Industry group disputes need for no-fishing zones
The plan to impose fully protected non-fishing areas covering 20 per cent of the island’s waters was “an ill-advised, if well intentioned, commitment” that should be reconsidered, the Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda has stated.
Last night, the Ministry of Public Works and the Environment responded that it had agreed last year to “work in good faith towards an agreement” with the group before proceeding with “any new marine protected areas — and that is exactly what we have sought to do”.
A spokeswoman added: “Agreement remains our preference and collaboration remains our approach. But we must also ensure that Bermuda moves forward in a way that is fair, science-based and in the best long-term interests of the whole country.”
The marine-protected areas within Bermuda’s exclusive economic zone, which extends offshore some 200 nautical miles (230 miles), has proved a difficult sell with many of Bermuda’s fishermen.
They have boycotted talks on the no-fishing zones as well as protesting and threatening to take legal action.
The group has also issued its own fisheries management plan in response.
In its latest statement, the FAB noted that legislation would go before MPs that “sets the stage” for the marine planning under the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme.
The plan dates to 2019 under an agreement between the Government, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the Waitt Institute, a non-governmental organisation for ocean conservation.
The association accused the Government of proceeding “with no consultation of any local stakeholders” and said that the protected areas had been agreed to “under the influence of international NGOs with their own agendas”.
The FAB added that the 2019 agreement was non-binding and did not “lock in” the commitment to 20 per cent protection.
Although the Ministry of Home Affairs highlighted the need for conservation in 2022 with figures showing key fish species struggling to recover, the FAB statement insisted that fishing in Bermuda was sustainable and had been “relatively stable for decades”.
The group said marine protected areas were appropriate for areas contending with “foreign fishing vessels and damaging methods such as bottom trawling, dynamiting and socially exploitive labour practices”.
By contrast, the FAB said “none of that” prevailed in Bermuda, which they described as dominated by “small, purpose-built lobster traps, hand-hauled small bait nets and hook and line by small, owner-operated artisanal boats”.
The association said Britain’s push for 30 per cent protection of its land and seas by 2030 was loosely worded and did not commit to full protection.
The group added: “The wording of these international goals is very intentionally flexible to allow for appropriate levels of protection as determined by local governments and stakeholders.”
The Ministry of Public Works and the Environment, along with the team at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said it had met regularly since 2025 with fishing representatives.
A spokeswoman said a proposed memorandum of understanding “responds to their needs as far as reasonably possible”.
“We have done so because we value Bermuda’s fishers, respect their knowledge and traditions and recognise the important role they play in our economy, culture and food security as stewards of the ocean.
“At the same time, we have a responsibility to the wider public and to all stakeholders who depend on a healthy ocean. Bermuda’s reefs are not only central to marine life and fisheries, they also provide enormous value to the country, with formal research showing their total economic value is estimated at an average of $722 million per year, with a range of $487.7 million to $1.1 billion per year, as of 2010. That value includes tourism ($405m), coastal protection ($266m), recreation ($36.5m) and both commercial and recreational reef-associated fisheries ($4.9m).
“Our aim has always been to find a balanced and practical way forward: one that protects Bermuda’s marine environment for future generations, supports the long-term health of our fisheries and avoids unnecessary disruption to the current fishing community wherever possible. This is why, in 2019, the Government committed to fully-protecting 20 per cent of Bermuda’s waters.”
She said the marine protected areas followed “global science and best practices”, and that the fishing community had more influence in shaping its design than any other group.
“Less than 0.1 per cent of the proposed fully protected areas fall within the waters where shallow-water fishing occurs, as the full 20 per cent is distributed across Bermuda's Exclusive Economic Zone. Within the Bermuda Reef Platform, where fishing takes place, 90.4 per cent remains open and accessible for fishing.”
She said fishing for pelagic species in the deeper waters around the platform and banks remained “100 per cent open”, with 22.1 per cent of the nearshore set aside as fisheries areas.
She added: “Considering the fishing community, the Government of Bermuda set its target at 20 per cent, already 10 per cent below the global standard.
“To reduce this any further puts the entire plan to future-proof our fisheries, and protect our waters for other use, in jeopardy and is the same as doing nothing at all.”
The FAB said marine protected areas “have their place”, citing the example of sanctuaries for black grouper and red hind — but claimed the no-fishing zones did not target specific species.
The association, which has supported bringing recreational fishing licences to Bermuda, said it had been informed during negotiations that the “political will” to introduce licensing would “likely disappear if we don’t sign on to this version of marine spatial planning”.
The statement claimed the Government’s commitment to “a package deal” on conservation had undermined its credibility.
The FAB’s statement added: “Instead of 20 per cent full protection, FAB is advocating for 100 per cent effective management of our marine area and resources. This includes bag and size limits, recreational licensing and a respectful, co-operative working relationship between fishers and managers.”
The group said independent reviews of public responses to the Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme had found the FAB amenable to collaboration.
It added: “Unfortunately, the 20 per cent full protection target has an outsize impact on our industry and perpetuates an adversarial relationship so we cannot support it.”
The group called on MPs and government officials to “take a step back and take a collaborative approach with stakeholders that starts with a shared goal we can all agree on”.
• To read the association statement in full, see Related Media
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