FISHERMEN from the Flamingo Beach marine village on the outskirts of Montego Bay are concerned about environmental pollution which, they fear, will have a negative impact on their livelihood.

“There is no future in fishing,” said fisherman George Reid.

The pensioner, who has eked out a living from the seas for 60 years, said that he and his peers do not have the resources to fight the rampant littering. Reid in fact argued that fishermen stood a better chance of winning the fight against these litter bugs if the various environmental institutions were to join forces with them.

This was one of the suggestions thrown out by the fishermen during a recent meeting organised by the Sandals Royal Caribbean Hotel which had extended a helping hand to the disgruntled group.

At this meeting, the fishermen vented their anger at the degradation taking place.

“This is the worst I ever see it,” Reid’s fishing partner of 30 years, Donovan Downer, agreed.

According to Downer, compared to previous years, there has been a marked reduction in the volume of his catch and a remarkable decrease in the size of the fish snared in his nets and pots. Downer added that he had begun returning smaller fishes to the ocean out of respect for the environment, but expressed sadness that other fishermen did not see the importance of this practice.

Meanwhile, Sandals Royal’s environmental team, headed by the resort’s junior assistant manager, Francois Lucchesi, has started an environmental education programme for the fishermen and the Flamingo Beach community, as part of its ongoing initiative to enhance environmental awareness. Local fishermen, including Reid and Downer, are expected to participate in the project.