Two Dominican fishing vessels loaded down with seemingly endless bags and bags of illegally caught fish and lobster were intercepted by Defence Force officers who apprehended 83 Dominican poachers on Thursday morning off Diamond Point, Great Bahama Bank.
Judging by the rooms brimming with big bags of seafood, one wonders if the Dominicans left any marine life in Bahamian waters.
The bags were too many to count and were in huge heaps from floor to ceiling on the fishing vessels “El Ship” and “Angel Gabriel.”
The confiscated vessels were brought into the Royal Bahamas Defence Force Coral Harbour Base on Friday afternoon.
Defence Force officers also discovered at least six Yamaha engines, 20 Walkie talkies and fishing apparatus onboard the vessels.
Acting on information received from the US Coast Guard, RBDF patrol craft HMBS Lignum Vitae, under the command of Lieutenant James Cox, intercepted the Dominican fishing vessels “El Ship” and “Angel Gabriel”, which were subsequently boarded and searched.
The Dominican fishermen were cautioned, arrested and taken into custody for possession of an undetermined amount of fishery products.
The crew members will be turned over to authorities for further questioning.