| Mon - Thur 8:30 am - 5:00pm, Friday 8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Government of Jamaica ja-flag

Latest

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green

$3-Billion Recovery Programme in Progress for Agricultural and Fisheries Sectors

A $3-billion recovery programme is being implemented by the Government as part of efforts to restore the agricultural and fisheries sectors, following widespread damage caused by Hurricane Melissa. Speaking at a hybrid Recovery and Resilience Forum, hosted by the Rural...
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (second right), offers words of encouragement to fishers affected by Hurricane Melissa, Annmaureen Spence (second left) and Carlton Thompson (right), during the handover of wire mesh on Friday (December 12) in Rocky Point, Clarendon. Sharing in the moment is Chief Executive Officer, National Fisheries Authority, Dr. Gavin Bellamy.
Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr. (second right), offers words of encouragement to fishers affected by Hurricane Melissa, Annmaureen Spence (second left) and Carlton Thompson (right), during the handover of wire mesh on Friday (December 12) in Rocky Point, Clarendon. Sharing in the moment is Chief Executive Officer, National Fisheries Authority, Dr. Gavin Bellamy.

Rocky Point Fishers Receive Wire Mesh to Replace Lost Fish Pots
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, provides an update on the fisheries sector’s recovery efforts at a post-Cabinet press briefing held on Wednesday (December 3) at Jamaica House in Kingston.
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, provides an update on the fisheries sector’s recovery efforts at a post-Cabinet press briefing held on Wednesday (December 3) at Jamaica House in Kingston.

Extensive Support for Fisheries Sector
Staff from the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) conduct an assessment to determine the extent of damage to the Black River Substation in St. Elizabeth following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.
Staff from the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) conduct an assessment to determine the extent of damage to the Black River Substation in St. Elizabeth following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

National Fisheries Authority Confirms Island-Wide Catastrophic Damage to Fisheries Sector Following Hurricane Melissa
Fishing boats at White River, a coastal community bordering St. Ann and St. Mary, which were secured ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s passage on October 28.
Fishing boats at White River, a coastal community bordering St. Ann and St. Mary, which were secured ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s passage on October 28.

St. Ann Fisherfolk Credit Early Preparations for Minimising Hurricane Melissa Impact

More

Chief Executive Officer, National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Dr. Gavin Bellamy.
Fisheries

Fishers Advised to Head for Land

Fishers and other marine interests are being advised to evacuate the waters and head for mainland now, before the passage of Tropical Storm Melissa. Speaking with JIS News, Chief Executive Officer of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Dr. Gavin Bellamy, said that with a tropical storm watch now in effect for the island, safety is the main priority. “The National...
Read more
Senior Director of Extension Services for the Capture Fisheries Branch of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Shellene Berry, speaks at a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) Think Tank, at the Agency’s Television Department, 5-9 South Odeon Avenue in Kingston.
Fisheries

NFA Encourages More Women to Participate in Safety-at-Sea Training

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is encouraging more women to take part in its Safety at Sea Training Programme, which equips fishers with essential survival and scuba-diving skills. Senior Director of Extension Services at the NFA’s Capture Fisheries Branch, Shellene Berry, said that since the programme’s inception, approximately 160 participants from all 14 parishes have been trained. “There is no...
Read more
Red Snapper fingerlings which are ready to be transferred to the bigger sea cages, swim around in smaller plastic drums at the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) Bowden Bay Mariculture Research Facility in St. Thomas on Monday (October 13). The fish are a part of the Red Snapper Cage Culture Fin Fish Pilot Project which is headed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as part of a regional initiative being implemented in Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis at a cost of approximately $63 million.
Fisheries

Agriculture Ministry Launches Red Snapper Pilot to Strengthen Food Security and Blue Economy

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is advancing Jamaica’s food security and pioneering a new frontier in blue economy sustainability through a Red Snapper Cage Culture Fin Fish Pilot Project. The project is spearheaded by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in partnership with the National Fisheries Authority (NFA). The initiative forms part of a regional Shrimp...
Read more
State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter (centre), and President of the Jamaica Coffee Exporters Association, Dr. Norman Grant, examine various coffee seeds under the guidance of Acting Research Coordinator at the Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority (JACRA), Tiffany Hedge-Ross. The interaction took place during the joint observance of International Coffee Day and National Cocoa Day at Emancipation Park, St. Andrew, on Wednesday (October 1). The event, hosted by JACRA, highlighted the achievements of the coffee and cocoa industries.
AgricultureFisheries

State Minister Witter Urges Stronger Partnerships to Boost Coffee and Cocoa Sectors

Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter, has called for strengthened collaboration among stakeholders in the coffee and cocoa industries, emphasising that deeper partnerships are essential to unlocking growth within the sectors. He noted that the responsibility for advancing these industries cannot rest solely with the Ministry. Consequently, Mr. Witter urged the Jamaica...
Read more
Facilitator in the National Fisheries Authority’s (NFA) Safety at Sea Training Programme and Head of the Caribbean Maritime University’s (CMU) Department of Professional Training and Certification in the Faculty of Marine and Nautical Studies, Kyle Shaw (right), speaks at a recent JIS Think Tank, at the agency’s Television Department, 5-9 South Odeon Avenue in Kingston. Listening are: Marine Inspector with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), Norman Thompson and Senior Director of Extension Services for the Capture Fisheries Branch of the NFA, Shellene Berry.
Fisheries

Fishers Encouraged to Share Knowledge Gained from Safety at Sea Training

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is encouraging fishers benefitting from its Safety at Sea Training Programme, to share the knowledge gained with other fishers from their communities. Beginning in 2022, the programme has so far impacted scores of fishers across the island, as part of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which sees training in safety at sea techniques. Senior...
Read more
Marine Inspector with the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), Norman Thompson, addresses a recent Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ at the Agency’s Television Department in Kingston.
Fisheries

Fishers Advised to Designate Shore-Based Emergency Contacts

The Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ) is urging fishers to identify individuals ashore as emergency contacts before venturing out to sea. Marine Inspector, Norman Thompson, noted that this measure is critical to supporting recovery efforts in the event fishers go missing. “Occasionally, fishers get stranded at sea. So, it’s advised that before they go to sea, they notify a family...
Read more
Facilitator in the National Fisheries Authority’s (NFA) Safety at Sea Training Programme and Head of the Caribbean Maritime University’s (CMU) Department of Professional Training and Certification in the Faculty of Marine and Nautical Studies, Kyle Shaw, speaks at a recent JIS Think Tank.
Fisheries

Fishers Urged Not to Use Lead-Acid Batteries as Weights

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is urging fishers to avoid the use of lead-acid batteries as weights for their fishing lines. Facilitator in the NFA’s Safety at Sea Training Programme and Head of the Caribbean Maritime University’s (CMU) Department of Professional Training and Certification in the Faculty of Marine and Nautical Studies, Kyle Shaw, said the use of cheap and...
Read more