A foreign vessel allegedly engaged in illegal charter fishing was seized and three people were arrested as part of an operation in the Berry Islands carried out under Operation Red Dawn II, a multi-agency marine law enforcement initiative.
Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Jomo Campbell said yesterday the occupants of the vessel were operating in breach of the Fisheries Act, the Boat Registration Act, and other related marine laws, and the case has been referred to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further legal proceedings.
With the aid of The Nature Conservancy and WildAid, officials from the Royal Bahamas Defence Force, Bahamas Customs, and the Department of Marine Resources carried out the investigation and interdiction on September 18 and 19.
"This was not a routine patrol," said Campbell, adding that the operation was the result of a tip.
"It was a carefully planned covert operation designed to identify, monitor and interdict individuals operating outside of Bahamian law."
He added, "The operation was launched to address the persistent problem of unlicensed foreign fishing charters operating illegally in Bahamian waters. Such activities undermine licensed Bahamian operators, deprive the government of critical revenue, and threaten the long-term sustainability of our marine resources.
"The Bahamas' fisheries sector is a cornerstone of our economy."
The operation is the latest in a series of fisheries investigations this year.
In January, officials conducted Operation Red Dawn, which resulted in the conviction of multiple US nationals, who faced heavy fines and were banned from engaging in fishing and related marine activities for a period of three years.
Campbell described poaching as a "legacy issue", and suggested the way forward is through collaborative efforts with government agencies and international partners.
In a 2021 poaching case, a man from Florida was convicted of illegally catching over 500 pounds of reef fish in The Bahamas, violating the Lacey Act, which prohibits Americans from importing fish and wildlife taken in violation of a foreign country's laws.
As part of Operation Bahamarama, a collaborative law enforcement effort between The Bahamas and the US, Henry Danzig and four others were stopped by the US Coast Guard.
After pleading guilty, Danzig was ordered to forfeit a new 30-foot Contender Tournament boat to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force to assist with marine law enforcement efforts.
WildAid Senior Law Enforcement Advisor Mike Cenci said yesterday the vessel was used in the recent poaching mission.
"Our colleagues in the US have been very engaged in inspecting their fishermen returning from The Bahamas, and they have discovered a number of violations, but they're an after the fact resource," Cenci said.
"I think the strength of the partnership here in this country is making a difference in respect to the amount of people that do make it all the way home in violation of your laws."
Yesterday, American boat captain Anthony Young and his deckhand Mason Martel were charged with illegally operating fishing charters.
Young and Martel, both of Florida, were each granted $7,500 cash bail.