Help us save Jamaican Fishermen.

Every year Honduran boats gain 500 Million JMD fishing in our waters. STOP the boats sign this petition. Keep the income in Jamaica do not let them over fish our waters.

Jamaica is again losing hundreds of millions of dollars to Honduras due to a loophole in the lobster licencing system, according to JFDA (Jamaica Fisheries Development Alliance).

Jamaica is currently being ravaged by poachers, which is bad enough, but this loophole allows foreign boats to be registered here in Jamaica gaining access to a lobster licence to fish in the Jamaican waters for lobster, as if they were Jamaican. This means not only the poachers are winning, but the so called “legal” fishermen win, too.

The JFDA is advocating that lobster licences be issued on the 1st July, but it must only be to vessels currently in Jamaica. The issue is that vessels are being registered here on the island, going back to Honduras, and only appearing from Honduras when the season begins. To put it in layman's terms; Honduran vessels are carrying workers at a cheap rate, registering their boats here, and fishing in Jamaican waters when the season commences. This exposing of a loophole not only poses an environmental threat to the waters due to over-fishing, but brings about huge losses for Jamaica's fishermen and economy, with an estimated half-billion-dollar (J$500m) loss per season. Whilst Jamaica is trying its best to run a proudly-Jamaican industry, Honduras is coming through the metaphorical back door of the warehouse, casually past security, and leaving with Jamaican stock. When that stock is sold, it is being exported as “Jamaican”, however, 90% of the profits go back to Honduras, leaving Jamaica with nothing but empty waters, empty pockets, and disillusioned fishermen. 

The JFDA is calling on the government to undertake a full investigation into the matter, as well as ensuring no lobster licences are given to boats coming from Honduras this year, for the beginning of the lobster season; Jamaican registered or otherwise. The Alliance stresses that Jamaican resources must be used for Jamaica’s overall benefit, and a ‘free-for-all’ mentality can not be allowed to become common place.