NFA Safety at Sea Training Aligns with International Maritime Standards

Fisherfolk participating in the National Fisheries Authority’s (NFA) Safety at Sea Training Programme receive instruction aligned with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F).

According to lecturer at the Caribbean Maritime University (CMU) and Head of the Department of Professional Training and Certification in the Faculty of Marine and Nautical Studies, Kyle Shaw, the programme’s curriculum is designed to equip fishers with survival skills for emergency situations at sea, rather than focusing on routine operational tasks.

Mr. Shaw, who is one of the programme’s facilitators, stated that since the initiative’s launch in 2021, there have been few reported instances requiring Coast Guard intervention to rescue fishers.

“One of the things that you can take into practice is that persons who work on fishing vessels in Jamaica, they are more aligned with international best practices and safety standards that you can find comparable to any other place in the world,” the lecturer said.

He was speaking during a Jamaica Information Service (JIS) ‘Think Tank’ on Tuesday (September 23) at the Agency’s Television Department in Kingston.

Mr. Shaw noted that the training aims to foster a culture shift among fisherfolk, promoting safety awareness and preparedness in the event of distress at sea.

“Most persons… don’t know what to do, and that is what costs life, because time is of the essence. For example, one of the things that we teach them in training is that food is not important to survival, it is water,” he stated.

Mr. Shaw told JIS News that a component of the training programme focuses on developing the psychological resilience required for survival at sea, using a concept he coined—the ‘first 24 hours mindset’.

In this segment of the training, he explains to participants that within the first 24 hours—once the initial sensation of hunger subsides—the body enters a state of ketosis, during which excess fat is metabolised and toxins are expelled.

“When you reach that state, you will more than likely become more alert, you will more than likely be able to survive in a more prolonged period of time; so it is just the mentality in the first part,” Mr. Shaw said.

The facilitator noted that each training session consistently results in a shift in mindset among participants.

In addition to receiving certification, each participant in the Safety at Sea Training Programme is provided with personal life jackets, Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments, Very High Frequency (VHF) radios, and life rings.

The programme is offered free of charge to fisherfolk who are registered and licensed with the NFA.

It includes Safety at Sea Training delivered by the CMU, and Scuba Diving Open Water Certification administered by the University of the West Indies (UWI) Marine Lab.

This year, the initiative is funded at a cost of $7 million through the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s Production Incentive Programme.