The Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF) is calling on citizens to respect the closed season and choose an alternative during the spawning period.
The annual Nassau grouper closed season began December 1st and runs until February 28, 2018.
In a statement the group said it is critically important that the closed season continues from December to February and is enforced effectively, particularly from foreign poachers, but also from local illegal fishing.
The statement further read that many fishermen have reported seeing more young Nassau grouper in the sea than in the past, and this may be a result of the closed seasons allowing their parents to spawn in previous years.
BREEF also thanked enforcement agencies-The Department of Marine Resources, The Royal Bahamas Defence Force and the Royal Bahamas Police Force for their work to protect the marine heritage. As advances are made in new technology, facilities, training and resources, they can more effectively protect Bahamian waters from international poaching.
