At the beginning of March, several residents of Saint-Martin denounced on social networks fishing activities for coulirous / Jack-Fish with purse seine from the beach of Orient Bay, which they considered illegal.
If fishing is legal in Orient Bay because the area is not located in the Nature Reserve, the area in which the nets were deployed corresponding to that of swimming.
Purse seine fishing is a traditional method in the West Indies and makes it possible to catch coulirous and is authorized in Saint-Martin. According to maritime affairs, only one professional practices it locally.
According to a 2002 decree, "are authorized to fish as master seiner, sea fishermen who own a seine and can justify 200 days of boarding at least during the previous year". However, the fishermen who were in the Orient Bay, were not a priori not professionals of the area. In any case, the fishermen's association of Saint-Martin, which brings together the fourteen professional fishermen from the French side, confirms that it is not one of its members.
In addition, one of the ships flew the Anguillan flag, and the second a priori did not fly any. Except according to the 1967 decree, extending the fishing area prohibited to foreign vessels, it is prohibited for a foreign vessel to fish in French territorial waters. The first vessel was therefore clearly in breach. Ditto for the second who also had no registration. According to our sources, no prosecution has been initiated. (More details on www.soualigapost.com).
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