Bad weather and rough seas hampered fishermen from harvesting more sea eggs during the season which ended on Monday, said two expert divers.
Steven Bourne, who explored South Coast areas such as Gemswick in St Philip, and Paragon, Silver Sands and Atlantic Shores in Christ Church; and Allan Bradshaw, who dived East Coast spots, including Tent Bay, Glenburnie Beach, Congor Bay, Consett Bay and Skeete’s Bay, said yesterday they should have been given an extra week to make up for losses.
A ban on harvesting sea eggs was instituted in 2005 due to extremely low quantities. It was lifted in 2015, and in 2016 from October 1 to 31. After a recent survey revealed the population had grown and the eggs were mature, harvesting was permitted from September 15 to October 14.
Bourne said he managed to go diving only 13 days, adding it was difficult for divers from the South Coast as the no-harvest area, which ran from Kendal Point in Atlantic Shores, to The Chair, south of Ragged Point, St Philip, took up a large slice of their hunting grounds.
“The weather was bad and the rough seas affected a lot of people from making something (money). And South Coast divers had it the worst because they had to drive to Tent Bay, Bathsheba, or Consett Bay to check if the conditions of the sea were good or not,” he said.
“So to accommodate lost time in driving to these destinations and not being able to dive because the sea was rough, I feel the guys should have gotten another week. Plus, in my latter days of diving, I realised there were more roe in the sea eggs than when I began.”
Bradshaw, who said he got to dive only 14 days, called for the Fisheries Division to review the ban on using scuba gear to dive for sea eggs.
“The season was nothing to shout about for me; it was sad that the sea was rough oftentimes,” he said. “Diving without scuba is difficult. It is not easy going up to take a breath and going back down in 20 feet of water constantly. The sea tosses you around and it’s uncomfortable.
“So even though the price of sea egg increased from $60 to $70 per pound, the season should have been extended by seven days because of the water conditions,” Bradshaw said.
Long-time fisherman and diver Victor Skeete lamented: “It was evident that poaching was done in June and July before the ban was lifted. A lot of the sea eggs had in nothing. Some of them were black, meaning they were too old. Maybe we need to consider lifting the ban earlier . . . .”
An official at the Fisheries Division said they were still collecting data from the divers who have until October 31 to send in their reports. (SB)
