Balance

The Montego Bay Marine Park Trust has been working with the fishing community for over three decades to stem the loss of fish stocks within the park.  Our efforts have included Alternative Livelihoods projects for fisherfolk, and stemming the introduction of new fishers into a saturated market. In 2004, the Trust launched the Sustainable Fisheries Management project “Fish Cyaan Done!” (named after the misguided belief that fish stocks can never be depleted).

This project emphasized the productive value of fish sanctuaries (see the children’s educational production “Angel’s Forever”) and established a first-of-its-kind fishing permitting program in Jamaica. The project also generated community support for uniform and comprehensive enforcement to ensure an even playing field for fishermen.