The beach and flat at Swain’s Cay Lodge, Andros, Bahamas. “Bonefishing in Paradise.” Image by 2 flygirls.com
[dropcap]M[/dropcap]y cousin, of a distant sort, lives in Lyford Cay (Nassau, The Bahamas) and hob nobs with a Bahamian minister. He, my relative, has also kept us posted on recent matters concerning the rise of populism in The Bahamas, its impact on flats fishing and the disturbing machinations of an unrelenting Mr. Prescott Smith and his power circle of sycophants led by populist radical V. Alfred Gray, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources.
November 6, 2016 – Skip, thanks for your email and copy of Mr. Stromsness’ blog
“. . . The controversy concerning the Chinese is one that is being followed closely. The hush surrounding Andros’ involvement is loud and concerns us – these are truly strange times for fishing in The Bahamas, recreational and otherwise. Mr. Stromsness’ blog certainly speaks to that (smiles). . . .”
November 8, 2016 – This is a copy of a ministry email
“Good Morning (Name).
About a week ago, (name) received an email from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources and showed it to me. It advised that the Cabinet of The Bahamas had approved the final draft relative to the Fly Fishing Regulations. I reviewed the document and found only slight differences between what Ms. Glinton announced at ICAST last July in Orlando, Florida.
Now, there are a number of persons on the internet who have been cruel in their response to Ms. Glinton and the new proposed regulations. However, only persons on the inside really understand the balancing act that she had to perform in order to achieve the end result.
What you may not understand (name), is that we had a situation in which the government was convinced by an individual to take a certain course of action as we go into a re-election year, notwithstanding advice from technocrats like myself and others in the industry to the contrary.
Website Famous watercolorist Thom Glace’s bonefish.
The Cabinet appears to have taken a somewhat modified position on the matter and delivered a final draft that is better than any previous. Ms. Glinton played a mature and professional role in ensuring that both sides got something out of what could have otherwise been a greater disaster to the Bahamian fly fishing industry.
(Name), I have attached a copy of the latest draft sent. You can compare it to any of the previous drafts and the announcement made at ICAST in July.
Honestly, I am not fully satisfied with it but is probably the best that we can expect for now. Muddying the water can only further negatively impact the industry which is currently experiencing the loss of market share to competing destinations.
Sincerely, (name), (title)
Opinion
If I owned property in the Bahamas and had an imported, duty-paid, skiff and regularly fly fished the flats with licensed friends aboard, I got troubles. Fine and jail time troubles.
There are new vagaries in the final draft of the so-called Final Draft of the Flats Regs of The Bahamas (linked above).
Scary are the deputizing of flats regs enforcers, sanctioning guide status system, wandering research money from licensing, and the regs’ preoccupation with Draconian punishments – all negative alerts. Any potential angler visitor would immediately recognize being in unchartered waters, and potentially very unfriendly waters.
Elections are on The Bahamas’ menu, and like here in the States, undercurrents might not get read correctly with upsets jumbling and tumbling lives and the economy
NOTE: Featured Image is of Bjorn Stromsness (Bonefish on the Brain) with a nice Andros bonefish. Photo credit Bjorn Stromsness.
