MOU to Boost Fisheries Enforcement Through Ticketing System

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, through the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) and the Ministry of National Security and Peace by July, to integrate the NFA into the Traffic Information Management System.

This will enable enforcement officers to issue tickets for specific fisheries offences.

Portfolio Minister, Hon. Floyd Green, made the announcement during his contribution to the 2026/27 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday (May 13).

“What does this mean? It means that when enforcement officers stop [offenders], instead of sending them to court, they can issue them with a ticket, they can pay their ticket, and they can continue to do what they are doing,” he said.

“So, we are going to be bringing in some of the offences under the system, like failing to report a fishing vessel that is lost, failing to store fishing gear, failing to comply with a lawful inquiry… all of these things that are already in the law, we’re going to make them ticketable offences. We don’t want them to break the law but with these offences, they can pay the ticket, save some time and move on. We plan to launch this in September of this year,” the Minister added,

Mr. Green cautioned that failure to pay the fine will result in offenders appearing before the court on the prescribed date, where they will be subject to the discretion of the judge.

Regarding spiny lobster fisheries, the Minister reported that the regulations are now in place to permit full utilisation of lobster throughout the year, including during the closed season.

He explained, however, that while all lobster fishing during the closed season remains illegal, lobster caught in the open season and properly declared can now be enjoyed by consumers.

“Additionally, we have to do some more in fisheries management. So I’m putting the industry on notice that we will have to start moving now to deal with the size of the fish that we catch. If they are too small, we have to put them back. We have done significant consultation and what we’re now going to be moving to do is to do regulations that stipulate the size of the fish. We have the enforcement officers that are now there who are saying to the fishers… ‘help us to help you’. It doesn’t make sense that we destroy what we benefit from,” Mr. Green said.

Meanwhile, the Minister informed the Lower House that the Government will prioritise the development of fisheries infrastructure, noting that fishing beaches are among the most critical assets in the sector, as they serve as the hubs through which operations are carried out.

He stated that last year, significant work was undertaken on fishing beach infrastructure in Black River, Portland Cottage, Pagee, and Salem, at a cost of $88 million.

These renovations included repairs to fish markets, gear sheds, and bathroom facilities; upgrades to sewerage systems; and the installation of solar-powered lighting to enhance safety and security on the beaches.

This year, the Whitehouse Fishing Beach complex, which was damaged by Hurricane Melissa, is being renovated at an estimated cost of $34 million.

“We have acquired two additional properties, one in Braham Wharf in Westmoreland, the other in Green Island in Hanover, to set up two new fisheries offices. We’re going to continue our boat programme; we’re going to be doing 20 boats and 20 engines each year. We’re also going to be establishing two additional fuel depots, one in Trelawny and one in Portland, so that our fishers do not have to go too far to get their fuel,” Mr. Green said.