KINGSTON, Jamaica – The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has chosen a name for the soon-to-be-implemented online fisheries licensing and registration system, following a naming competition among its staff.

It was decided that the system will be called IrieFINS – Jamaica’s fisheries and aquaculture information system.

The winner of the competition is Licensing and Registration Clerk, Yonique Gordon, who walked away with the top prize of $25,000.

Describing her entry, Gordon wrote: “The fins are well known in various spheres to be related to the industry. Their purposes are to provide the fish with balance, protection and the ability to direct their motion. I believe this is also the purpose for which this system was created.”

Principal Director of Fisheries Compliance Licensing and Statistics at the NFA, Dr Zhara Oliphant, said the competition aimed to have employees generate a name that captures the essence of what the new system will do.

“Our fishers, fish farmers and persons in the industry will be the ones to benefit the most from the system being developed. Instead of applying via paper, because right now we are very manual with our operations, this system will allow persons to apply online,” she said.

Meanwhile, a logo competition for IrieFINS has been launched among public-sector workers.

Dr Oliphant said the competition is geared at allowing public-sector workers to participate in the implementation of a system that will transform how the NFA delivers services to its stakeholders.

“We are hoping to get some nice entries for the logo competition as well. We want persons to submit a graphic design of the logo to match the IrieFINS name and what the system represents,” she added.

Details on the logo competition, including prize and deadline, are available at

https://publicsectortransformation.gov.jm/logo-competition/

The NFA and the Transformation Implementation Unit in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service are collaborating to implement the new fisheries licensing and registration system.

Stakeholders in the fisheries sector can expect a reduction in the processing time for licensing and registration applications under the new system. Applicants will also be able to track the status of applications and download licences to their smartphones.