Domestic Supply Versus Rising Demand: Fisheries Trends in a Tourism-Driven Economy

Tourism is the primary industry in the Bahamas, accounting for over 40% of the country's GDP.  Fish is a source of protein for both residents and tourists, who generally expect to eat seafood as a part of the 'island experience'.  However, the number of visitors to the Bahamas per year has risen from a meagre 40,000 in 1950 to over 5.2 million in 2010.  Similarly, the resident human population has increased over the same time period by roughly 300%, placing it at 350,000 in 2010.  This creates a unique situation in which the total number of visitors each year now outnumbers residents by an order of magnitude.  Increased demand for seafood by the tourism industry in combination with similar demands from a growing local population raises an important question: Can domestic fisheries satisfy the current consumption patterns of both sectors?  Using reconstructed catch data and consumption surveys, we examine trends in domestic fisheries supply, rising seafood demands, and the implications for the future of food security in the small islands developing state of the Bahamas.