Call for the public to help preserve restricted shipwreck zone

From The Royal Gazette Online

A concerned resident who claims he saw two men fishing near the Vixen shipwreck is calling on the public to preserve the protected area.

The man, who asked not to be named, said he was on a tour boat around 7pm when he saw locals catching fish in the restricted zone.

He told The Royal Gazette the tour boat’s captain urged the men to stop, but he said the pair ignored the captain and continued fishing.

“The captain tried to call Harbour Radio. In the meantime I called my friend who is an Inspector.”

The man was informed that Marine Police were off-duty and advised to contact them the following day with pictures.

“I am not trying to get the guys [fishing] prosecuted, I just want to stop the guys from fishing. There was a lot of fish there, but if people continue to fish there will not be anything for the tourists to see.”

The man said he was concerned that there seemed to be no police on duty to monitor the Island’s waters that night.

He was also concerned there was no visible sign at the site reminding the public of the laws for protected areas.

A Police spokesman said the Department of Environmental Protection had primary jurisdiction for such an offence.

“The Bermuda Police Service has no record of a phone call on that day regarding an incident in the waters near the HMS Vixen,” he said.

“We would advise anyone reporting an incident, marine or otherwise, to contact the main police number 295-001, or in an emergency, 911 so that an official report can be logged and an appropriate response dispatched if necessary.”

He added that the Police Marine Unit does work on the weekends and that they would be supported by personnel from the Bermuda Regiment in the summer.

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