First Safety at Sea Training Begins August 23

Thirty-five Jamaicans working in the fisheries sector islandwide will participate in the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) Safety at Sea Training Programme.

The first of its kind, the training is being done in partnership with the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU), with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The first cohort will be trained between August 23 and 25 at the Montego Bay Marine Trust, located at Pier One in Montego Bay. They will come from the parishes of St. James, Hanover, Trelawny and St. Ann. Fisheries Management Specialist with the National Fisheries Authority, Shellene Berry, said the training course is a priority area for the Government.

“Due to the high number of mishaps at sea, the Minister, as well as the NFA, saw it best that we start training fisherfolk in safe sea practices. We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the CMU and they will be training persons in safety at sea, which includes navigation, how to be safe at sea, the use of the safety equipment, such as life jackets, GPS and compasses, as well as certification from CMU,” she told JIS News.

A total of three cohorts will be trained in the safety-at-sea programme.

“The second cohort will be trained in Black River, St. Elizabeth, where three parishes will come together from September 13 to 15. The last one will be held in Kingston where the remaining parishes will come together between September 23 and 25,” Mrs. Berry noted.

Meanwhile, another memorandum of understanding, signed with the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus, will facilitate the training of one cohort of persons in scuba diving.

“For the scuba diving training programme, 12 persons were selected from across the island. At the end of the scuba training, participants will receive dive watches and Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Open Water Certification,” she noted.

The training is expected to start during the second week in October, at the Marine Lab in Discovery Bay.