A Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) aircraft is expected to transport 115 Honduran fishermen, who were caught fishing lobsters without a licence off the Pedro Banks in Jamaica, back to Honduras today, the men’s attorney Jackie Cummings said yesterday.

“The JDF has promised to transport them home tomorrow (today) on a JDF craft,” Cummings told the Observer.

The men – excluding nine juveniles who were among the group – were fined a total of $1.1 million for fishing without a licence, possession of buried and undersized lobster, as well as for using a vessel containing a freezer under the Fishing Industry Regulations and the Aquaculture Inland and Marine Products Act, which is designed especially to thwart illegal shell fish fishing. Their 40-foot boat was also seized, pending an application for its forfeiture.

The men have been languishing at the Newport East dock for more than 20 days, after being refused landing rights by the Jamaican authorities. The police has been footing the bill for their care, including providing portable toilets and food.

Cummings told the Observer that the men should have been allowed to travel back to Honduras two weeks ago, having paid their fines, but said the JDF had failed to follow through on previous promises to organise transport for the fishermen.

The Observer was unable to get a comment from JDF officials last night.

Meanwhile, Cummings said she is appealing the application for forfeiture of the men’s vessel.

She said that the men should have been taken back on another Honduran craft, but that fell through. She said there was also some talk of them been placed on an Air Jamaica charter flight, but that this had also failed to materialise.

Yesterday, crew member of the seized Captain Mincho Junior boat, Steve Britton, who speaks fairly fluent English, said the Newport East police had treated them well, but said that they yearned to return home to be with their families, especially with Christmas approaching.

However, he complained that no representative of the Honduran government had been to see them, and that they suffered from mosquito bites at the port.

“We didn’t know we needed a licence, we normally wouldn’t bring this amount of people but everybody is looking for a little money for Christmas… many of them, their families are crying for them,” said Britton.