Andre Kong (centre), Director of Fisheries in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries (MICAF), in discussion with (from left) Havelan Honeyghan, Chairman of the Jamaica Fishermen Co-operative Union Limited (JFCU), and Courtney Cole, Chief Technical Director for Special Projects at the MICAF. The occasion was the annual general meeting of the JFCU, held at The Knutsford Court Hotel in St. Andrew on April 2, 2019.
Increased fisheries surveillance and enforcement are among some of the key improvements to be made to the fisheries sector under the recently promulgated Fisheries Act, which is expected to come into force soon.
The new Fisheries Act will facilitate modern fisheries management and development strategies, and significantly increase the maximum fines for breaches of the law, as well as transform the Fisheries Division into the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), said the Hon Audley Shaw, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.
In a speech read by Chief Technical Director for Special Projects in the Ministry, Courtney Cole, at the Jamaica Fishermen Co-operative Union Limited annual general meeting, held at The Knutsford Court Hotel on April 2, Minister Shaw informed that with the creation of the NFA, a compliance division would be established, which will have staff dedicated to fisheries surveillance.
“The NFA’s compliance staff will certainly bolster the cadre of existing enforcement personnel from the partner entities such as the National Environment and Planning Agency, Special Fishery Conservation Area, the Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, among others,” he said.
The agriculture and fisheries minister pointed out that in addition to the increased number of enforcement officers, fisheries surveillance and enforcement will be further enhanced by the use of modern technology.
“Vessel monitoring system (VMS) will be mandatory for all motor fishing vessels. This technology will enable us to tell which vessels are legitimately in our waters and where they are,” he said.
Minister Shaw also stated that, where possible, satellite imagery will be used along with the VMS information to assist with surveillance activities and help to identify and locate foreign poachers.
Pointing out that enforcement and technology will not completely eradicate illegal fishing by foreign poachers, the minister said it will require a comprehensive, multipronged strategy that will see action, not only at the local level but also at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
The Minister said the Government will be engaging the countries from which poachers emanate to establish practical mechanisms to eliminate these illegal incursions into the country’s marine space.
“At the regional and international levels, Jamaica will solicit support, collaboration and cooperation from regional organisations, such as the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism; and international bodies, such as the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna and the West Central Atlantic Fishery Commission,” Mr. Shaw added.
