Conservation officials are discouraging residents from catching “crop fish,” such as hardnose, crevalle and mackerel, weighing less than half a pound.
The Conservation and Fisheries Department this week has responded to reports from communities around Tortola about the sale of “‘baby or ‘little’ fish,” according to Government Information Services.
“The department has since responded to those reports and [has] asked the fishermen to refrain from the catching and selling of the crop fish and from the use of small nets to harvest fish,” a GIS press release said.
The Fisheries Regulations 2003 prohibit the use of nets with mesh smaller than 2.5 inches. “It has been noted, however, that some persons are using a half-inch mesh for fishing,” the press release said. “This captures the crop fish in the net and gives them no chance to escape.”