Lobster season application deadline extended

NFA promises strict enforcement

INDUSTRIAL FISHERS who are seeking to meet the licence requirements for spiny lobster for the 2021-2022 season have been granted at least another week to complete the application process, according to an advertisement in Wednesday’s publication of The Gleaner. The application deadline has been extended to July 9, from the original deadline date of 3 p.m. on June 18, which was set to facilitate resumption of harvesting in keeping with Wednesday’s end of the annual closed season on lobster fishing, or sale of any part of this marine delicacy.

Chief executive officer of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Dr Gavin Bellamy, said the extension was done to facilitate the fishers, some of whom may have had difficulties getting restarted as a result of complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in light of the industry reopening after a two-year ban on lobster harvesting. This was deemed necessary after a survey of the tasty crustacean found that stocks had been depleted to dangerously low levels.

Checks by The Gleaner have found that the uptake for licences this season has not been as robust as in previous years, as a number of fishers did not survive the economic crunch caused by the global pandemic.

“They have some issues with the licences, due to COVID-19 and the crews and everything coming in. So we are just facilitating them.The vessels, some of them went to dry dock and so the extension is just to facilitate everyone getting back in business.We are trying to work with the industry to make sure everything runs smoothly,” Bellamy told The Gleaner.

Meanwhile, industry players are being reminded that, for the industrial spiny lobster fishery, only a limited number of licences will be granted for industrial spiny lobster fishing vessels, in keeping with agreed management measures to conserve and ensure the sustainability of the fishery.

So, in determining the award of licences, the NFA will give weighted consideration to the following criteria:

• Whether the applicant owns an industrial fishing vessel

• The historic involvement of the applicant in the lobster industry

• Whether the applicant has met the policy incentive investments

(a) Employment of more than 20 Jamaicans.

(b) Owns more than 1,000 lobster traps.

(c) Owns a fish processing plant to be used for lobster processing.

(d) Operates live lobster facilities.

(e) Will use and deploy lobster condominiums and casitas in zoned areas.

The NFA is also advising that applicants who did not utilise their industrial lobster fishing vessel licence(s) during the 2019-20 and 202021 spiny lobster fishing seasons will not be eligible for industrial spiny lobster licences for the period 2021-23.

The public and fishers are also advised that the NFA and the national law enforcement agencies will continue enforcement activities for illegal possession of spiny lobster, such as undersized Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus), that is, lobsters with their carapace (heads) being less than 7.62 centimetres (three inches) and female lobsters with eggs, which are also called berried lobsters.