An overview spanning decades of fishing in Bermuda lends credence to a sweeping marine conservation plan covering Bermuda waters, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Fish surveys and catch figures show the changing profile of species brought ashore before and after the landmark 1990 fish pot ban and the listing of parrotfish as protected species in 1993.

But the draft Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme has been widely opposed by members of the island’s fishing industry, who have threatened legal action unless BOPP planning gets a radical overhaul.

Ministry officials shared the survey as the island nears the end of its window of consultation for what would mark another milestone for managing the seas around Bermuda.

The overview shows key fish species have yet to rebound from the overfishing of the 1970s and 1980s, according to aggregate data spanning 46 years of fishing – from 1975 to 2021.

BOPP’s proposal of ten no-fishing zones inside the island’s exclusive economic zone have nonetheless proved controversial during public consultation over the plan.

Protected areas adjoining the island’s shores have come under fire from fishermen during town hall meetings about BOPP, as well as a November press conference called by the Fishermen’s Association Bermuda – which has refused to take part in talks about the plans.

But a statement received on Friday by The Royal Gazette highlighted exclusion zones as havens for offshore habitats and their fish.

The ministry said its draft marine spatial plan focused on covering areas deemed “essential” fish habitats, such as fish nurseries and spawning sites, as marine protected areas.

Nine of the ten areas proposed for full protection were said to include essential fish habitats.

The move stands to boost the recovery of “prey” species of fish that are still recovering from the overfishing of the 1980s, when the use of fish pot traps took a heavy toll on fish stocks.

The ministry said three “highly protected” areas covering the lobster reservoir, along with two large seasonal closure areas known as the “hind grounds” after the species they protect, would continue allowing fishing within the bounds of the regulations already in place.

“Additionally, they will prohibit certain activities, such as development, that would damage these essential habitats,” a spokesman said.

“There are many reasons to establish marine protected areas.

“Unfortunately, the debate is often limited to whether the creation of MPAs is needed to help fish populations, if it will actually do so, or if it will just harm fishing activities.”

While statistics and figures for fish catches provided “an essential indication of the status of fish populations”, the ministry said the picture had been improved by data from independent surveys.

The ministry acknowledged that “neither approach is perfect”.

But both were used in the drafting of the BOPP marine spatial plan – which ultimately covers habitats from inshore shallows to the open ocean within the 200 miles offshore that constitutes Bermuda’s exclusive economic zone.

Fish population data showed the crash from overfishing, leading to significant changes in Bermuda’s commercial fishery.

The ministry compiled details in a graph illustrating the total weight of a species or group of species caught in a given year.

It shows the plunge in the population of groupers – large fish prized for eating – with the rise and fall of various reef species.

The graph also charts the switch in catches towards pelagic, or open ocean species such as tuna and wahoo, to the present where they comprise “roughly half the catch by weight”.

“Today, the populations of many reef fish species are in a better state than they were when fish pots were banned in 1990,” a spokesman said.

“Catches of key species, such as Black grouper, Red hind and shallow water snappers, appear to be relatively stable over the past ten to 15 years, which implies a sustainable level of catch.”

But the quantities of fish being caught remain below those seen in the past – and the ministry said the struggling species were “rarely seen during independent surveys, suggesting that their numbers are still somewhat depleted”.

“Independent surveys also show that some iconic species, like the Nassau grouper, are still showing no signs of recovery despite a ban on fishing for them that has been in place for nearly 30 years.”

However, those fish species that appear to be bouncing back were said to be the same as those whose spawning grounds were protected.

The comeback species also come with “flexible nursery habitat requirements” – and have also been managed through fisheries regulations such as daily catch limits and minimum size restrictions.

“The good news is that the recovery of these fish populations will be further assisted as the wider ecosystem and the populations of prey fish at the base of the food chain, which was caught in large numbers during the 1980s, continue to recover.”

Establishing marine protected areas, the ministry said, “can help with all of this”.

Consultation on the BOPP is almost finished, with the end of this year marking the deadline.

Letters made public between the Fishermen’s Association Bermuda and the ministry show that association members have been “discouraged” from taking part – with the FAB insisting that valid input from fishermen had been ignored during consultation meetings.

Walter Roban, the home affairs minister, said last week that his door “remains open” to fishermen.

The minister was asked for comment after the association called for the current plan to be put on hold until the methodology could be rethought after a meeting with Mr Roban – or possibly Cabinet.

Mr Roban has repeatedly stated that Bermuda is under an obligation as a British Overseas Territory to set aside areas of its waters for conservation.

The BOPP would reserve 20 per cent of the island’s exclusive seas for protection, while the UK has committed to putting 30 per cent of its own waters, and those of many of its territories, under protection by 2030.

The deadline for public consultation falls with the year’s end this weekend.