122 
Fishery Bulletin 114(1) 
Table 3 
Fisheries sectors and associated ranges of uncertainty for reconstruction of catches in The Bahamas for 
3 time periods. We divided catch into 3 sectors: 1) commercial fisheries, which was further subdivided 
into the artisanal fishery and the large-scale fishery for Caribbean spiny lobster ( Panulirus argus), 2) 
the recreational fishery, defined as small-scale noncommercial fishing that is primarily for recreation 
and in which catch is not sold or bartered and, 3) subsistence fishery, defined as small-scale noncom- 
mercial fishing in which catch does not enter the formal market but is taken home and consumed by 
fishermen and their families or is locally bartered. 
Uncertainty range 
Sector 
Years 
Score 
-% 
+% 
Artisanal 
1950-1969 
3 
20 
30 
Artisanal 
1970-1989 
4 
10 
20 
Artisanal 
1990-2010 
4 
10 
20 
Large-scale Caribbean spiny lobster 
1950-1969 
2 
30 
50 
Large-scale Caribbean spiny lobster 
1970-1989 
4 
10 
20 
Large-scale Caribbean spiny lobster 
1990-2010 
4 
10 
20 
Recreational 
1950-1969 
1 
50 
90 
Recreational 
1970-1989 
2 
30 
50 
Recreational 
1990-2010 
3 
20 
30 
Subsistence 
1950-1969 
1 
50 
90 
Subsistence 
1970-1989 
1 
50 
90 
Subsistence 
1990-2010 
1 
50 
90 
Islands.” Few economic opportunities existed for most 
Bahamians during 1950-1969, particularly in the less 
developed Family Islands. On the basis of local expert 
opinion, we assumed that, for the period 1950-1969, 
40% of the residents of the Family Islands ate per week 
the equivalent in weight of 2 plate-size snappers (i.e., 
-32.55 kg-person _1 -year _1 ) obtained from subsistence 
fishing and that 10% of residents of the more developed 
islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama ate per 
week the equivalent in weight of 1 plate-size snapper 
(i.e., -16.29 kg-person _1 -year _1 ) obtained through sub- 
sistence fishing (Braynen 6 ). 
Following the beginning of the political rule of the 
black majority in 1967 and of independence from Brit- 
ain in 1973, economic opportunities increased consid- 
erably for most Bahamians; hence, their reliance on 
subsistence fisheries was expected to have decreased. 
On the basis of local expert opinion, we assumed that 
throughout the 1970s the number of people dependent 
on subsistence fisheries steadily decreased so that, by 
1980-2010, only 20% of residents of the Family Islands 
had a subsistence catch rate of 32.55 kg-person _1 -year _1 
and 5% of the residents of New Providence and 
Grand Bahama had a subsistence catch rate of 16.29 
kg-person _1 -year _1 (Braynen 6 ). 
We are unaware of any published subsistence catch 
rates for other Caribbean countries that are based on 
empirical data. However, our estimates are comparable 
to fresh seafood consumption rates determined from 
household surveys for Anguilla (26.2 kg-person ^-year 1 ) 
(Jones 9 ) and for the Turks and Caicos Islands, where 
9 Jones, T. P. 1985. The fishing industry of Anguilla 1985, 
97% of households ate fish at least once per week, 
79% ate queen conch ( Strombus gigas) more than once 
per week, and 46% of households consumed Caribbe- 
an spiny lobster more than once per week (Maitland, 
2006). 
To determine the taxonomic composition of subsis- 
tence catches throughout the time series, we assumed 
the same species composition and relative species 
proportions as those of the commercial shallow-water 
fisheries. However, we excluded deepwater finfishes, 
sharks, crabs, and sea cucumbers from subsistence 
composition (Smith and Zeller 5 ). 
Recreational fishery 
We divided recreational catches into 2 categories: 1) 
fish that were caught during major tournaments and 
2) fish that were caught for recreation outside of tour- 
naments (Table 4). 
The United States Recreational Billfish Survey 
(RBS) program recorded total billfish catches (in num- 
bers) and effort data from major fishing tournaments in 
several parts of the Atlantic, including in The Bahamas 
during 1972-2007. Data from the RBS also include the 
fate of fish that were caught (i.e., retained, released, or 
tagged and released [Diaz et al., 2007]). We used data 
directly from the RBS program to determine the quan- 
tity of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin 
(Kajikia albida), and sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) 
that were retained during tournaments during 1972- 
38 p. A report prepared for the Anguillan government and 
Commonwealth Secretariat, Anguilla. 
