Research Projects

The Marine Fisheries of Jamaica

Project Staff: Karl Aiken

The marine fisheries of Jamaica are almost entirely artisanal with at least 18,000 fishers and an annual catch of approximately 7,000 t. A recent development is a small industrial fishery for queen conch and spiny lobster that earns significant foreign exchange for the country. The major aquatic resources are coral reef fishes, conch, lobster, small pelagics and seasonal large pelagics. The major fishing grounds are the southern shelf and Pedro Bank, a large oceanic bank 150 km to the southwest of Kingston. The fisheries are rated as overfished, except the queen conch fishery which is relatively well managed. A new Fisheries Bills is currently being reviewed with the intention of improving the efficiency of management measures and of fisheries adminstration. There are plans for rehabilitating the fisheries and developing them with focus on their sustainability in the future.

Aiken, K.A. and G.A. Kong 2000. Jamaica's marine fisheries. Naga, ICLARM Quarterly, Vol. 23 (1) Jan. - Mar.:23-35.