Our respondents were 57% male with a mean age of 40.5 years
(ranging from 14 to 72). Approximately three quarters of respondents
(77%) had previously lived somewhere other than
Andros Island at some point in their lives. The mean number of
years lived on Andros was 27.6, and the maximum was 66 years.
Over half of respondents (59%) had completed secondary school,
and 41% had attended some college. Approximately one quarter of
respondents (23%) ran a tourism business, and almost half (46%)
worked in a tourism business. Approximately three quarters (73%)
considered tourisma moderate or primary source of income. A little
more than half of the respondents (59%) expressed support for
additional protection of fisheries resources if tourism grows on
Andros. By far, the most common reason given for the need of
additional protection was fisheries overharvest due to seafood
demand (71%; of this, 48% specifically mentioned queen conch, 28%
mentioned spiny lobster, 12% mentioned Nassau grouper, and 12%
mentioned crabs); other reasons given included protection for
sponges (11%) and coral reefs (9%), and the need for more
enforcement of regulations (14%). A minority (21%) believed that
tourism had serious or very serious impacts on queen conch fisheries.
Most (79%) agreed that tourism development had helped
enhance their family's quality of life. Almost half of respondents
(48%) reported selling natural products to tourists. The most common
resource sold by respondents was seafood (55%), followed by
straw products (30%), wood carvings (20%), sponges (15%), and
shells (13%).