How do you bring fish home from the Bahamas? - The Hull Truth

Bluewater Pilot · 11-11-2009, 03:26 PM

Hey folks,

I'm new to THT, and I've been fishing South Florida my whole life, but I've never been to the Bahamas before. I'm planning a trip (boat crossing) in June, and I'm wondering how you go about getting the fish you caught back through Customs and USFWS after its been filleted and bagged. Any points in the right direction would be awesome; thanks!

Menzies · 11-11-2009, 05:18 PM

Anything we've caught get's eaten over there.

hugot · 11-11-2009, 05:45 PM

on ice

C Skip R · 11-11-2009, 05:49 PM

Not sure about everyone else but we bring it back in the freezer. Not excessive amounts but enough for several meals. Customs could care less about fish. If you get stopped by the marine patrol show them your Bahama clearance papers and tell them your just coming home. More than likely it wouldn't be a problem. If you are carrying a 1000 lbs of fish you should be concerned.

Cousin Eddie · 11-12-2009, 06:22 AM

I brought back some Dorado from Mexico. The Customs agent asked what was in the cooler to which I replied "Dorado". He then asked if it was aliive........ I replied no and that concluded his interest in my fish cooler.

stringle · 11-15-2009, 07:46 AM

Not sure if you can get around the FWC with filets. Is there a way to ship on dry ice or something?

Prop Blast · 11-15-2009, 10:02 AM

The laws in the Bahamas have changed dramatically over the last couple of years regarding how many fish you can keep and EXPORT. They became very restrictive when the new governement came in and have been since been relaxed a bit. Most folks comsume much of the fish they catch while they're there in the Bahamas. Any fish you bring back MUST be whole (head and tail intact).

If you're crossing in a private boat from FL, customs check-in upon your return to the US is pretty easy. For some better info, go the Florida Sportsman forum and post on the Tropical Forum here:

http://forums.floridasportsman.com/f...ical-sportsman

For up to date info on Bahamas' fishing regs; look here:

http://www.bahamas-travel.info/fishi...egulations.htm

PB

edk · 11-15-2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prop Blast

The laws in the Bahamas have changed dramatically over the last couple of years regarding how many fish you can keep and EXPORT. They became very restrictive when the new governement came in and have been since been relaxed a bit. Most folks comsume much of the fish they catch while they're there in the Bahamas. Any fish you bring back MUST be whole (head and tail intact).

If you're crossing in a private boat from FL, customs check-in upon your return to the US is pretty easy. For some better info, go the Florida Sportsman forum and post on the Tropical Forum here:

http://forums.floridasportsman.com/f...ical-sportsman

For up to date info on Bahamas' fishing regs; look here:

http://www.bahamas-travel.info/fishi...egulations.htm

PB

Those Bahamian regulations are the old ones. The current regulations are here:

http://www.bahamas.com/bahamas/regulations-0

USA federal regulations allow snapper and grouper to be brought back from the Bahamas as filets:

http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_20...0cfr622.38.htm
(h) In the South Atlantic EEZ, snapper-grouper lawfully harvested in
Bahamian waters are exempt from the requirement that they be maintained
with head and fins intact, provided valid Bahamian fishing and cruising
permits are on board the vessel and the vessel is in transit through the
South Atlantic EEZ. For the purpose of this paragraph, a vessel is in
transit through the South Atlantic EEZ when it is on a direct and
continuous course through the South Atlantic EEZ and no one aboard the
vessel fishes in the EEZ.

Ed

Prop Blast · 11-16-2009, 03:28 PM

edk,

Thanks for the updated links. I thought there was some relaxation, but couldn't find it.

PB

signmansez · 11-17-2009, 09:39 PM

In my wife's bag!

JakoMako · 11-22-2009, 09:17 PM

Hey you're going to fish and have a good time..it is not a shopping excursion to fill up your freezer!!! IMO if you catch so many fish you have to freeze them to bring them home then you are keeping too many. You sound like the guys who go on the crusie ships and eat till they get sick simply becaues the food is there and what the hell they paid for it!!! Keep what you can eat fresh or within a day, release the rest and have a good time....

r.waddill · 11-23-2009, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JakoMako

Hey you're going to fish and have a good time..it is not a shopping excursion to fill up your freezer!!! IMO if you catch so many fish you have to freeze them to bring them home then you are keeping too many. You sound like the guys who go on the crusie ships and eat till they get sick simply becaues the food is there and what the hell they paid for it!!! Keep what you can eat fresh or within a day, release the rest and have a good time....

How do you figure that. We make several trips across a year and bring back more than we can eat on a trip as long as I am in the legal limits. The rest we freeze and eat during the year. We eat fish from our freezer all the time.

Bluewater Pilot · 12-02-2009, 08:22 AM

Great info! Thanks for the help, especially the links edk.