Bahamas Philately: 1954 Definitive Series – 3d Fishing Fleet

In 1953, 3.05% of the entire Bahamian population was employed in fisheries. Caribbean spiny lobster, queen conch and grouper were popular catches. Like most islands of The Bahamas, people survived by fishing, farming and boat building.

Mass tourism to the Bahamas in the 1950s saw an increase in demand for fishing-related tourism. Tourists introduced new fishing methods, primarily in the fishing gear they used. People went from using tools such as cotton line and hand reels or hooked sticks to reach down and catch lobster and conch to more modern fishing equipment like nylon fishing line, modern hooks and reels and diving.

Sail boats were the main mode of transportation of people and goods between the islands but this began to disappear in the 1950’s. Fishing vessels changed and went from handmade wooden boats with sails (or were rowed) to imported fiberglass vessels powered by motors.

Details

Designer:
Printer: Bradbury Wilkinson & Co Ltd, New Malden, Surrey, England
Process: Recess
Paper:
Watermark: Multiple Script CA
Perf: 11 x 11.5 (comb)
Plates: 1 (Carmine-Red) 1 (Black) : 1a (Carmine-Red) 1a (Black)
Sheet: Printed in two panes of 120, separated by a gutter. Guillotined through gutter into two single panes (R10x6).
Quantity:
Reprints:
- 14 April 1955
- 21 November 1956
- 19 February 1958
- 14 January 1959
- 7 February 1961
- 8 January 1963