NASSAU, BAHAMAS—The Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association (BFFIA) is publicly backing the government’s controversial boating fees, arguing that the measures are essential to protecting the marine resources that underpin the country’s economy and long-term sustainability.
BFFIA president Captain Prescott Smith said the debate around boating fees has been narrowly framed, ignoring the broader issue of how much value is being extracted from Bahamian waters by foreign vessels with limited reinvestment into conservation or local ownership.
“It is up to us to educate the boating community and not allow just a few special interests to be controlling the narrative,” Smith said.
Smith warned that the assumption that marine resources are too abundant to fail has proven disastrous elsewhere. He pointed to the collapse of the cod fishery along the northeastern coast of the United States and Canada, where overfishing continued under the belief that the stock was inexhaustible.
“They thought there was no way that cod fishery could ever collapse,” Smith said. “That’s the volume of fish that they had. And they kept fishing, overfishing, until the fishery collapsed. And it never came back.”
He said similar risks exist in The Bahamas, particularly as mangroves and creeks that serve as nursery systems are blocked or destroyed.
“If you don’t pay attention to protecting your nursery systems, to restoring your nursery systems, you will have no fish—no conch, no grouper,” Smith said. “Our communities revolve around these resources.”
According to Smith, the country’s entire economy depends on the marine environment, even for Bahamians who do not work directly in tourism or fishing.
“Whether it’s Atlantis, whether it’s Baha Mar, whether it’s the cruise ship industry, everyone is using our marine environment and benefiting from it.”
Smith said tens of thousands of foreign boats enter Bahamian waters annually, extracting seafood through recreational fishing with comparatively few restrictions.
“You can fish in The Bahamas seven days a week, 24 hours a day,” he said. “You go to Florida, most years you can only fish two to six days, and you’re allowed to catch one fish per person.”
Against that backdrop, Smith dismissed claims that the revised boating fees will drive away yacht traffic, pointing to what vessels already spend while in the country.
“If they can park their yacht at Atlantis and spend $7,000 to $8,000 minimum a week, they’re not concerned with you charging a few dollars,” Smith said. “Especially the value that they get coming into the country.”
Smith said the pushback is largely driven by special interests rather than yacht owners themselves.
“The lobbying by the special interests is ramping up, trying to pressure the government to back off these fees,” he said. “Not the people who own those yachts.”
Smith repeatedly singled out Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president Peter Maury who has stated that boating traffic to The Bahamas has declined by as much as 40 percent, negatively impacting local marinas as fees and clearance process are discouraging repeat visitors.
Smith, however, questioned whether the marina lobby’s objections are aligned with broader Bahamian interests, suggesting the focus has been placed on jobs and marina revenues rather than conservation, sustainability, or increasing Bahamian ownership in the marine sector. He also raised concerns that marinas have sought to collect certain fees directly, rather than ensuring funds are directed toward environmental protection and enforcement.
Maury, responding to Smith’s comments, said the issues of fishing and boating clearance are being conflated. “I don’t know Prescott. Fishing and clearance is completely different topics,” Maury said. “Does he collect the money for the fishing license?”
Maury also referenced delays in digitizing the bonefishing license system, noting that efforts to move the process online date back to the tenure of former Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Alfred Gray. “As far as I know, they still haven’t done that. If he has, then send me the link and we will gladly share it,” Maury said.
He also raised concerns about illegal and unregulated activity in the marine sector, specifically what he described as “floating lodges.”
“There is more seafood extracted out of the waters of The Bahamas through the recreational fishing industry than the entire commercial fishing industry by Bahamians,” Smith said.
Former Member of Parliament and former Bahamas Environment, Science and Technology (BEST) Commission chairman Keod Smith said keeping the boating fees in place is about more than revenue collection and speaks to national ownership of marine assets.
“We need to understand there is something more than just collecting that money,” said attorney Smith said. “We have to protect what we have, re-establish the primacy of it for the government and people of The Bahamas. Most of the marinas are owned by foreign people.”
He added: “We have a product here,” Smith said. “Our product can’t be found anywhere else in the world. When it comes to people doing business in The Bahamas, leave them exactly where they are.”
While acknowledging that some recalibration may be needed to avoid unintended impacts on Bahamian fishermen and small operators, Smith maintained that foreign vessels using Bahamian waters should contribute fairly to conservation and enforcement.
“This issue is much bigger than just fees,” he said. “It’s about knowing the true value of our resources and protecting what belongs to Bahamians.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper in December confirmed that the government would review boating fees and entry protocols following feedback from stakeholders in key boating destinations, including Abaco, Bimini, and The Exumas.
“The Ministry of Tourism is focused on ensuring that The Bahamas remains one of the most welcoming and competitive destinations in the region for boating visitors,” Cooper said in a statement in December, noting that multiple ministries will be involved in assessing both policy implementation and economic impact.
