Fishkeeping In Bermuda
Fish Tales is the Society's monthly newsletter , edited by Craig Morfitt.
How do you like the sound of living on a sub-tropical island in the Atlantic, where the beaches have pink sand, where there is never any frost and where summer temperatures hover around 90 degrees F? You may be saying "When do I leave" but wait, how will it affect your beloved fish hobby? Read on and discover how life on an Island affects the hobby of fish-keeping.
The little island that I am referring to is Bermuda, which is in fact a group of many small islands. The main islands are linked by a series of bridges and causeways to form "The Island" which is about 22 miles long and almost 2 miles wide, at its widest point. The habitable land area is about 20 square miles. We are located about 744 miles south-east of New York and the nearest land is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, which is 600 miles to the west. Bermuda's main industry is tourism and the population is about 59,000.
Due to a combination of the Gulf-Stream and the Northern Equatorial Current, Bermuda has the most northerly active coral-algal reef growth. It therefore has quite extensive marine fauna. There are no rivers or streams but there are about 30 permanent brackish ponds, with a total surface area of about 70 acres. There are at least two species of fish which inhabit these ponds. Gambusia affinis were introduced to Bermuda in 1943 to combat the mosquito problem. Bermuda also has at least one endemic species of killifish, Fundulus bermudae. A study is presently underway to determine whether there are more species or sub-species. F. bermudae is most similar to southern populations of F. heteroclitus. They are found in a number of ponds, particularly those fringed with mangroves.
So, how is keeping fish in Bermuda any different to the rest of the world? Well, lets start with the water supply. I know that the water quality in the States varies, depending upon where you live, but one thing is constant - you turn on the tap (faucet) and the water continues to run until you turn it off. In other words, you have a continuous supply of fresh water. How would you feel if you had to catch rainwater for all of your freshwater needs? With no freshwater rivers, and being surrounded by ocean, the principal source of fresh-water in Bermuda is rain. All homes are built with large concrete underground water tanks. The stone roofs are painted white and are designed to catch rain and channel it into the underground tanks. The water is delivered to the homes via taps (faucets), much the same as in the States, but you can only use what you have in your tank. If the water runs out, residents must purchase water by the tanker-load from local water truckers. At a cost of $55 for 1,000 gallons, water conservation is never far from the mind of Bermuda residents. Possibly due to the painted roofs and the concrete tanks, the water drawn from these tanks has a pH of between 8.0 to 9.0 and a Total Hardness of 50 ppm. There are obviously no additives such as chlorine to contend with. Some households are investing in reverse-osmosis systems to treat brackish water drawn from wells. It is therefore not generally practicable to conduct massive frequent water changes, as it could get very expensive, unless you keep a marine tank of course, because we have sea-water in abundance.
Perhaps you are thinking that due to the limited availability of fresh-water, and the abundance of sea-water, the simplest thing to do would be to maintain a marine aquarium. Well, there are some draw-backs to that side of the hobby also. The drawbacks are a result of legislation which is in place to protect the local marine environment. Bermuda has some excellent legislation when it comes to protecting marine life and we are very supportive of it, especially when reading of the devastation that is being caused to the reefs off Florida.
Marine species of fish may not be imported into Bermuda, and this includes invertebrates and corals. This is primarily due to the fear that irresponsible releases of non-endemic fish could decimate local species, either by predation or disease. Furthermore, it is illegal for anyone to sell locally caught marine fish and inverts (this does not include food-fish caught by licensed fishermen). This means that anyone who wishes to maintain a marine aquarium must be prepared to get wet and catch their own fish - which can take a lot of patience and perseverance. Aqua-lungs may not be used to take fish and handnets may only be used by persons holding a permit. Do you enjoy keeping a mini-reef complete with corals? Well, you can forget it in Bermuda. The taking of protected species, which includes all types of corals and a variety of molluscs, alive or dead, is prohibited within the 200-mile exclusive fishing zone. Having said that, There are a number of beautiful "mini-reef" tanks on the Island that are comprised of local live-rock, fish and inverts. Coral is really not that necessary for a beautiful tank.
Whilst not directly affecting the aquarium hobby, there are some other restrictions which you may find of interest.
The Coral Reef Preserves Act, 1966, details two Preserves to protect marine plants and animals. It is an offence to remove, damage or be in possession of plants or animals, whether alive or dead, which are attached to the coast, the sea-bed or any reef within the two preserves.
The Fisheries (Protected Areas) Order, 1990, sets aside three seasonally protected areas, to protect the spawning aggregations of Red Hind, Groupers and other species. It prohibits the taking of any fish in those areas between lst May and 30th September each year. The Order also declares 8 areas to be protected year-round. These 8 areas range in size, having radius' from 100 metres to 1,000 metres. Fishing of any kind is prohibited within the year-round protected areas. This order is responsible for the protection of all corals, as previously mentioned, as well as protecting all species of whales, dolphins, porpoises and marine turtles, within the 200mile zone.
There are far less regulations affecting the fresh-water side of the hobby. The following are not permitted to be imported into Bermuda. Brackish water species, some shellfish, lungfish of all species (in that they pose an ecological threat) and certain other species which may be restricted by reason of their inclusion under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (C.I.T.E.S.)
Anyone wishing to import tropical fish into Bermuda must obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks. When the fish arrive in Bermuda they must be accompanied by a general certificate of health from a veterinarian and must not be accompanied by plant material, snails etc. A recent amendment to the regulations allows non-veterinarians with sufficient experience or qualifications to become registered as qualified fish examiners. A permit may be obtained to import aquatic plants but the plants must be inspected by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks before they are released to the importer. We currently have two pet-stores that sell aquariums and equipment but only one sells tropical fish. Two other pet-stores have recently closed down.
What else might affect the hobby in Bermuda? Well, how about cost. There is no income tax in Bermuda but most goods (including tropical fish) are subject to an import duty, which amounts to 22.25% on most items. Add that to the cost of freight, plus the local retailers mark-up, and you start to get the idea. Things in Bermuda are expensive.
Land is also expensive in Bermuda and, as a result, many apartments tend towards the small side. Due to the underground water tanks there is certainly no room for basements. Therefore, space for aquariums can often be restricted. Generally speaking, hobbyists in Bermuda seldom have more than 5 tanks, with the majority possibly only having one. Anyone expanding in the hobby would tend to move to a larger tank, rather than to more smaller ones. We are starting to see some change lately, with a number of the members of the Bermuda Fry-Angle Aquarium Society setting up fish rooms with multiple tanks.
So, how do you feel now about jumping on that plane? Well, despite what may be seen as obstacles, the aquarium hobby is flourishing in Bermuda. Whilst there is certainly an interest in maintaining marine "mini-reefs", the vast majority of hobbyists maintain freshwater aquariums. Cichlids are particularly popular and the current trend seems to be towards African Rift Lake cichlids.
