Fishing masters who received fishing licenses for 2020 and 2021 and have not yet submitted their catch logbooks or datasheets to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries are being urged to do so as soon as possible.
This was the message relayed in a government commissioned media release on Thursday October 15, which appealed to masters who operate commercial, pleasure or sport fishers to get their documentation into the ministry immediately.
Director in the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Theodore James said, “Fisheries data is required for proper stock assessment and assists with the management of our fisheries. Data should be recorded every time your vessel goes out to fish and submitted weekly or monthly. The lack of reporting fish catch data is one of many ways fishing licences can be suspended or denied.”
Quoting Section 9(h) of the Fisheries Regulations, 2003, he added, “the master shall provide information as soon as is reasonably practicable and, in any case, not later than seven days on the fishing operations carried out by the vessel outside the fishery waters, which information shall be given in such form and at such times as the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries may require.”
Datasheets can be collected on Sister Islands at the office of the District Officer, Fishermen’s Cooperatives, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and can be downloaded from www.bvi.gov.vg/doaf. All data can be submitted electronically via email at fisheries@gov.vg or hand-delivered at the department.
For any information regarding fisheries data and the management of fisheries, contact the Department at 468-6123/6124.