KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Government will be placing greater focus on fisheries sector development during fiscal year 2025/26.

This was disclosed by Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green, while responding to questions during the meeting of the Standing Finance Committee of the House of Representatives at Gordon House on March 7.

He said the Government has established a production incentive programme in the sector, similar to one instituted for farmers.

Green indicated that as part of the programme, grants were given to fisherfolk who were affected by adverse weather conditions last year, including Hurricane Beryl.

The minister added that there are other programmes geared towards youth in the fishing industry and stated that he will provide additional support to encourage more people to enter the sector.

“It’s part of a bigger initiative where we’re doing a number of development programmes. [These include] beach rehabilitation programmes for our fishing beaches, a programme to help our young fishers [and] we are looking at starting a programme where we’re going to be issuing boats and engines to bring in new entrants into the fishing space,” Green said.

He added that the ministry is working with artisanal fishers to teach them about longline fishing, where they will be able to go further out to sea and get more pelagic species of fish.

Green further disclosed that the ministry has provided equipment to assist with their trips out to sea.

“It is going extremely well. Member [of Parliament, Norman] Dunn would have shared some pictures from St Mary [South Eastern] where they’re getting deep-sea snapper, they’re getting marlin, mahi-mahi, and these are small fishers going further out,” the minister stated.

–         JIS