NFA Encourages More Women to Participate in Safety-at-Sea Training

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) is encouraging more women to take part in its Safety at Sea Training Programme, which equips fishers with essential survival and scuba-diving skills.

Senior Director of Extension Services at the NFA’s Capture Fisheries Branch, Shellene Berry, said that since the programme’s inception, approximately 160 participants from all 14 parishes have been trained.

“There is no gender bias. Both females and males have been trained, as well as youth and persons with disabilities. Numbers with the women and the disabled have been low; however, we encourage more females to come on board, especially in the scuba-diving training,” she noted.

Speaking at a recent JIS Think Tank, Mrs. Berry said several women have participated in the safety at sea component, but none has yet enrolled in the scuba-diving segment.

“We encourage them because we know that there are females out there who also do scuba diving,” she said.

The Safety at Sea Training Programme forms part of the NFA’s broader mandate to promote sustainable fishing practices and strengthen fisherfolk resilience. Training is conducted across all parishes and delivered in multiple cohorts each year.

“For the safety-at-sea training, we normally have three cohorts. For each year, the numbers increase. So, for this year we trained 40 persons and we try not to have more than probably 12 to 15 persons per cohort,” Mrs. Berry noted.

She explained that the practical component of the training requires smaller groups to ensure safety and effective supervision. “For the scuba-diving course, we do two cohorts, normally about seven to eight persons. For this year, we want to do 15,” she said. The three-day training consists of one and a half days of classroom sessions and an equal period of practical exercises. The programme is offered free of cost to fishers.

“To be a beneficiary of the programme, fishers can contact their fisheries extension officer in their area. They will be able to assess and make the proper recommendation for you to be enrolled,” Mrs. Berry explained.

She added that participants can select either the safety at sea or scuba diving course each year, as they cannot do both simultaneously.

“The training dates are normally set upon the availability of the institutions – based on the space and the availability of lecturers. For the next set of training, we will have to go all the way around again to start training in the parishes, starting with those that had a low intake first,” she said.

For more information, persons can contact the National Fisheries Authority at 876-948-9014.