NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Bahamian fishermen are bracing for potential disruptions to the crawfish season, which opened August 1, as Tropical Storm Erin strengthens in the Atlantic and is forecast to become the region’s first major hurricane of the year.
Adrian LaRoda, president of the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance, told Eyewitness News that the industry is closely monitoring developments.
“As usual, we are watching the storm and our fishermen are preparing for it as best as possible,” LaRoda said. “No warnings have been issued for The Bahamas as yet, but we are in watch mode. We’re just going to play it by ear because it is expected that there will be some impact later this week or early next week. We will always be cautious, because this appears to be a big storm, so we are waiting.”
Crawfish season — the legal harvesting period for spiny lobster — runs from August 1 to March 31, with fishing banned from April through July to allow the species to breed and regenerate. The opening weeks of the season are critical for many fishermen, who depend heavily on early catches to help offset expenses for fuel, bait, and equipment.
Tropical Storm Erin, currently in the central Atlantic, is expected to continue to strengthen with meteorologists predicting it will reach hurricane status by Thursday or Friday, and potentially become a major Category 3 storm or stronger by Sunday. Erin is forecast to pass north of the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico before veering northeast of The Bahamas, aided by a weakness in the upper ridge north of the system.
Still, forecasters warn of the potential for strong winds, heavy rain, and dangerous surf along parts of The Bahamas, which could keep vessels in port.
Paul Maillis, Secretary of the National Fisheries Association (NFA) told Eyewitness News: ““We’re very concerned. It’s been a while since we’ve had a major hurricane affect the Bahamas. Typically, these storms impact one island in a catastrophic way, but Hurricane Erin is said to be moving into position Thursday, and by then we’ll know which direction she’s going to take. At the moment, it appears she may skirt along the eastern boundary of the Bahamas. Hopefully, she’ll turn further north toward Bermuda and only affect us with some rain and wind gusts.”
He continued: “The storm is expected to become a Category 3 hurricane, which could disrupt ongoing lobster operations. The season has only just started, so it’s really unfortunate to have the looming threat of such a large storm right at the outset. While she’s currently only a tropical storm, models indicate she could intensify, so we’re keeping a close eye on her. This uncertainty is also affecting people’s decisions about going out to sea. By Friday or Saturday, we should have a clearer idea of how serious the situation will be. In the meantime, we’re praying that she turns north and only impacts us with rain and some wind.”
