Fishermen are back on a collision course with Walter Roban, the Minister of Home Affairs, over the controversial Bermuda Ocean Prosperity Programme.

The Fishermen’s Association of Bermuda rejected a proposed memorandum of understanding on the issue that the Government hoped would bring the organisation back into engagement over BOPP.

A FAB spokesman said: “This document underwent multiple revisions during negotiations between FAB’s executive team and Minister of Home Affairs, along with the technical advisers at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“After much debate and consideration, the members of FAB declined to ratify the MOU.”

The BOPP was originally approved in 2019 in a tripartite agreement between the Government, the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the Waitt Institute, a US-based environmental group committed to ocean conservation.

Under the proposal, 20 per cent of the waters in Bermuda’s offshore exclusive economic zone would be placed under full protection, with no fishing permitted.

The spokesman added: “It was felt that redefining the fishing industry's engagement with BOPP would not be adequate, when in fact what needs redefining is the core tenet of BOPP, the commitment to designate 20 per cent of Bermuda's waters as no-take.

“This commitment was made at the inception of BOPP, alluded to in the original MOU between the Ministry of Home Affairs, BIOS and the Waitt Institute, drafted and signed with no consultation of any stakeholders.

“Fishermen have been instrumental over the years in the development of marine stewardship principles in Bermuda.

“They identified and lobbied for the protection of the hind grounds and black grouper — rockfish — aggregation areas, pushed for protective size limitations for black grouper.

“They have identified real threats to marine habitats to DENR, warnings that often go ignored.

“Bermuda's fishers participate in a non-industrial, small-scale, low-impact fishery with a limited market that inherently lends itself to sustainability, when managed properly.

“FAB is committed to continuing this ethos of marine stewardship and will be developing their own fisheries management plan for consideration of the public.”