The Bahamas - The Bimini Sands Resort & Marina was the first in all of the Bahamas to join this campaign and since then Old Bahama Bay, West End has also joined. Old Bahama Bay's commitment is very significant because they are the customs clearance point for liveaboards offering Tiger Beach diving expeditions. The Bahamas is home to some of the most amazing shark diving in the world and does amazing things for people and the economy. Grand Bahama and Bimini should be very proud, as pioneers for the nation.

Enclosed is a VIDEO on the Bimini campaign, and a report by Jillian Morris who along with Duncan Brake are regional reps for the Shark Free Marina Initiative. This campaign is designed to restrict the landing of sharks in marinas as well as fishing for them within the marina.

Staff at Old Bahama Bay Left to Right: Luther Ferguson, Marina Supervisor; Jackie Carroll, General Manager; Sharon Whymms, Marina Attendant; Nathan Moody, Director of Operations.

Each year it is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed globally. Finning, overfishing and bycatch are the primary culprits in the decimation of these amazing creatures. Around the world sharks are revered as a prize game fish, sending fisherman on Captain Ahab like excursions, in search of their own claim to fame.  A man standing next to a massive shark strung up on the dock has become the iconic symbol of shark fishing. Jaws are cut out to take home as a memento of the epic battle between man and beast.  Conservation groups across the globe are working on different projects to protect sharks, educate the world about them and to stop the needless and wasteful killing.  

The Shark Free Marina initiative is dedicated to reducing shark mortalities through decreasing the amount of sharks killed for sport. Marinas that sign on make a commitment to prohibit the landing of any shark for any reason within their facility. This means people cannot process the meat, cut out its jaws or bring it in for photographs. There is also no shark fishing allowed within the marina. The goal is to encourage catch and release of these creatures if people insist on catching them at all. Signs are posted around the marina and information pamphlets are made available to visitors.  

The program is designed not only to encourage catch and release fishing, but also to teach fisherman proper techniques for doing so.  The capture of a shark is stressful on the animal and if not handled properly, though released, often the shark still dies. If done correctly this style of fishing has the capacity to provide a large quantity of valuable data about these animals. There are far more fisherman on the water than researchers could ever be and it makes sense to use this as an effective method of data collection. Fisherman can tag the animal; take measurements, GPS readings, photos and even DNA samples. Increasing the number of sharks that are tagged enhances the pool of data, which in turn strengthens the fight to save these animals and our oceans.  

This campaign is unique in its work platform, and is spreading rapidly across the globe. Marinas from the Bahamas to Fiji have made the promise to be Shark Free. The Bimini Sands Resort and Marina took a bold step and was the first in the Bahamas to join the campaign. Duncan Brake (Oceanicallstars) and I got involved because we felt this could be a very powerful example for both the United States and the Bahamas. Big game fishing is as deeply rooted in Bimini’s culture as Hemingway and rum. Weekend warriors show up with the hopes of the landing the big one and stringing it on the dock for all to see.  The owner of the Sands felt that it was important and necessary to protect the natural resources of this very small island, in an effort to preserve the aspects of Bimini that make it special.  The majority of people do not want to see a bloody animal carcass strewed all over the dock. Marina and resort owners are realizing that this type of activity it is not only bad for the environment, but also bad for business.

In tough economic times many businesses are hesitant to turn away customers, but they also realize that conservation is necessary for future survival. On September 10, 2009 Old Bahama Bay Marina, on the West End of Grand Bahama, became the first on the island to join the campaign. This marina is the customs clearing point for all liveaboards that visit Tiger Beach, a world famous shark dive location. Old Bahama Bay is also one of the busiest marinas in the Bahamas. Director of operations Nathan Moody played an integral role in lobbying for the commitment, feeling that it is necessary for the company to do their part in protecting such a valuable resource. General manager Jackie Carroll, Transportation Director Luther Ferguson and dock attendant Sharon Whymms joined Nathan for the hanging of two signs.  Old Bahamas Bay’s participation will set a strong and powerful example for other marinas within the Bahamas and marks a huge success for the campaign.