Two fishermen were fined $4 in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Tuesday for illegally fishing in the Port Royal fairway last month.

The men, John Fang and Paul Saunders, pleaded guilty to fishing in the fairway, which is illegal under the Harbour Rules of 1971.

According to court documents, on March 18 at 7:30 am, marine police patrolling the Port Royal waters observed a red, white and blue 28-foot fibreglass fishing canoe with the men on board.

Saunders and Fang were reportedly casting their nets near the cruise ship pier and were cautioned separately for the offence and arrested.

While being cautioned, Fang stated, “Offica, beg yuh a chance and me give you some fish.”

But, Saunders appeared more confrontational, saying, “Offica, a gweh yuh fi gweh and stop tek set pon fisherman and go look fi gunman.”

After hearing the statements, Senior Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague advised the men that she would have to impose the maximum under Section 14 (B) of the Harbour Rules (1971) fine for breaching the Habour Act (1874).

“The act is a very old act. You are fined $4 or five-days imprisonment. You can probably leave a change for the Government,” Cole-Montague told the men, who could hardly hide their surprise.

Saunders, the captain of the vessel, told the court that he had recently been in dialogue with the National Planning and Environment Agency (NEPA), the coast guard, and the Caribbean Maritime Institute to have the laws changed, which would allow him fishing in the fairway, but to no avail.

“The fairway, the channel and the reef, we cya fish there. Where fisherman going fish den? The same place weh dem call the fairway is my fishing ground and me a fish there from 1974, from me a eight-year-old, and the grounds don’t change,” he bemoaned.

Advising that he should take his concerns to Parliament, Cole-Montaque said, “I understand your frustration, you know. Let me tell you what is wrong with this country, we don’t put our representatives to work.”

“We don’t, for example, organise ourselves to say ‘Alright, we are a group of fishermen who are disgruntled, let us form an organisation, let us form a body and let us lobby and we can lobby with the MP [Member of Parliament] out there so as a body we approach NEPA and try to have our voice heard.’ But, because you have been doing something for a long time without being caught does not make it less criminal,” Cole-Montague continued.