The marine fisheries resources in The Bahamas: reconstructed catches 1950–2022 and status of traditionally and recreationally important species

Fisheries provide critical economic, cultural, and ecological benefits to developing coastal countries such as The Bahamas. However, effective management remains challenging, particularly for traditional species such as spiny lobster, queen conch, and Nassau grouper. Despite existing regulations, overfishing and habitat degradation from both commercial and recreational sectors continue to threaten these populations, while limited data on stock size and total catch constrain assessment efforts. To address these gaps, we conducted stock assessments for key traditional and recreational species by reconstructing catch time series and analyzing them using the CMSY++ stock assessment model, which is suited for data-limited contexts. Twelve species were evaluated, including two invertebrates (queen conch and Caribbean spiny lobster), two large pelagic fishes (wahoo and dolphinfish), and eight demersal species (groupers, snappers, and hogfish), using a combination of fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data on historical exploitation and relative abundance. The resulting biomass trajectories indicate strong stock depletions for most of these species. These findings highlight an urgent need for improved management and provide a scientific basis for targeted conservation strategies for the resilience, and long-term sustainability of Bahamian fisheries under increasing environmental and anthropogenic pressures.