KRALENDIJK - Traditional masbango fishing on Bonaire has sparked a heated debate between several parties. The Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO) frames the issue as a human rights matter. The Plataforma Boneiru Nobo i Mas Outonomo (PBNO) rejects that view and sees it as a local management issue. Meanwhile, harbor master Gunther Flanegin points to a concrete safety risk: fishing nets in the harbor can become entangled in boat propellers.
BHRO: a matter of human rights and indigenous rights
The Bonaire Human Rights Organization was the first to raise the alarm. According to BHRO, fishermen were approached by harbor authorities while practicing traditional masbango net fishing. The organization qualifies this as a possible violation of human rights, cultural rights, and indigenous rights, citing Article 73 of the UN Charter. BHRO also links the issue to the broader discussion about a possible reinstatement of Bonaire on the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
PBNO: no ban, but a lack of consultation
PBNO argues that BHRO’s human rights claim does not hold up. Masbango net fishing has been explicitly permitted under the regulations of the Bonaire National Marine Park for many years, subject to conditions including supervision of the nets and the release of accidentally caught sea turtles. There is therefore no ban imposed by the Netherlands, according to PBNO.
What was missing, however, was prior consultation. PBNO points by comparison to the earlier closure of the fishing pier, where the Public Entity Bonaire, the Caribbean Netherlands Police Corps, the Royal Marechaussee, STINAPA, the Harbor Master, and Kooperativa Piskabon all sat down together beforehand. That should have happened in this case as well, the organization argues.
Harbor master: propellers getting caught in nets
Harbor master Gunther Flanegin raises a practical safety argument. Fishing nets lying in the harbor can become entangled in the propellers of vessels entering or leaving the port, posing a danger to both shipping and the fishermen themselves. His intervention was not a matter of principle regarding the permissibility of masbango fishing - it was enforcement on the grounds of safety within the harbor area.
Call for dialogue
Willem A. Cicilia of PBNO calls on all parties involved to resolve the situation through dialogue. The organization advocates for talks between Piskabon, STINAPA, the Harbor Master, and the government to establish clear agreements for the remainder of the season. Such an approach aligns with the principles of the Roadmap Bonaire 2025-2035, in which dialogue, facts, and equality are central, Cicilia said in his response.
