Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Flats Fishing
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TA B L E O F C O N T ENT S
B A C K G R O U N D :! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 3
S T R AT E G Y:! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 4
AGENDA: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 5
C O M P O N E N T S O F A C E R T I F I C AT I O N P R O G R A M :! ! ! 6
A N G L I N G S K I L L S! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 7
C O N S E R V A T I O N E X P E R T I S E! ! ! ! ! ! ! 8
B U S I N E S S T O O L S! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 10
B A H A M I A N S T U D I E S! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 11
I M P L E M E N TAT I O N O F C E R T I F I C AT I O N :! ! ! ! ! 12
ECONOMICS AND SCIENCE: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 13
G E N E R A L R E C O M M E N D AT I O N S :! ! ! ! ! ! 14
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B A CK G R O U N D
The first iteration of a Certification Program for Bahamian flats fishing guides was developed over a
decade ago, and a number of individuals participated in that program and were certified as
professional guides. Over recent years, however, momentum for that program has waned and there
became an increasing realization that e!orts were needed to modernize the program to make it
more relevant to today’s flats fishing community. Early on in the process of updating this program,
it was recognized that it would be important to obtain input from the professional guide
community into what components were needed to ensure that a high quality program was
developed. To accomplish that task, the Ministry of Tourism and Aviation’s Department of
Sustainable Tourism, under the direction of Earlston McPhee and Benjamin Pratt, and with
assistance from The Bahamian Flats Fishing Alliance, organized a workshop designed to bring
interested stakeholders (e.g., guides, lodge owners, conservation organizations, etc.) together for
discussion and input. Announcements for the meeting were distributed throughout The Bahamas
via the network of Tourism o"ces throughout Nassau and the Family Islands. This workshop was
held at the Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort in Nassau, Bahamas. The meeting was facilitated by a
team of scientists from The Bahamian Flats Fishing Alliance, which is a joint e!ort of the Bahamas
National Trust, the Bonefish Tarpon Trust, and the Fisheries Conservation Foundation.
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STR AT EG Y
It was determined that to maximize both attendance and input, the workshop would offer participants
the following opportunities:
1. Participate in revising The Bahamian Guide Certification Program,
2. Provide input on the best ways to implement such a program,
3. Identify flats conservation needs for The Bahamas and opportunities to address them,
4. Get updates on a variety of important scientific and economic projects.
Furthermore, to accomplish the above and to increase the effectiveness of the group, it was decided to
use a combination of breakout groups and group summary/discussion sessions, along with some
general fact-finding discussions mixed with formal presentations of the scientific and economic studies.
After a general welcome of the participants and introductions to the day’s events by Benjamin Pratt of
Tourism, Earlston McPhee introduced the plenary speaker, The Honorable Lawrence Cartwright, Minister
of Agriculture and Marine Resources, who opened the workshop by reiterating the need for coordination
among all stakeholders in the conservation arena and emphasizing the key role that flats fishing guides
play in the Bahamian economy and conservation movement. He inspired the entire group to put in effort
into making the workshop a success. At that point, Dr. David Philipp, Chair of the Facilitation Team,
reviewed the agenda, outlined the planned activities, and explained the rules for the workshop.
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AGE N DA
9:00! Welcome and Introduction (Benjamin Pratt)
9:05! Introduction of Minister (Earlston McPhee)
9:10! The Hon. Lawrence Cartwright, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources
9:20! Introduction of Facilitation Team (David Philipp)
9:25! Guide Certification Program Objectives (David Philipp)
9:35! Small Group Sessions
10:45! Small Group Reports
11:50! Break for Lunch
Noon:! Lunch: Presentation by Dr. Tony Fedler on the Economic Value of Flats Fishing in the Bahamas
*Senator The Honorable Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, in attendance
The facilitation team, which was organized bu the Bahamian Flats Fishing Alliance, consisted of
scientists and educators well versed in bonefishing and the ecology of Bahamian flats ecosystems:
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COMPONENTS OF A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Four general discussion topics were established to ensure coverage of all issues and components
associated with the potential content of a Flats Fishing Guide Certification Program:
I. Angling Skills
II. Conservation Expertise
III. Business Tools
IV. Bahamian Studies
From there, participants divided into four smaller breakout groups by self-selecting which of the four
topical discussions they wished to join. Two members of the facilitation team led and recorded the
breakout discussions.
After 1.5 hours, the groups came back together in a singe plenary session in which each group presented
their findings/recommendations, and the entire group of participants added to that report as needed. In
this way, every participant was able to have input on all aspects of each discussion topic.
