October 21, 2022
How great is science? We have new ways to protect our environment and nothing is more important to small island states than our fisheries and marine life. It is all we have at times.
Thanks to new conservation techniques we can save more of our natural resources, as we have read with the Bahamian stone crab conservation methods.
How this study can be translated to the grouper and conch and lobster would be more than valuable. This is an appropriate use of our marine resources, for study and learning so we can share it with the world.
We never once thought that crab biters grow back. We thought that once they are gone, they are gone. But they do and we thank the researches from the Island School in Eleuthera for showing that to us.
Now if they can only show us how we can preserve grouper and lobster supplies, the marine life of the highest importance to most of us.
We understand crabs are a bit different than lobsters and groupers, but the approach should be taken into consideration. For example, researchers used the fishermen as a part of the study, showing them new harvesting techniques and allowing them to use their knowledge of the crab patterns.
Surely we can learn from those at the bottom of the pyramid that can be helpful to the ecosystem.
Our marine environment must be taken care of. We don’t want what happened to the Alaskan snow crab to happen to us. Don’t say it can’t happen, because I would say to you over the last three years we have seen the impossible happen. It can happen and we shouldn’t have to wait until the situation is at death’s door before we begin to research these matters and learn more. We should always learn more.