ST ANN, Jamaica – With Jamaica’s fish import rate at 68 per cent, fisheries minister Floyd Green says there is a need to reduce these numbers.

According to Green, this puts Jamaica among the top fisheries consumers globally.

He noted that the initiative to reduce imports would include training local fishers in how to maximise their yield.

“As we know the fisheries sector has faced its fair share of challenges, I’m not sure if we appreciate that Jamaica is among the highest consumers of fish per capita in the world. In fact we are way past most of the region but the reality is 68 per cent of the fish that we consume is imported and we have to put a stop to that.

“The only way we can put a stop to that is by ensuring that our fishers are able to go further out and treat with the realities of climate change,” Green said.

He was speaking at the handing over ceremony for a pelagic fishing equipment at the Discovery Bay Marine Laboratory in St Ann on Wednesday.

Additionally, he said the ministry is retrofitting six vessels with GPS and long-line fishing equipment to enhance operations.

He noted that the initiative aims to diversify catches, expand markets and promote technological advancement.

“What we’re trying to catch are what is in high demand especially in our hotel sector. It’s not that we don’t have it but we haven’t trained our fishers in the technology to go out and get it…yellow fin tuna, kingfish swordfish using horizontal long lines aggregating devices.

“But we’re going to go further. What you haven’t heard is that…we’re also going to choose six vessels from each of these fishing beaches and we’re going to retrofit them,” he said.

The ministry also plans to distribute a hundred GPS devices to fishers.

In the meantime, the minister said the government will be expanding the fisheries incentive programme this year.

Green noted that, while Jamaica has some of the best fisher folk globally, they lack adequate support. As a result, the government will be helping them to re-tool.

“I do believe that we have some of the best fishermen and women but they need greater support, greater facilitation, they have challenges with the cost of input and we have to help them in that regard, and that is why this year we’re going to expand our fisheries incentive programme to enable our fishers to be able to retool,” he said.

“Additionally they need training when they get the training they take to the training I knew that this would be the outcome I’m not surprised at all that the fishers are clamouring for the training because they want to be better at their craft so we will provide more training,” he said.

He said an extension service will also be created, to provide assistance to fisher folk.

“We’re bolstering the National Fisheries Authority giving them more officers so that if people want to ask just as RADA has an extension service to help farmers, the National Fisheries Authority will have that same form of profile with an extension service to help…so when you’re in challenges when you wondering who to turn to, turn to NFA. It’s still work in progress but I am telling you we’re getting better and, under this leadership, fisheries will be given prime priority,” he said.