{"id":243,"date":"2017-02-06T15:10:38","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T15:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bahamastradeinfo.gov.bs\/buy\/?page_id=243"},"modified":"2017-02-17T19:48:08","modified_gmt":"2017-02-17T19:48:08","slug":"seafood","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bahamastradeinfo.gov.bs\/buy\/key-products\/seafood\/","title":{"rendered":"Seafood"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Seafood<\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”INTRO Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” text_font_size=”17″ module_id=”intro-text”]<\/p>\n

Bahamian Seafood: Premium by Nature<\/h2>\n

The beauty of the Bahamas is clearly reflected in the beauty of the seafood. Conch and spiny lobster are just some of the products that can be considered among the best in the world. As an archipelago, it is no wonder that\u00a0fishery is a vital industry in The Bahamas where thousands of Bahamians earn a living. Due to the almost artisanal nature of the fishing industry, exports in this sector account for only about 1% of GDP, but the potential for growth in a sustainable way is enormous.<\/p>\n

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Main products and markets<\/h2>\n

\"bahamas<\/a>The industry mainly centers on the spiny lobster aka crawfish.\u00a0 It also includes snappers, conch, stone crab, the Nassau grouper, and other grouper species. The major export markets for Bahamian fresh, chilled, and frozen seafood are North America, Europe, and Asia having received over twelve thousand (12,000) tonnes of product in 2015 valued at an estimated $70 million dollars.<\/p>\n

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The fleet<\/h2>\n

\"fishery<\/a>Only commercial fishing vessels that are 100% Bahamian owned are allowed to fish within the country\u2019s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).\u00a0 Fishing by foreign commercial fishing vessels is strictly prohibited.\u00a0 The Bahamas\u2019 EEZ covers 654, 719 km2<\/sup> with a continental shelf area of 116,550 km2<\/sup>.\u00a0 As a result of the EEZ over 9,000 local fisherman work in the industry.\u00a0 The vast majority of the fishing vessels employed are dinghies measuring 17 to 20 feet in length with very few large vessels over 20 feet.\u00a0 Longliners and compressors are banned which account for the absence of industrial fishing vessels.<\/p>\n

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Food safety and sustainability standards<\/h2>\n

Processing plants have HACCP programs in place, have achieved the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety and are continuously working toward obtaining further international standards.<\/p>\n

Industry participants are also pursuing certification from Marine Stewardship Council in sustainability and sustainable practices.\u00a0 The fishery industry is further supported by the Bahamas Commercial Fishers Alliance (BCFA), Bahamas Marine Exporters Association (BMEA), the Department of Marine Resources<\/a> (DMR), The Bahamas National Trust<\/a>, and The Nature Conservancy<\/a> (TNC) who are working to assist in achieving long-term sustainable solutions for the industry.<\/p>\n

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Key facts<\/h2>\n