Why did Horatio Nelson enforce the Navigation Act in the West Indies?

Horatio Nelson enforced the Navigation Act in the West Indies during his 1784 commission because American ships were continuing to trade with British colonies despite having officially lost the privileges to do so following the American Revolution.1

By strictly upholding the law, Nelson sought to prevent these vessels from engaging in commerce that was no longer legally permitted. His rigid enforcement made him unpopular among local merchants, shipowners, and even resident British authorities, many of whom had been ignoring the regulations for their own financial benefit. This commitment to duty likely contributed to a period of professional prejudice against him at the Admiralty, leaving him unemployed for five years after his return to England.1