The Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Water Resource Management is urging fishermen to stop catching juvenile dolphins.
Chief Fisheries Officer, Stephen Willoughby, said that the juvenile dolphins were often ???sheltering and feeding in the large drifts of the floating sargassum seaweed that are currently inundating our coast???.
He added that the capture of any species before it had the opportunity to grow and reproduce, could impact negatively on the ???succeeding generation of the population???.
???No matter what is the case, fishing these juveniles now will result in fewer adults being available for the coming season, thus a less bountiful catch. Furthermore, this may impair the stock???s ability to replenish itself in years to come,??? Mr. Willoughby stated.
The Chief Fisheries Officer is also urging the public not to purchase the juvenile dolphins.
aisha.reid@barbados.gov.bb