Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Bahaman coral reefs have been on a steady decline since the 1900s, following the arrival of Europeans to the islands. Conditions have only worsened since, with the primary cause being overfishing. Overfishing depletes fish stocks and denies corals the interaction with functional groups that are necessary for their health. Without a strong herbivorous contingent of fish, reefs have slid into a macro algal trophic level that is difficult to reverse. This study focuses on the extent of overfishing of reef species by foreign boats in the Bahamas. It also considers contribution foreign boaters make to the local economy and their willingness to pay for conservation measures. With estimates of the amount of seafood recreational boaters and local commercial fishermen catch, a comparison is made about their relative contribution to the overfishing problem. A determination of boater’s spending provides an estimate of their contribution to the local economy. The willingness to pay for reef conservation and moorings indicates whether more money can be extracted for marine conservation projects. The study was conducted in the Exumas, a group of out islands southeast of Nassau that are representative of the reef degradation and development found throughout the Bahamas.