No Ban on Parrotfish

Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Audley Shaw, says there is no ban in place on parrotfish.

At a post-Sectoral Debate press briefing at his Hope Gardens offices in St. Andrew on April 24, the Minister said that extensive research and consultations have been undertaken with local and international experts to properly examine the issue.

Acknowledging the varied concerns expressed by lobby groups, the Minister explained that “while there exists a correlation between reduced herbivory and degraded coral reef systems, there is no conclusive evidence that the consumption of parrotfish is the cause of the depletion of the coral reefs”.

“In addition to the fact that there is no scientific basis on which to impose a ban on parrotfish, it is (also) not practical to impose a ban on a single species in a multispecies fishery, without serious negative impact on some of our most vulnerable citizens,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Shaw informed that a project will be piloted at the Oracabessa High School in St. Mary by Executive Chef of The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Mark Cole, who is a past student.

“Highly nutritious Jamaican foods will be used to feed those students instead of rice and flour,” the Minister noted.

Mr. Cole has been one of Jamaica’s foremost chefs for more than 20 years and has significantly transformed the island’s cuisine and the practice of the culinary arts.