Fishing Boats, Vouchers Handed Over to Fishers in St. James

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, on Friday (February 13), handed over four fishing boats and brand-new engines to fishers in St. James, in a major drive to get them back out to sea following the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

A multi-million-dollar voucher programme was also launched to support vessel repairs and engine replacement.

Under this initiative, 18 fishers in the parish received vouchers, during the handover ceremony held at River Bay Fishing Village in Montego Bay.

The vouchers, ranging from $150,000 to $500,000, were distributed to fishers primarily from Grange Pen, Harvey Beach, and River Bay fishing beaches.

The initiative formed part of a $180 million national grant programme, targeting the hardest-hit parishes such as St. James, Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth, Trelawny and St. Ann.

In his remarks, Mr. Green said while the Government is supporting the livelihoods of fishers after the hurricane, the boat and engine distribution is also an investment in the next generation of fishers.

“It is a programme where we were going to be issuing 100 boats and engines over five years. So, for each year, we are going to do 20 and we are targeting registered fishers under the age of 35, so that we can give you that start in life,” Mr. Green explained.

He added that the distribution started last year but was paused, following the passage of hurricane melissa in October.

According to Mr. Green, approximately 3,289 boats suffered damage or were destroyed, due to the hurricane, representing nearly half of Jamaica’s entire artisanal fleet.

Moreover, the Minister noted that most fishing beaches along the coast experienced extensive damage to infrastructure and gear sheds, resulting in over $3 billion in damage to livelihoods and more than $7 billion in total damage when infrastructure costs are included.

“It takes a different heart, it takes spirit, it takes a certain passion to be a fisherman, and I want us to give a big round of applause to our fishermen and women and all they do to feed us,” Mr. Green stated.

For his part, Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the St. James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Richard Vernon, commended the fishers for their resilience following the hurricane.

He, however, cautioned that the fisherfolk community is ageing and that it is critical to transfer skills to younger people, so that fishing activities do not decrease in the future.

“Congratulations to those who receive and we’re looking forward to you putting the support that you’re getting to good use for the further development of the [fisheries sector],” Mr. Vernon said.

Meanwhile, beneficiary Crystal Buddle in her remarks, expressed gratitude to Mr. Green, Mayor Vernon, and the National Fisheries Authority.

She said the support means a lot to fishers and will help them return to sea to earn their livelihoods once again.

Another fisher, Richardo Reid, who had three boats damaged in the hurricane, said receiving a brand-new boat under the programme, feels like a “blessing.”