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State Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Franklin Witter (second right), engages with (from left) National Fisheries Authority (NFA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Gavin Bellamy; NFA Aquaculture Management Officer, Brittany Oates; and Senior Director in the NFA’s Aquaculture Division, DeHaan Brown, during the National Tilapia Farmers’ Consultation hosted by the NFA on Thursday (January 22) at the Caymanas Golf and Polo Resort in St. Catherine.

Gov’t Advancing Plans for Development of Aquaculture Agro-Park and Regional Centre of Excellence

The Government is advancing plans to establish a 300‑acre aquaculture agro‑park at Amity Hall, St. Catherine, alongside the development of a Caribbean Centre of Excellence in Mitchell Town, Clarendon. These developments form part of the strategic measures being pursued to...

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (left), interacts with participants in the Rural Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (RYEEP) Builder, during a graduation ceremony on June 13 last year, at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

Training Commences for 2025/26 Cohort of RYEEP Builder

Director of Engineering and Technical Services at the National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC), Rohan Stewart, speaks about the Commission’s drainage operations in Central and South St. Elizabeth and the minimal damage sustained to NIC facilities during Hurricane Melissa, during a recent JIS Think Tank.

Ongoing Drainage Works by NIC Limit Flooding in Sections of St. Elizabeth

Director of Commercial Operations at the National Irrigation Commission (NIC), Wayne Barrett, addresses a recent JIS Think Tank.

NIC Encourages Farmers to Prepare for Rollout of Water Supply Under Essex Valley Project

Director of Engineering and Technical Services at the National Irrigation Commission Limited (NIC), Rohan Stewart, addresses a recent JIS Think Tank, during which he outlined plans for the procurement of additional generators valued at over $107 million, funded through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, to strengthen the resilience of the island’s irrigation systems.

NIC to Purchase Additional Generators

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green (right), interacts with Chief Executive Officer of NCB Foundation Jamaica Limited, Bruce Bowen (centre), and fisherman, Gervon Parchment, as they inspect fishing wires during the distribution of agricultural and fishing supplies at the Breds Foundation Complex in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, on Tuesday (December 23), as part of post-Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts.

3 months ago AgricultureFisheries

200 Farmers and Fisherfolk in Treasure Beach Receive $7m in Hurricane Recovery Supplies

Approximately 200 farmers and fisherfolk in Treasure Beach, St. Elizabeth, received over $7 million in supplies and equipment on Tuesday (December 23) at the Breds Foundation Complex, as part of Hurricane Melissa recovery efforts. The National Commercial Bank Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, distributed critical resources to help restore livelihoods in one of the...

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

3 months ago AgricultureFisheries

$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 Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) on December 17, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, said the response is...

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.

4 months ago FisheriesHurricane MelissaHurricane Relief & Recovery

Rocky Point Fishers Receive Wire Mesh to Replace Lost Fish Pots

Minister of Labour and Social Security, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., handed out rolls of wire mesh to fisherfolk in Rocky Point, Clarendon, on December 12, to rebuild their lost fish pots in time for Christmas. The material cannot replace all the fish pots they lost during the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28, but they (fishers) believe the donation...

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.

4 months ago FisheriesHurricane Relief & Recovery

Extensive Support for Fisheries Sector

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining is providing extensive support for the fisheries sector, which was devastated by the passage of Hurricane Melissa on October 28. Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, explained that more than 3,000 boats were destroyed by the powerful storm, with fishers losing the majority of their fishing equipment, including wires and pots. As a result,...

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.

5 months ago FisheriesHurricane MelissaLocal Government

National Fisheries Authority Confirms Island-Wide Catastrophic Damage to Fisheries Sector Following Hurricane Melissa

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has confirmed extensive and catastrophic damage to Jamaica’s fisheries sector following the devastating passage of Category 5 Hurricane Melissa. Preliminary assessments indicate losses amounting to billions of dollars, with widespread destruction across fishing communities, aquaculture operations, and critical infrastructure. Initial assessments paint a picture of severe loss in several key fishing parishes, threatening the livelihoods...

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.

5 months ago FisheriesHurricane MelissaHurricane Relief & Recovery

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

Fisherfolk across several communities in St. Ann have credited early and proactive preparations with helping to safeguard boats, equipment, and livelihoods ahead of Hurricane Melissa’s landfall on October 28. While storms often devastate marine industries, disciplined pre-storm measures taken by these coastal communities helped avert total catastrophe. Fisherman, Harold Bloomfield of White River—a coastal community bordering Ocho Rios and St....

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

5 months ago 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...