throw the
fish back alive in
the water.
Gill netters just
collect the entire
catch, bring the net
home, pick out the
fish they want and
discard the rest of
the animals in the
bush or garbage
cans.
This is
unacceptable.
Fishermen who are
involved in these
type of activities
also impact the
tourist industry.
Dive operators,
sportfishermen,
glass bottom boat
operators and
snorkelers all are
part of the tourist
industry that is
impacted. Even the
traditional method
of fishing with fish
pots and line
fishing are impacted
by gill nets. For
example, moving the
nets in ocean
currents becomes
entangled with
corals causing
destruction to the
reef environment.
Net moving also
causes damage when
large numbers of
herbivorous fish are
removed. This causes
overgrowth of algae
on our corals thus
blocking sunlight
which results in
death of coral
polyps. Gill net
fishing targets such
fish as parrotfish
and surgeonfish, two
of the most
important herbivore
in our coastal
waters.
One handout
describes gill net
fishing as captured
fish being ensnared
or entangled in
mashes of nets by
the gills. The fish
simply swim in an
invisible
monofilament
netting. Whereas a
trammel net is an
entangling net which
captures fish and
other marine animals
by causing all part
of the fins, head,
or other parts of
the body to be
entangled.
I agree with
enforcing the ban on
gill net fishing. Of
course, some
fishermen will say
they can't feed
their families.This
comment is nothing
but hog wash. My
grandfather, a
fisherman, fed his
family without the
use of gill nets.
It is greed and
the loss of
conservational
ethics among certain
people who call
themselves fishermen
by depleting the
fisheries
surrounding St.
Croix without
thinking about
future generations.
Gill net fishing
is against the law -
let's keep it that
way.
Printed in March
31st News Paper
Net kills endangered
Turtle
2/21/08
By
Stephanie Hanlon
 A
green sea turtle,
which is protected
under the Endangered
Species Act, was
found dead on the
South Shore,
Wednesday and
Department of
Planning and Natural
Resources officials
have concluded that
it was the victim of
a fishing net.
Under
Territorial law, an
individual caught
harming this or
other endangered
species could face a
fine of $100 to
$10,000.00 and up to
60 days in jail for
each species harmed.
It was
determined by
officials at DPNR
Division of Fish and
Wildlife that the
turtle died from
being caught in a
fishing net and a
knife was used to
cut its front
flippers off to free
if from the net.
Officials estimate
that the turtle died
within the last two
days.
“I think that
people as resource
users need to be
more responsible so
that the resources
can be used by all
of us”, said William
Cole, the endangered
species coordinator
for Fish and
Wildlife.
Cole said that
this turtle was very
old. He estimated
its age at 40 to 50
years old. Sea
turtles can
generally live over
60 years.
This incident
comes only a day
after a gill net
incident in
Frederiksted where
two divers and two
snorkelers nearly
got caught in a gill
net. According to
divers and DPNR
enforcement, several
unlicensed fishermen
driving an unmarked
boat set a 300 to
600 foot gill net
about 20 feet off
shore near N2 the
Blue Dive Shop and
Coconuts Beach Bar
on Saturday.
Gill and
trammel net fishing
was banned in the
territory in July
2006, however, the
current
administration is
not enforcing that
ban. Instead the
Division of Fish and
Wildlife under their
current Director,
David Olsen is
looking at ways to
allow the
controversial
practice while
instituting
fishermen approved
regulations. DPNR’s
Fisheries Advisory
Committee is
currently reviewing
fisherman approved
regulations and they
will soon make a
recommendation to
the commissioner of
DPNR
snorkeler scared out
of the water on St.
Croix
I attached a picture
of events that
happened Saturday,
Feb. 16, 2008.
At approximately
11:00am, our
instructor and a
student were off
shore on a dive when
an unmarked green
hull boat rowed into
the area and setup a
gill net. This gill
net started at the
rocky shoreline just
north of Coconuts on
the Beach and
proceeded out
seaward and around
with an ending point
of the shore just
past our shop. This
meant that the net
was blocking the
only entry / exit
point on the shore.
My instructor
suddenly surfaced
and waved, screaming
“I can’t get back to
shore!” The gill
net had blocked off
any possibility of
the 2 divers
returning to shore.
At the same moment,
I looked over and
noticed 2
snorkelers
that had just
entered into the
water inside the
gill net! I tried
to call DPNR
enforcement several
times, but no one
ever answered. I
then decided to call
Coast Guard San Juan
on the radio for
assistance. After
trying the same
number, they
connected me with
Mr.
Fachette on a
personal line. DPNR
responded with 2
officers
approximately 1 hour
later. During that
time, I went down to
call the
snorkelers
back up the beach
out of the water,
and had my
instructor tow the
student down the
shoreline toward
Fort
Frederik
beach for exit. The
fisherman present
would not remove the
net and dared us to
call DPNR.
I
reached someone in
DPNR enforcement
last week to discuss
this illegal boat
and the illegal net
(these were
unlicensed
fisherman) from a
previous event.
They responded last
week, but obviously
not well enough.
The officers agreed
with me that this
net was illegal
along with the
unmarked boat, and a
serious safety
hazard to any
divers, swimmers,
and
snorkelers.
If anyone cares,
the 2
snorkelers
scared out of the
water, were from
Ohio, staying at the
Buccaneer for a
week, first time
visitors to St.
Croix.
If no one sees this
affecting our
tourism, can someone
please do something
about this for the
safety of
everyone.
Please pass this
along to anyone who
could be interested
in this.
Thank You
Derrick
Derrick
Hill
N2 The Blue Diving
Adventures
ph: 340-772-DIVE
(3483)
fax: 413-825-5898
info@n2blue.com
www.n2blue.com
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