Fishers Urged Not to Use Lead-Acid Batteries as Weights
By: , September 30, 2025
Photo: Donald De La Haye
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.The Full Story
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 easily accessible lead-acid batteries puts fishers at risk of lead poisoning.
“In the middle of the training we showed them (fishers) the effects of lead poisoning, including the effects on behaviour. What they are doing is that they are ingesting the fumes through smoke and vapour. It’s not that they were doing it with any malicious intent, they were doing it because of customs and practices,” he said.
Mr. Shaw, who was speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, at the agency’s Television Department, 5-9 South Odeon Avenue, in Kingston, said lead poisoning has long term effects.
“When it comes to lead acid batteries, I showed them behaviours that they might observe in fisher folk over a period of time. Think about a fisherman that you know, if you recall they probably exhibit behaviour change where they start to lose their memory, you see that they start to lose some hair or some teeth, or they start to behave aggressively out of the blue. I said to them that might be the effect of long-term lead poisoning, and you say that the person is going crazy when that was not the cause,” he said.
Ideally, before fishers encounter lead, they should be wearing personal protective equipment to include face masks and a proper chemical suit.
In addition to the effect on the mind, Mr. Shaw said lead poisoning can lead to musculoskeletal disorders.
“When it does take an effect on you is when it’s too late to do anything about it. It can affect your lifestyle in older ages. In the Safety at Sea training, we tell them directly – stop using lead as weights – stop trying to make lead yourself as weights,” he said.