VOLUME 14, NUMBER 11, JUNE 1st, 2006 N. Abaco Team Wins National Championship Elvis McIntosh Construction Basketball Team Is Tops By Portia Jonsson The Elvis McIntosh Construction Basket- ball Team from North Abaco clenched the Bahamas Basketball Federation Champion- ship after playing seven games in four days held at the Ocean View Park in Dundas Town. On May 5th the first round was played in Nassau against Harbour Island with Elvis McIntosh Construction Basketball Team winning with a score of 83–43. The follow- ing day the team played three games against Cat Island, Nassau’s Police Crime-stoppers and Grand Bahama and won them all with scores of 85-60, 80-74 and 85-82 respec- tively. The team lost its one and only game to Nassau on May 12th at the Ocean View Park with a score of 79-74. The teams returned to Abaco to decide the winner and play the best of three games. Mr. Cay Mills, Presi- dent of the Abaco Basketball Association, attributes the loss of the game to a power failure for two and a half hours, which he believes took the momentum away from his players. This loss meant the Elvis McIntosh Construction Team had to win the remain- ing two games for the title. They came back and did just this, winning the last two with The Elvis McIntosh Construction Basketball Team shows off the trophies they won after playing teams from Nassau, Grand Bahama and Cat Island. The final games were played in Dundas Town, giving this team the National Chamipionship. Please see Championship Page 29 Bluff Point Drew a Crowd Min. Leslie Miller Discusses to Remember the Past Fishing Regulations About 300 persons were ferried to Bluff Point on the south side of Abaco to see the area where their forefathers lived. The hurricane of 1932 was very destructive and The Hon. Leslie Miller, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, held meetings in Central government moved them several years later to their current location in Murphy Town. Abaco and North Abaco to discuss proposed changes to fishing regulations. He is The landing for getting to Bluff Point is just south of Sand Banks near Treasure Cay. shown here with Mr. Randy Sawyer, a fisherman from Green Turtle Cay. See story on Children enjoyed the water while the adults explored the area, finding wells, remnants page 2 of walls and the location of the church. Food typical of the fare from the old days was offered, cooked on location by Murphy Town ladies. Renew your subscription before the expiration date shown in the label below. By Mirella Santillo to Bluff Point, the site of their community It was a beautiful, sunny and cool Sat- until hurricane damage caused the govern- The Abaconian PRST STD 9945 NW 88th Ave US POSTAGE urday morning, and many people were ment to move them to their current loca- Medley, FL 33178 PAID flocking to the landing near Treasure Cay tion in Central Abaco. Forward and Address Correction Permit #2438 to wait for boats that were to take them As early as 7:30 on May 20, a private MIAMI FL 331 back to the place where their ancestors bus and many cars were already parked had come from. They were all residents of Murphy Town and they were all going Please see Bluff Point Page 4 Page 2 The Abaconian June 1, 2006 Fishermen Want Restrictions and Enforcement Two public meetings were held on May foreigners be reduced from 20 pounds of solve the problem of undue competition by would become effective, Mr. Miller said 10 and 11 in Marsh Harbour and Treasure demersal fish (snapper, grouper and grunts foreigners for the diminishing stocks of on June first, 2006. There have been no Cay respectively for dialog between fisher- when in season) per person per day to 20 crawfish. public notices on this subject up to this time. men and the Minister of Agriculture and pounds of fish per boat. The allowed limit for conch by foreign- Fishermen asked why they cannot be Fisheries, the Hon. Leslie Miller. Accom- It is proposed to reduce the number of ers may be reduced to three per boat from protected against imported fish products panied by several of his staff, Mr. Gifford crawfish from six per person per day to six the present six per person. Furthermore, a when fish are plentiful similar to the way Lloyd and Ms. Chavon Dean, he read a list per boat per day. It was further suggested two-month closed season may be imposed vegetable and poultry farmers are protected of proposed changes to the fisheries rules that foreigners be prohibited from taking on conch during their egg laying season against imports when local supplies are and asked for comments. crawfish from the man-made condos the which was said to be in August and Sep- ample. Mr. Miller announced that two additional fishermen place in the water. The fisher- tember. Mr. Miller thought that was a reason- patrol boats will be assigned to Abaco’s fish- men wanted the visitors’ crawfishing efforts The harvesting of undersize conch by able request and promised to look into it. eries officers. These will augment the three to be limited to the reef and other natural Bahamians and foreigners is an ongoing The fishermen alternately praised, then boats now assigned to Abaco. The fisher- habitats. Fishing at a man-made condo problem and more enforcement will be di- condemned the local fisheries officers. ies officers are responsible for the marine would constitute commercial fishing which rected to this problem. Some felt they were doing a good job un- resources from Walker’s Cay in the north is a prohibited activity for foreigners. Mr. Miller announced that the ban on der difficult circumstances as the fishermen to Moore’s Island on the southwest side of Fishermen urged the Minister to delay Nassau grouper will be extended from the are their neighbors and relatives, and the Abaco and the approximate 150 miles of opening the crawfishing season to foreign- present two months to four months. officers must apply the enforcement evenly water in between. ers for a month after it opens for Bahami- A review is underway on the practice of to all. Others felt the enforcement was bi- Many of the proposed changes will re- ans. This would let Bahamian fishermen issuing licenses to foreign boats to charter ased and unfair. duce the daily or bag limit of fish allowed harvest from the condos without competi- in the Bahamas to the detriment of local There was some feeling that enforcement by foreigners. The fishermen were very tion. However, it was thought that reduc- fishermen. Apparently, there are foreign broke down in the court system with viola- vocal in supporting these changes. ing the quantity allowed foreigners and re- mother boats that come into Bahamian wa- tors, both local and foreign, often being Fisheries is proposing that the limit on stricting them to fish only on the reef may ters with a fleet of flat-bottom skiffs. They sentenced with inconsequential fines. The establish themselves in obscure locations fishermen wanted the boats of violators and take their clients bonefishing. Guiding confiscated. visitors to catch bonefish is reserved for Mr. Miller thanked the fishermen for Bahamians only. their input and promised that they would When asked when these new regulations hear further from the Fisheries Department. NIPPERS BEACH BAR & GRILL on Guana Cay Serving Lunch & Dinner Pig Roast The Hon. Leslie Miller, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, heard many complaints from Abaco fishermen. 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