Peter Espeut
THE FOOD and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations declares June 29 each year as International Fishermen's Day. Many other Caribbean countries and territories observe it and give due recognition to their fishers. In some Caribbean countries, the week surrounding the day is observed as Fisherman's Week, and exhibitions and displays, sports and games take place which 'big up' the fishing community.
We do not do this in Jamaica. We do not give recognition to the men and women involved in the capture and sale of fish, probably because they are totally in the informal sector and are considered to be poor. Despite their contribution to food security, fishers are positioned quite low on the scale of social status, and are largely ignored by the wider society.
Indeed, fishing has been treated as a sump for the unemployed, as a mechanism to absorb persons who cannot find employment elsewhere.
The Jamaican fishery is open to everyone as if the resources are unlimited; very few regulations have been created, and there has been no enforcement of the few laws which do exist. For example, provision for the declaration of fish sanctuaries has been sparsely used; even now there is no minimum fishpot mesh size stipulated in law. Although one needs a licence to fish, the licence is free (except to fish on the Pedro Cays: that licence costs 10 cents pe
r year) and is freely available.
The number of fishers has been allowed to rise so that income per fisher has declined; so they fish harder. The stock of fish is finite, and Jamaica's total catch has sharply declined, despite the fact that our fishers are going further out.
What we are allowing is not sustainable, and CARICOM has determined that Jamaica has the most overfished waters in the Caribbean. The Government seems only interested in the high-value lobster and conch resources, and has ignored the largely small-scale (artisanal) finfish sector.
In addition to the financial risk, the fishing profession involves risk to life and limb, and each year several fishers pay the ultimate price. You would think that being out in a small boat with a small engine would compel fishers to stock up on safety equipment like lifejackets and signal flares - not just because it is the law, but because it is common sense and in their own self-interest; but having these gear is the exception rather than the rule, and there is no enforcement.
So the corner of the artisanal fishers looks dark, with many of their problems being of their own doing, which is both problem and opportunity. It is an opportunity because if fishers could only get their act together, they could solve most of their problems themselves!
Monthly meetings
This is what is happening in the Portland Bight area of St. Catherine and Clarendon.
With the help of a non-government organisation, the fishers of Hellshire and Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine, and Welcome Beach, Mitchell Town, Portland Cottage and Rocky Point in Clarendon have joined with relevant government agencies to form the Portland Bight Fisheries Management Council (PBFMC).
Tomorrow Fisherman's Day is their fifth anniversary; they have had 56 monthly meetings since June 1995, missing only two: one due to the December 1977 General Elections, and the other because six of their members/officers were in San Diego attending a Coastal Conference. And the record of their achievements is substantial.
They began by reviewing all existing fisheries legislation and found it wanting, so they drafted a suite of regulations they felt would restore and increase fish stocks.
They have recommended fees for permits to fish, and penalties for breaches of the regulations. Noted Caribbean fisheries scientist, Dr. Robin Mahon, has predicted that if the PBFMC-drafted regulations are implemented, the catch in Portland Bight should more than double in a few years!
About 50 Portland Bight fishers have been appointed honorary game wardens and fisheries inspectors by the Governor-General under the Wildlife Protection Act and the Fishing Industry Act. They receive training annually, and are responsible for enforcing existing laws.
Patrimony
They are respected by their peers, especially since they have a 100 per cent conviction rate so far in court!
These fishers are not prepared just to complain; they are taking action to protect the marine resources which is the source of their livelihood!
Now that Portland Bight is declared a Protected Area under Section 5 of the Natural Resources Conservation Authority Act, fisheries management in Portland Bight is set to take off! Tomorrow the fishers of Portland Bight will gather at the JAMALCO Sports Club for their Second Symposium on Fisheries Management to confirm their commitment to the process and to work out some details. Let us big up and pay tribute to Jamaican fisherfolk - men and women - who are trying to make their industry work.
Let us hope that others will support them in their efforts to improve their lot and the patrimony that Jamaica will bequeath to those yet unborn.
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and executive director of an environment and development NGO.
