The Department of Environment and Natural Resources wishes to advise the public, per the Public Health (COVID-19 Emergency Powers)(Stay at Home) Regulations 2021, licenced fishermen are exempt to move about in the course of performing their work as licenced fishermen.

The Ministry of National Security will now also permit fishermen to sell fish at certain roadside stalls or docks from 7am to 7pm. An exemption letter is required. 

Any fisherman requiring an exemption letter should contact the Ministry of National Security at emogroup@gov.bm. Please include a copy of your Fisheries ID and the expiry date.

The list of approved vendor sites is as follows:

• Mangrove Bay, Sandys Parish

• Ely’s Harbour Public Dock, Sandys Parish

• Scaur Hill Dock, Sandys Parish

• Robinson’s Marine Station, Sandys Parish

• Jews Bay, Southampton Parish

• Trimingham Hill, Paget Parish

• Ducking Stool, Pembroke Parish

• Palmetto Road, Devonshire Parish

• Devonshire Dock, Devonshire Parish

• Devonshire Bay, Devonshire Parish

• Burchall Cove, Hamilton Parish

• Bailey’s Bay Public Dock, Hamilton Parish

• Kindley Field, St Georges Parish 

• Mullet Bay, St Georges Parish

The letter also exempts licenced fishermen from the nighttime curfew to prepare for and undertake offshore fishing operations only. This does not include shore fishing, and licenced fishermen should not have any person not registered as a fisherman on their vessels during this time. 

Vessel owners should ensure that only two (2) fishermen are on a vessel at any time during daytime or nighttime operations, unless they all live in the same household. 

Should a fisherman be challenged by a member of the Bermuda Police Service, Royal Bermuda Regiment, or the Fisheries Enforcement Section, he/she must present a current (or recently expired) Fisheries ID card and a Driver’s Licence or other Government-issued ID. 

As a safety measure to minimize the risk of COVID-19 spread during this stay-at-home period, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will be limiting operations that involve direct contact with members of the public. Therefore, the licensing counter at the head office in the Botanical Gardens will be closed, and all DENR facilities will be closed to walk-in customers.

Given the current challenges the commercial fisheries licensing period, which was due to end on 31st March 2021, has been extended. The new deadline for relicensing will be 30th May, 2021. Licences expiring in 2021 will be honoured until that time. All the usual steps in the process will still need to take place.

Marine Resources and Fisheries Enforcement staff are available by phone (293-5600) or email (fisheries@gov.bm) to answer questions. 

Fishermen are also reminded that fishing in the Seasonally Protected Areas, also known as the “Hind Grounds” and “Grouper Grounds”, is now prohibited (from 15 April to 14 August 2021) to protect spawning Red Hinds and Black Groupers. 

The Extended Closure Areas around important Black Grouper aggregations will remain closed to fishing until December 1, 2021. For maps of the areas, see https://www.gov.bm/bermudas-no-fishing-areas. 

We encourage everyone to be safe and please follow the guidelines and safety precautions provided by the Department of Health at www.gov.bm/coronavirus.