Handguns
Subscribe
Home› Tropics
China & Bahamian $10B fishing partnership
Can anyone shed some light on this?
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/68882 also posted in SE general
http://www.thenassauguardian.com/news/68882 also posted in SE general
Replies
However, say goodbye to Bahamas fishing! Nothing about a partnership with the Chinese can be good. But when you realize the Bahamas have been for sale by the current government for a while, its not surprising. Look what the sale of the environment has done to Bimini!
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/jan/29/china-gives-12m-buy-military-equipment/
http://www.tribune242.com/news/2016/nov/02/govt-plays-down-china-partnership/
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2016-08-17/it-s-up-to-china-to-save-asia-s-oceans
There is significant push back by other government official, but we know Christie doesn't listen to them. If you read the details, it only allows investment but all fishermen, etc must be Bahamian. Yep just like the Resorts World work force!
(being carful what I say so one Moderator doesn't delete this thread)
So glad that we bought a nice place in the Keys....
Actually we still do not have an EEZ agreement with the Bahamas, maybe we should just claim our 200 miles and regulate Bahamas fishing.
Remember the Bahamian Purse seine operation?
in partnership with others, and therefore only Bahamians would be allowed on the fishing vessels."
Do we believe this?
Also, the portion of this deal regarding agriculture could be beneficial for Bahamians. There was a thriving pineapple farming industry on Eleuthera back in the early 20th century, with as many as 50 ships at a time loading at Governour's Harbour for export. The U.S. destroyed the industry by subsidizing Cuban and Hawaiian pineapple growers. Eleutheran pineapples are still grown on mom-and-pop farms, and they are the sweetest and most tender you have ever eaten! There were also dairy and poultry farms, and you can see the abandoned silos in the Hatchet Bay area.
TALLAHASSEE
Florida wildlife officials expressed concern Wednesday that the government of the Bahamas is in talks with China to split fishing rights in waters east of Florida.
State Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Nick Wiley said the potential deal, as reported, could impact Florida’s commercial and sport-fishing industries.
“China, their interests in this, would get exclusive access to fisheries in Bahamian waters,” Wiley said. “A lot of people may not realize this, but the boundary between the United States waters and Bahamian waters is still in dispute. It’s still not been clarified, so that further makes this an issue.”
The government of the Bahamas hasn’t released details of the negotiations.
The Nassau Guardian newspaper has reported that the government of the Bahamas has given the green light to its embassy in Beijing to pursue agricultural and fishing partnerships with China. The proposal reportedly could bring $2.1 billion in cash, along with agricultural and farming equipment, into the Bahamian economy, over 10 years.
The proposal by the Bahamian government, according to the Guardian, states: “While realization of a reasonable return on an investment in agriculture is a relatively slow process, requiring substantial capitalization over many years, participating companies in the initiative will within months of commencement of operations realize positive cash flow from the sale of seafood.”
Under the reported terms of the deal, the government would lease to 100 companies — each jointly owned by Chinese and Bahamians shareholders — 10,000 acres in Andros Island, along with fishing licenses.
“It is anticipated that the agricultural products and the seafood will be used either for local consumption or will be exported to China or the U.S.A. for sale,” the proposal says. “The management of participating companies will resolve to do what is in their best interest.”
Commercial fishing for conch, lobster, snapper and grouper are mainstays of the Andros Island’s economy. However, the indication is that the Chinese firms want to target dolphin, kingfish, marlin, tuna and wahoo.
Wiley said the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has reached out to the government of the Bahamas for additional details.
“It’s something we really need to figure out what is going on. We really don’t understand it yet,” said Commissioner Robert Spottswood, the president of a Key West real-estate development company. “But the potential impact for us in the Keys, in Florida and for the U.S., of the Chinese government getting involved in fishing in the Bahamas could certainly affect the balance of what is going on in fisheries in South Florida.”
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/national/talks-sell-china-fishing-rights-bahamas-alarm-florida/JAhVZ6Dozi3fgkZ6PgyJqM/
That being my opinion I can tell you that while I was at ICCAT meetings last week in Portugal, I had many discussions with State Department and Fishery people there and the concern is real.
My post in confron is pre mature since there is a hurdle to jump over for pelagic fisheries in the ICCAT management realm to make it to market from the Bahamas. But, over a two or three year plan they could join and use quota as a developing coastal country. This could lead to PLL gear being fished as close as 25 miles off Miami if they chose to do so. In fact, as long as they were meant for domestic consumption, it could happen tomorrow!. Bahamas could also easily fish for YFT with PLL of purse seines with little planning, again for domestic consumption. Not out of the question when you look at the market just with the cruise ship industry.
Hopefully the Trump factor will prevail and change will come in our foreign negotiations.
farm crop 7000 miles. Local intel on Andros says it is ruse to gain acces to Autec intel, that is much more logical than farming.
That makes the most sense of anything I have heard on this topic.
USCG 100t Master, Assist Tow, 200nm Coastal
Marine Surveyor, SAMS, ABYC, IAMI, FMIU
Wilson Yacht Survey, Inc.
no chinese interest or any other government's interest (other than the bahamas) is going to do anything while AUTEC is there. for the US, it would constitute a hostile military act.