Anguilla 
Antigua and Barbuda 
Grenada 
Bahamas 
Barbados 
Belize 
Dominica 
Guyana 
Haiti 
Jamaica 
Montserrat 
St. Kitts and Nevis 
St. Lucia 
St. Vincent and the Grenadines 
Suriname 
Trinidad and Tobago 
Turks and Caicos 
National Report on the Status of Fisheries and Aquaculture in THE BAHAMAS
INTRODUCTION
The Commonwealth of The Bahamas demography and economy The Commonwealth of The Bahamas is an archipelago of roughly 3,000 small islands and cays with a land area of about 13,935 km2. It has a total continental shelf area of approximately 116,550 km2. The islands and cays are spread over an area of some 230,000 km2 and are located on 16 plateaus separated from each other and from Florida, Cuba and Hispaniola by depths of 350 – 3600 meters. The archipelago comprises 700 islands and 2,400 cays, of which 29 are inhabited (referred to as Family Islands)...
The economic development of The Bahamas is largely driven by its tourism and finance sectors, which contribute respectively 10 and 11% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). (BNSI, 2016b). The fisheries sector plays an important role with respect to foreign currency earnings, assisting the country to meet its food security needs, employment and social well-being. Its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ranges between 1-2% annually, according to data compiled by the Department of Marine Resources. However, preliminary findings from a study conducted by BNSI estimated that the fisheries sector accounts for 20% of the country’s GDP considering the entire value chain including commercial and recreational fishing, fisheries processing, exports, sports fishing and supply for the local market.
HOW TO CITE: Department of Marine Resources, The Bahamas, 2026. National Report on the Status of Fisheries and Aquaculture in The Bahamas. Contribution 10.3, p 23-28 IN CRFM, 2026. Volume II: National Reports on the Status of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Papers presented at the CRFM 20th Anniversary Scientific Conference, 28-31 August 2023. CRFM Special Publication No. 37, CRFM Secretariat https://www.crfm.int/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=957
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