WEST END, Grand Bahama -- The community of West End, Grand Bahama will be hosting its 3rd Annual Snapper Tournament & Festival on Saturday, June 22nd, 2013 from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m., under the theme “ Celebrating the Fishing Legacy of a Community Over Forty-years ”.

West End’s rich history has attracted boaters and sailors from around the world. World record big game tuna and blue marlin have been caught offshore and as well attracted notorious bootleggers when rum running was flourishing during prohibition. We also boast some of the best bone-fishing grounds found anywhere in The Bahamas. Our community once thrived with a fish cannery and sponging factory during the early 1900’s.

We are anticipating fishing teams both national and international fishermen to grace the shores of West End at the break of dawn to engage in a fun filled day on the seas, vying for the largest fish caught, largest poundage of snappers, and the most fish by pounds. To earn the right to carry home the floating trophy teams will have to unseat the popular fishermen from Triple Play Sports Bar that has held onto the trophy for the past two years.

The event is promising to be an exciting one for both participants and attendees as fishermen and enthusiasts take to the seas for a day of fierce competition to win prizes and to earn bragging rights from the heels of last year’s tournament.

During the 2012 festival, while the adults competed in the open waters, young aspiring fishermen were competing from land.  The festivities continued at the Community Park with egg and spoon races for adults and children, three legged race, a fish scaling competition, a fish seasoning demonstration and tasting, plaiting of the may pole, and a first for the settlement, a peas and rice eating competition with wonderful pulsating sounds of cultural music.  This year will be no less stimulating with a full range of activities and entertainment.

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The names sounded like the star-studded marquis of marine scientists, but the celebrities of maritime conservation weren't fishing for attention, they arrived in Nassau June 10 for day-long intense workshop sessions aimed at creating a plan to save the declining grouper population in The Bahamas.  

The National Nassau Grouper Conservation Strategy Meeting was spearheaded by the Bahamas National Trust and sponsored by The Moore Bahamas Foundation, an affiliate of Louis Bacon's Moore Charitable Foundation. For nearly eight hours today, local experts and scientists and conservationists from as far away as Cayman and New York participated in presentations on the status of the grouper population, experience from the Cayman Islands, priority research needs and an overview of current local regulations and management. Those presentations led to discussions of future efforts, including education and the development of a 5-year strategic plan for management.  

According to Bahamas National Trust spokesman Lynn Gape, the gathering made possible by The Moore Bahamas Foundation could make a real difference in the survival of the fish that has earned its place on the podium of culinary arts in The Bahamas, sharing its stature with conch and crawfish.  

"We are very excited about these strategic meetings," said Ms. Gape. "The Bahamas is fortunate to still have grouper and conch populations that with care and planning will be able to continue to be harvested sustainably. The research needed on which to base management decisions is crucial to this sustainability. The opportunity to bring together committed conservation professionals and scientists and advocates like Craig Dahlgren and Guy Harvey is an amazing opportunity for The Bahamas. Bahamas' young conservation professionals like Krista Sherman, Lindy Knowles and Vanessa Haley-Benjamin will be our future leaders in marine conservation and will have valuable input for these meetings as partners in current research and drivers of future research."  

The Moore Bahamas Foundation sponsored the event in part because of the commitment to saving the species and partly because of the opportunity it created for young environmentalists.

FREEPORT, Bahamas – “You are entering an industry that is vibrant, active and growing despite a global recession,” said Ian Fair, Chairman, The Grand Bahama Authority, Limited (GBPA).  Addressing the largest group of Maritime Cadet Corps to graduate on Grand Bahama to date, Fair further added, “Unlike many fields that are downsizing, the maritime sector offers so many different job careers for you to choose from.”  

The Bahamas Maritime Cadet Corps (BMCC) was formed in 2004 and spread to Grand Bahama in March 2009. The programme affords secondary education students with an opportunity to receive skills training in various areas of the maritime industry.  

Speaking to this year’s 39 successful graduates, Fair commended them for their perseverance.  “Over the course of your studies, you could have fallen victim to any numerous distractions.  However, despite current social trends and negative influences which permeate our society, like true seafarers, each of you have ‘stayed the course’.  My advice to you is to never stop learning; it should be a lifetime of commitment.”  

Drawing on his experience as a past Chairman of The Bahamas Maritime Authority, he described the maritime industry as one of the three most important cornerstones of our country’s future development.  “Over 90% of the world’s trade goes by ship and we have an ever increasing amount of global trade and interaction between countries which is unlikely to change in the next hundred years,” stated Fair.  

“The international shipping industry, which is only one component of the maritime sector, employs some 1.25million seafarers worldwide.  As the world’s 5th largest shipping registry, thousands of these persons are attached to vessels that sail under the Bahamian flag.” 

NASSAU, Bahamas -- The country’s leading road marking company, Bahamas Striping, celebrated the groundbreaking of its new headquarters and manufacturing plant last Thursday on land leased from the Bahamas Agricultural & Industrial Corporation.  

The project, representing a $400,000 investment, is located in the industrial park near Abundant Life Road and will house offices, storage, training facilities and a manufacturing plant for concrete products such as parking lot wheel stops.  

Keynote speaker at the event, the Hon. Ryan Pinder, MP and Minister of Financial Services said he was proud of Bahamas Striping for its determination to succeed and for being concerned about the plight of young unemployed Bahamians.  

Also attending was the Hon. Renardo Curry, Parliamentary Secretary for Abaco and MP for North Abaco, where Atario Mitchell lived as a child and grew up.  Curry said he was proud that a young Abaconian could have achieved so much in such a short time.  

Don Major, Deputy General Manager of BAIC welcomed Bahamas Striping into its park as a great example of what Bahamians can achieve. The manufacturing plant will provide opportunities for many young men to have jobs and trained in manufacturing skills.