In response to an Jamaica Observer article titled ‘Kellier silent on questions around lobster licences’, I think it is imperative that the concerns of the writer and other groups such as The Jamaica Environment Trust be addressed.

The concept of the issuance and use of exploratory licences is worldwide, covering a broad spectrum of fields. Governments, through their competent authorities, either by way of invitation or private sector requests, issue relevant licences aimed at exploring the true occurrence, distribution, or commercial potential of a given product. Such special or exploratory licences are issued to reputable and knowledgeable individuals or companies to gather all available and relevant information on its behalf, which can be utilised to develop a given product for the benefit of the nation.

The explorer is usually included as a beneficiary, because they have invested heavily in these expeditions. In the case of the fishing industry, exploratory licences form the background to responsible and sustainable development and management of resources. Very few government fisheries departments in the world have the capability to undertake the requisite exploratory investigations on a truly scientific basis and grand scale, and as such explorations are usually undertaken by relevant international agencies, universities or private sector interest groups in association with or on behalf of the Government in question.

In this regard, licences were issued to two of the oldest and most experienced registered Jamaican fishery exporting companies who expressed their interest in furthering the development of the Jamaican lobster fishery, which over the years has become the object of intense poaching activities by foreign commercial fishers with an estimated annual US$10-million loss of revenue to the Jamaican fishing industry and by extension the Jamaican Government. It is the lobster fishery, along with that of conch, which forms the main plank of the Jamaican fishery export subsector.

According to the terms and conditions of the Exploratory Spiny Lobster Licence issued to the two companies by the competent authority, the rationale behind the area chosen to be explored is to limit poaching activities and to eventually eradicate all poachers. There is an intensity of foreign poaching, especially in the Jamaican south-western oceanic waters which remain unexplored by Jamaican fishers.

Jamaican fishers do not explore these areas and are not the beneficiaries of lobster production due to fear. This fear stems from past encounters where poachers have threatened and inflicted bodily damage to Jamaican fishermen in order to sustain their numerous illegal activities. The Jamaican fishers have not developed the necessary technical commercial-type capabilities required to fish in these deeper, far placed oceanic waters which are no problem to the foreign poachers with their superior vessels and crew. Both the short- and long-term objective of this exploratory initiative is for Jamaican fishers to fill the void in terms of a physical presence to serve as one of the means of deterrence to foreign poachers, and to harvest and expand in a viable and sustainable way this natural Jamaican resource.

The Exploratory Live Spiny Lobster Licence is based on determining the feasibility of casitas in Jamaica. Casitas are a relatively new and proven harvesting technique provides for an innovative technique to lobster fishery. The technique can serve as both a fish-attracting device for the commercial selective capture, as well as for breeding and provision of extra protective cover for the survival of lobster species in particular. It is used worldwide and is successful in some of the major fishing countries, and is currently adopted by several Caribbean and Latin American countries such as Cuba, Belize, The Bahamas, and Mexico. Cuba, just 90 miles from Jamaica, has the largest lobster fishery in the world. Cuba’s viable lobster industry has been mainly based on the innovative application of the casita system aided by superior management and one which suffers little or no negative impact from undesirable poaching activities.

The Fisheries Division and commercial companies are well aware of the various studies in lobster fishery and specifically the use of casitas which can be duly accessed and referenced through Google Scholar, Plos One, and other scientific databases. Here, it must be noted that these are for reference only, since they do not take into consideration the peculiarities of the Jamaican situation. That is, a science-based exploratory initiative cannot merely be accomplished by “Googling”, as some would suggest. The initiatives being undertaken are not merely theoretically inclined but must be based on very practical and realistic foundations with known and unknown nuances befitting any truly science-based study. The findings must be collated, analysed, and interpreted for proper usage. This would be the prerogative of the competent authority, namely the Fisheries Division in association with its cadre of scientific advisors. Hopefully, the participating companies would be allowed to share in the benefits to be derived, including intellectual property if any flowed from the initiatives.

The exploratory activities carried out include determining the actual location, distribution and occurrence of lobsters in the designated area of Jamaica’s oceanic space and not merely a total focus on the application of casitas. It also involves a determination of alternative harvesting strategies, given the specific oceanic waters involved whereby wanton foreign poaching is the order of the day.

The basic scientific data as it relates to the potential catch, location, distribution are determined by use of GPS applications, along with the extensive experience of the boat captain and selected fishers, to be collated and analysed by the marine specialist hired along with specialised staff from the Fisheries Division. Note that the fishers, while not “trained” scientists, have immense practical experience in fish harvesting techniques. It is to be further noted that it is through the anecdotal sightings and ‘catch experience’ of some of these very same fishermen that have led to this formal exploratory initiative in the first place. Therefore, the issue of fishers not being “scientists” is not only naïve but, in fact, a non sequitur given their understood role in the initiative being undertaken.

The achievement of appropriate management and enforcement is one of the objectives of this particular initiative. For the proper development and expansion of this particular fishery, Jamaica must put in place the required system. It has been successfully done for conch, an endangered species. Jamaica is cited as having arguably the best conch management system in the world, and its model can be applied to any fishery. It cannot, therefore, be that no action can be taken in this regard — as the country strives to develop a viable and sustainable system for lobster fishery. The point is that Jamaica can expend the necessary effort to put in place the requisite monitoring and enforcement system, despite the attending difficulties, rather than to be outrightly being dismissive of the country’s ability to do so.

Records of findings gathered by GPS systems and the information garnered through the experience and visual observations made from underwater exploration activities by the crew and divers will form a part of the data to be analysed to evaluate the exploration exercise. The importance of data collection activities, as laid down by the Fisheries Division, is well understood by the companies involved. These records will be evaluated to determine if the goals of the exploratory initiative have been met, with the aim being to utilise the findings for expanding the Jamaican lobster fishery to secure the most from this natural resource for Jamaican fishers and the Jamaican economy; and in so doing assist in limiting the foreign poaching activities taking place in Jamaican oceanic space. We are true protectors of our environment. and by extension our natural fishery resources, hence our taking this timely initiative through the expenditure of vast sums in terms of equipment, fuel, labour, and placing ourselves and workers to the perils of the sea.

Sydney Francis is managing director of Ton-Rick Enterprises Limited. Send comments to the Observer or sydfran@gmail.com.