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Caribbean Currents Newsletter

Combating Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing in The Bahamas

The Bahamas Government created the Marine Action Partnership (MAP), a multiagency initiative to support improved marine law enforcement and compliance

March 09, 2026

Participants at a press conference stand on stage for a photo opportunity.
Press Conference A look at the press conference to announce the successful interdiction of illegal foreign fishing. © Natalie Maioulis/TNC

The Bahamas faces threats to sustainability due to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. In response, The Bahamas Government created the Marine Action Partnership (MAP), a multiagency initiative to support improved marine law enforcement and compliance to combat IUU fishing.

MAP activities align with needs identified in the agency’s enforcement assessment and outlined in the MAP Five-year Action Plan. The plan focuses on five key areas for marine improvement: community engagement, training and mentorship, consistent funding, policies and consequences, and surveillance and enforcement. Members of the MAP include The Bahamas Department of Marine Enforcement, The Department of Immigration, The Royal Bahamas Police Force, The Bahamas Customs and Excise Department, The Bahamas National Trust, The Nature Conservancy and WildAid Marine in partnership with local communities and associations.

A close up of a Nassau grouper in a reef.
Nassau grouper, The Bahamas Species like the Nassau grouper are important members of a reef ecosystem, but unlawful fishermen prize the fish for meat. © Jeff Yonover
A flying fish caught in a net has died.
Stuck in a net A flying fish caught in a driftnet in the open ocean. © Shane Gross
Nassau grouper, The Bahamas Species like the Nassau grouper are important members of a reef ecosystem, but unlawful fishermen prize the fish for meat. © Jeff Yonover
Stuck in a net A flying fish caught in a driftnet in the open ocean. © Shane Gross

Through efforts of MAP, marine law enforcement agencies have led the successful interdiction of two foreign illegal fishing and charter cases recently. This success is due to the multiagency effort to improve marine enforcement in The Bahamas. The interdictions not only help drive compliance for fisheries regulations but also serve as training opportunities for marine law enforcement officers in apprehension and investigative techniques.

Paul Maillis, secretary for the National Fisheries Association of the Bahamas, stated that “fishers are overjoyed because it (interdiction cases) means the country’s fisheries laws are being enforced in full effect.”

At a press conference held on January 15, 2026, to announce a third successful interdiction case, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Hon Jomo Campbell stated his commitment to improved marine enforcement and support of the MAP.

The Nature Conservancy will continue to serve as facilitator of the MAP and advocate for increased support and funding for improved marine enforcement in The Bahamas.