The following are summary recommendations from the workshop for each of the four topics covered in
the breakout groups. When a duplicate recommendation occurred across topic groups, it was assigned to
the most appropriate group.
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COMPONENTS OF A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
I. ANGLING SKILLS
This group identified what it felt were the most important skills and abilities for all guides to have, and what
knowledge they needed to possess. The following items were identified as essential for the educational
curriculum for the certification program.
# Basic knots and how to tie them — focusing on those important for flyfishing
# Di!erent components of fishing equipment and how to check/maintain them
# Basic boat handling techniques, including running outboards and polling/positioning ski!s
# Techniques for finding fish, including direct sighting and reading the water
# Ability to assess standard fish weights
# Identifying important flies, including knowing how they are tied
# Ability to share technical knowledge with anglers and other guides
# Ability to use social skills to deal with di"cult clients in an amiable way
In addition, there were some advanced skills that were identified as desirable:
# Fly tying expertise
# Ability to teach anglers how to improve their casting techniques
# Ability to teach anglers how to improve their methods for working the fly
# Ability to teach anglers how to improve their methods for playing/landing fish
There were two further recommendations coming from this breakout group:
1. Although certain knowledge can be taught and assessed in a classroom, other skills (e.g., casting,
hooking, and landing skills, fish finding methods, and boat handling techniques) should be obtained
through training received from senior guides and assessed (for certification) by observations in the field
by senior guides/anglers. It was emphasized that to become proficient in the many skills associated with
guiding, individuals need to put in substantial time on the job; this level of expertise cannot be gained
from a 3–5 day course. True novices who want to get started in the business could require substantial
training, even including an apprenticeship.
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COMPONENTS OF A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The group identified the following aspects of both an educational curriculum and an assessment
component of the certification program:
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COMPONENTS OF A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
In addition, this group provided a variety of perspectives on how to implement a certification program in
a way that is acceptable to all by taking into account the following points:
# Guides who have been in the business for a lengthy period of time (e.g., 20, 30+ years) need to
be identified on each island and grandfathered into certification.
# It needs to be recognized that experienced guides will need less training than newer guides, who
would need much less training than novices.
# Program flexibility needs to be provided so that employment opportunities for a guide attending
certification activities are impacted minimally.
# A standard full training course could last five days, but experienced guides may need a more
streamlined program — perhaps even an on-line program.
# For novices interested in learning how to become a guide, an apprentice/mentor program needs
to be developed across the various family islands.
# Training programs should start in high school (or before) as part of the public school curriculum.
# There should be a mechanism developed for continuing education, including technology transfer
among guides, biologists, and government.
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COMPONENTS OF A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
The group identified a number of specific needs for certification in this area, organized into two major classes:
Establish a formal set of high service standards requiring:
• Accepted level of quality, appearance, safety, etc. for
required equipment
Managed by the National
• Participation in the Bahamahost program Bahamahost Association,
the Bahamahost program
• First Aid and CPR training promotes professionalism,
pride and education in
• Liability insurance hospitality fields to ensure
• Business license a proper welcome to
visitors. The training familiarizes all
• Captain’s license participants with correct and accurate
information on the country’s history,
• Boat inspection, including viable communication geography, civics, economics, culture,
device(s) flora, fauna and places of interest.
Additional emphasis is placed on
• Small motor maintenance skills attitudinal training, teamwork and
cooperation.
• High level of professionalism in business (code of ethics)
Develop skills, provide training, and o!er resources that promote high quality business operations, including:
• E!ective communication strategies via website, email, and marketing
• Knowledge of the industry and its organization
• Financial management, including how to obtain access to capital
• Ability to create a business plan
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COMPONENTS OF A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
It was recognized that the role of Bahamian flats fishing guides transcended the
act of just putting anglers on fish and helping anglers catch them. They are also
ambassadors of The Bahamas, and as such, need a knowledge set that goes
above and beyond angling skills. Specifically, guides need to have a working
knowledge of the following topics as they relate to The Bahamas:
1. Bahamian history
2. History of fishing in general, but also specifics on flyfishing the flats of
The Bahamas
3. Bahamian government (local and national structure — political parties and o"cials)
4. Economics — local, national, and international; revenue sources for government
5. Bahamian culture, including things specific to their home island (e.g., religion, food, music, drinks)
6. Climate, especially as it pertains to fishing — seasonal e!ects, stress on fish, etc.
7. Bahamian geography and geology
8. Flora and fauna of the islands and the flats specifically
9. Information regarding the tourist industry as a whole
Bottom Line: Guides should develop and promote a Bahamian “brand” — so that anglers across the globe
consider The Bahamas as the first choice for a bonefishing trip anywhere in the world.
