Illegal Harvest of Marine Resources on Andros Island and the Legacy of Colonialism

Illegal harvest of marine resources is a major global conservation challenge. Illegal harvest reflects many complex phenomena, but colonialism presents an intriguing and relatively underexplored driver. We use a qualitative case study on Andros, Island, The Bahamas to explore illegal harvest of marine resources through the lens of colonialism. We interviewed 31 people in July 2013 and 31 people in June 2014, conducted participant observation, and took extensive field notes. We found illegal harvest of marine resources was ubiquitous, and driven by factors frequently identified in the literature (e.g., economic need, lack of enforcement), but also saw reflections of centuries of colonialism mixed with the unique ecology of the Bahamas. Specifically, many informants relied on marine resources for subsistence because soils were too poor for agriculture, and only turned to other forms of sustenance during boom times when employment and capital trickled into the “out islands.” Illegal harvest was stigmatized when conducted by residents of “in islands”, and called poaching and likened to “raping the sea”, when conducted by foreigners.  These findings suggest an increased focus on coupled socio-ecological history would benefit research on illegal harvest of marine resources.