Fishery activity in the area and at Bath specifically
Working Towards a Code for Sustainable Fisheries with the Conset Bay Fishing Community in Barbados
Katherine Blackman
et al., 2013 Paper for : 66th Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute ConferenceAt: Corpus Christi, Texas USA. Includes a description of the Fisheries Characteristics of the Conset Bay Fishing Community: n extract: ” Fisheries Characteristics of the Conset Bay Fishing Community Fisheries have been fundamental to the close-knit fishing community of Conset Bay for generations, forming part of the rich cultural maritime heritage that exists in the area. Conset Bay lies within the parish of St. John and within the southern boundary of proposed Barbados’ National Park (Figure 1). It is one of the only three primary landing sites on the east coast of the island whereby the landing of fish, boat-building, vessel haul-up (especially in hurricane season), repairing, and maintenance of vessels are among the many activities that occur within the area (CERMES 2012b). Conset Bay is also one of the few areas with a protected bay supporting mariculture, particularly for sea moss farming (Mahon 1999).
Regeneration and Vegetative Propagation of the Agarophyte Gracilaria debilis (FORSSKÅL) BØRGESEN (Rhodophyceae)
M.E. Goldsten 1973. in Botanica Marina. About Gracilaria debilis and its potential as a mariculture-grown agarophyte. Cites hand harvesting and marketing locally for preparation of seamoss jelly and seamoss tea. “In Barbados, small populations are most evident on the east coast where they are exposed to moderate to heavy wave action. Continuously submerged plants are generally bushy, reddish borwn to purple and reach a height of 20 cm or more. Plants intermittently exposed [as at Bath] are more sparsely branched, straw coloured and do not exceed 15 cm in height. All plants have a smooth cartaligenous texture and are attached to rocks by a discoid holdfast which may give rise to numerous erect branches.” Plants were collected from River Bay, Waits Bay and Bath on the east coast.
Mariculture of seamoss in Barbados
St Hill, C.A.1986 in AGRIS – International System for Agricultural Science and Technology
“The feasibility of restoring Gracilaria debilis as a commercial enterprise in Barbados was determined by experiments in tanks, and on stakes and rafts at sea. Overharvesting, water degradation and low growth rate have depleted wild stocks. Culture will be possible on rafts at Bath (east coast) and off the South point as poor water quality, wave action and the topography of coasts deter farming in other sections of the coast. Best culture method is by vegetative propagation on polypropylene ropes (0.50cm, 1.00cm) at depths of 10.0cm – 70cm at sea. Mean specific growth rates at Bath were 1 – 2 percent/day. With cropping time of 57 days yields were about 10,273 Kg dry seaweed/ha/yr. Expected profits from a 0.05 ha farm are $9,600 BDS/yr. Plant growth was positively affected by nitrification and light intensity, and adversely affected by water turbidity”
The little-known conch (Strombus gigas) fishery of Barbados
HA Oxenford, A Fields, C Taylor, D Catlyn – 2008 – aquadocs.org Bath is cited as a conch fishing ground.
Synthesis of the biology, fisheries and management of the White Sea Urchin, Tripneustes ventricosus, in the Caribbean.
Pena et al., 2008 in Proceedings of the 61st Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute November 10 – 14, 2008 Gosier, Guadeloupe, French West Indies “Sea eggs are distributed all around Barbados, but occur in greatest densities on the north, southeast, and east coasts (Vermeer et al. 1994, Parker In prep., Mahon and Parker 1999). The main landing sites are therefore on these coasts and include Oistin’s, Silver Sands, Conset, Crane, Foul Bay, Long Bay, Martin’s Bay, Sam Lord’s, Skeete’s Bay, Tent Bay and Bath. Stroud Bay on the northwest coast is also used. With a few exceptions, such as Maycocks Bay and Brighton, sea eggs have always been rare along the west coast. This is probably due to the presence of the well developed coral reef system along this coast (Parker In prep., Mahon and Parker 1999).”