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IMPLEMENTATION OF CERTIFICATION
During the Breakout Group sessions, each group also developed the following list of objectives for any
certification process that would be developed within The Bahamas. That is, a high quality and effective
certification program would:
# Establish a high service standard for certified guides in The Bahamas.
# Recognize those guides that have met some minimum set of skills.
# Provide educational resources for current guides.
# Provide a training mechanism for future guides.
# Promote The Bahamas as a premier flats fishing destination.
# Serve as an organizational focus for flats conservation action.
A general discussion was had regarding implementation concerns, reiterating many of the points brought up
earlier within the individual breakout group sessions. They are summarized below:
• Although certain knowledge can be taught and assessed in a classroom, other skills (e.g., casting,
hooking, and landing skills; fish finding methods; and boat handling techniques) should be obtained
through training received from senior guides and assessed (for certification) by observations in the field by
senior guides/anglers.
• Basic skills associated with angling and guiding should be taught in the Bahamian public school system,
with age-appropriate material being introduced through the curricula associated with various grade levels.
This will ensure that younger generations of Bahamians gain the knowledge learned by the flats fishing
industry over many years, as well as conservation training.
• Guides who have been in the business for some lengthy period of time (e.g., 20, 30+ years) need to be
identified on each island and grandfathered into certification.
• It needs to be recognized that some senior guides will need less training than some more junior ones, who
would need much less training than some novices. Program flexibility needs to be provided so that
employment opportunities are impacted minimally
• A standard full training course could last five days, but senior guides may need a more streamlined
program – perhaps even an on-line program
• For untrained persons interested in learning how to become a guide, an apprentice/mentor program needs
to be developed across the various family islands.
• Training programs should start in high school (or before) as part of the public school curriculum.
• There should be a mechanism developed for continuing education, technology transfer among guides,
biologists, and government, perhaps on each of the main family islands.
• Plans for a re-certification process should be developed soon as well — with a cycle of about five years.
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ECONOMICS AND SCIENCE: THE ROAD TO CONSERVATION
Finally, there was a lengthy plenary discussion concerning conservation needs, which reintroduced many
issues brought up within the breakout groups. This discussion, concerning how to move forward with
regard to addressing those conservation needs, provided the following suggestions:
! There needs to be a forum within which guides, anglers, lodge owners, conservation groups, and
other interested parties can get together to discuss conservation problems in an e!ort to develop
real solutions to them and to identify how these solutions can be implemented. Establishing a
grassroots coalition of stakeholders was suggested as the best possible mechanism.
! There is a continuing need for information exchange among guides, lodge owners, anglers,
scientists and policy makers similar to the scientific presentations and the discussion that
centered around identifying the conservation challenges in The Bahamas. There was consensus
agreement that a science/angling/conservation symposium focusing on bonefish in The Bahamas
should be held in Nassau during the 2010 o!season.
The Bahamian Flats Fishing Alliance (BFFA) has already begun steps to implement both recommendations.
The Nature Conservancy provided over 300 copies of three of their excellent educational posters highlighting the life
cycle of the bonefish, tarpon, and land crab for distribution to the workshop participants to take back to their home
islands for educational outreach to the local communities. A Guide Certification Program should take advantage of
the array of NGOs interested in helping such a program take shape.
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GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Next steps for the Bahamian Guide Certification Program recommended by the
BFFA Facilitation Team:
1. Contract with outside person or group (intimately familiar with flyfishing for bonefish,
guiding and lodge activity, and bonefish biology) to finish editing the written certification
curriculum documents.
2. Use that set of documents to develop 1-, 3-, and 5-day programS for certification training to
accommodate individuals with different experience levels.
3. Develop a system for delivery of the curriculum to guides throughout the family islands.
4. Develop methods for assessing candidate guides for certification, including written (or oral)
testing on some aspects, as well as field assessment by senior anglers/guides for certain skill
sets.
5. Propose a mechanism for establishing an apprentice/mentor program for recruiting and
developing young people into the guiding profession.
6. Propose a mechanism for developing age-specific curricula that provides an education/
training program for budding guides within the Bahamian public school system.
7. Develop a marketing strategy that promotes the Bahamian Guide Certification Program as a
worthy activity within The Bahamas.
8. Develop a marketing strategy that would provide the international angling community a
reason for choosing The Bahamas as a fishing destination over other possible places around
the world.
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