I see that on March 6th of this year I had written a lengthy Blog titled – The DIY Debate. In the end I didn’t publish it as I was committed to working in the background with the Bahamian government to help establish legislation that would protect the resource, grow tourism and be beneficial to all stakeholders. It was my belief at the time that appropriate legislation was within reach and I believe that as painful as this process has become, in the end the government will listen to the “cry” and follow its original path. At the very least the Draft document galvanized all unrelated parties into a single voice. Make no mistake, the drafting of the document was heavily influenced by certain parties, with an agenda and opinion completely opposite to my own. How this small voice became so prevalent is a mystery. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, no argument there. And its good to hear all sides before we conclude what is right for us. And God knows I have been wrong before. The annual meeting of The Bahamas Fly Fishing Industry Association is today where the Officers and Directors stand for election. The outcome of this election could be very interesting. The public meeting in Nassau on June 29th is by all reports going to be well attended. The results of that meeting could be very interesting. I want to bring your attention to a voice that is “screaming” out there and can be heard throughout the flats. Nevin “Pinky” Knowles is the owner of the Long Island Bonefishing Lodge and is not mincing any words. He seems to be saying, what we are all thinking. I would encourage you to read his interview in the Nassau Guardian, then follow his posts on line. He is the only one I know of who is naming names. Make no mistake, he is a very good friend of mine, so my views are completely jaundiced. In the end, it is my hope and belief that the “discussion” taking place has cleared the air, identified which parties stand on what side of each argument and will result in legislation that enhances the Bahamian economy. What do I think will be in the next “Draft”? Non-Bahamian lodge owners will not be singled out. There will not be a distinction between who owns lodges. The Mother Ship issue will be more clearly identified and dealt with. The word Permit will be gone and replaced with the term Fishing License. Fishing Licenses will be issued as 1, 3, 7 day or annual licenses. The license fee will be reasonable with an annual license being affordable. The license will be accessible to all with relative ease, even though the on-line system will be sometime in the making. The Fishing License will be good throughout the Bahamas with no restrictions. The term “Grantor” will be replaced with the term “Issuer”. The Issuer will be solely the Bahamian Government, no other parties have rights to the issuing. There will not be restrictions accompanying issuing of the license. Time will tell. But isn’t it nice to see the community of bone-fishers come together. There is a real passion amongst us, which I suppose has always been there, but rides beneath the surface and emerges with fury when somebody “Pokes The Bear.” I am simply a visitor to a magical land, and as such know my place. My book, magazine and Blog world started simply so I could share with others the wonder and peace I have found while fishing in warm shallow water. There is no ulterior motive for me other than the reward of the occasional email I get which says ” I now understand why you love fishing the flats.”
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