Abstract

A small but important fishery for the white sea-egg (Tripneustes ventricosus) has existed in Barbados for well over a century. Around the mid-1980s the sea-egg fishery of Barbados collapsed, despite over a century of continuous management through legislative control. Throughout this period of management, the imposition of fines was the principle punitive measure taken against offenders of the relevant legislation. Using a variety of reference material ranging from press reports to scientific studies, this paper presents a retrospective comparative analysis of the potential revenue derived from sea-egg fishing and coinciding fines. It is suggested that the maximum legislated fines in effect during the years just prior to the collapse of the fishery were too low to act as effective deterrents to illegal fishing when compared with the profitability of harvesting sea-eggs at the time. Increased profits from the fishery in addition to inadequate fines together may have encouraged both increased fishing intensityand imprudent fishing practices, both of which contributed to the collapse of the fishery.

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