Government has banned fishing between Fort George and Fort St. Catherine, in St.George's for two months.

The closure of the almost rectangular area off of North Shore starts today until June 30 and includes any fishing activity.

Elvin James, Minister of the Environment and Sport announced the closure yesterday saying it was for the conservation and protection of the Blue-striped grunt.

The area is known as a "fish aggregation area" and is being closed for the conservation and protection of the Blue-striped grunt in accordance with the Fisheries Act 1972.

Last night former fisherman John Barnes explained the measures were taken to protect the fish, which are caught for commercial purposes, during their spawning period.

He said: "The blue-striped grunt spawn in that area and in the next month or so. If the fishermen catch them when they're spawning the fish have no chance.

"It's probably a good conservation method but it might put a bit of a damper on things. There aren't that many fishermen now who know where and when these areas are.

"But this is for the greater good.

"Last year, the former Minister of Environment Neletha Butterfield also banned fishing in these areas saying that those who fished there faced up to $25,000 in fines or two years in jail.

The blue-striped grunt, a fish found in the Atlantic and Caribbean, named after the noise it makes with its teeth.

Last year was the first time the Minister could prohibit fishing in certain areas for up to 90 days to preserve the stocks and protect spawning sites.Previously, there was nothing to guard threatened fish which schooled in previously unprotected areas.

The area under the ban for the next two months runs in a north-easterly direction from St. Catherine's Point, St. George's to the Southern channel marker #12 (32 degrees 23.6 minutes North, 64 degrees 40.1 minutes West).

Then by a line running along the southern boundary of the Southern channel to the Southern channel marker #16 (32 degrees 23.9 minutes North, 64 degrees 40.7 minutes West).

It finished with a line running in a south-westerly direction to a point 32 degrees 23.4 minutes North, 64 degrees 41.4 minutes West, then by a line running in a south-easterly direction to Fort George, St. George's.