Green calls on international community for help to stamp out IUU fishing

Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Floyd Green, is calling upon the international community to help Jamaica in its drive to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Minister Green made the call during the launch of an enforcement vessel by the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) in Kingston on October 30.
Noting that poaching was one of the biggest challenges expressed by fishers, Minister Green said “we are taking a zero-tolerance approach to those who would want to benefit, poach, and conduct IUU fishing in our waters. This Government will not tolerate it.”
The Minister also urged the fishers to protect their livelihood by protecting the sanctuaries from those who want to fish within them, noting that survival of the fisheries sector depends on the sanctuaries.
Green commended the World Bank for its US$165,000 grant towards the procurement of the vessel, which will allow us to better police our shores and will be used to support and strengthen the NFA’s enforcement efforts.
“We have to ensure that we establish effective measures to protect marine and coastal ecosystems, said the Agriculture and Fisheries Minister.
Procurement of the vessel forms part of the US$4.8-million World Bank-funded Promoting Community-Based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project aimed at enhancing community-based climate resilience among targeted fishing and fish-farming communities of Jamaica.