BHRO: Masbango fishermen’s rights are a human rights, must be protected

BONAIRE--The Bonaire Human Rights Organization (BHRO) has stated that the treatment of artisanal Bonairean fishermen engaged in traditional seasonal net fishing for masbango must be viewed as a human rights, cultural rights and indigenous rights issue, not merely as a fishing dispute.

BHRO said restrictions on traditional fishing practices raise serious concerns regarding the protection of Bonaire’s cultural heritage, traditional livelihoods and natural rights. The organization also pointed to what it describes as the absence of the protections and international oversight envisioned under Article 73 of the United Nations Charter for Non-Self-Governing Territories.

According to BHRO founder James Finies, this is one of the reasons he believes Bonaire should be placed back on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. He maintains that such a step would help ensure that native Bonaireans are protected from demographic and cultural erasure.

Finies said that for many Bonaireans, including his father, grandfather and generations before them, the masbango issue is not simply about fishing. He said it is about protecting culture, preserving tradition, respecting natural rights and ensuring that fundamental human rights are not subordinated to policies imposed without regard for the Bonairean people and their way of life.

Reports recently emerged of Bonairean fishermen being confronted and allegedly intimidated by harbor authorities while carrying out their traditional fishing activities. The incidents are reportedly linked to conservation and protection regulations administered by STINAPA and enforced in cooperation with the Harbor Master’s Office.

The controversy intensified following a public discussion involving STINAPA. Melissa van Hoorn, who previously worked for the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature in the Netherlands and became Director of STINAPA in October 2025, did not personally represent STINAPA in the controversy. Instead, the director was represented by her subordinate, local official Leonel Martijn.

Critics argue that this placed a Bonairean face before the public while policies and regulations continued to be directed from institutions linked to the Netherlands.

The debate quickly spread across social media in Bonaire, Curaçao and Aruba, where widespread support was expressed for the fishermen. The discussion has since evolved into a broader conversation about culture, traditional rights and the growing perception of diminished local influence over decisions affecting Bonaire.

BHRO emphasized that the fishermen involved were catching masbango in the same manner that Bonaireans and their ancestors have done for generations. The organization said these fishermen are traditional artisanal fishermen, not large-scale commercial operators. Their work relies on knowledge passed down through generations, rather than industrial vessels, commercial nets or modern fishing fleets.

The Bonaire Human Rights Organization, founded by James Finies, has consistently raised concerns about the impact of the post-2010 constitutional arrangement on the rights, culture and identity of the Bonairean people.

BHRO maintains that policies affecting traditional livelihoods and local communities should be developed with meaningful Bonairean participation and with respect for their culture, traditions and historical connection to their island.

The organization said the masbango issue should therefore be addressed not only through environmental or regulatory considerations, but also through the broader lens of human rights, cultural survival, indigenous rights, local participation and the protection of Bonaire’s traditional way of life.

‍