Fisheries and Marine Conservation
Jamaica Report
If the biota, in the course of aeons, has built something we like but do not understand, then who but a fool would discard seemingly useless parts? To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering. Aldo Leopold, Round River, 1993.
Reef Relief Founders.com
By K.A. Aiken
Department Of Zoology
University Of The West Indies, Mona
Fisheries And Marine Conservation
By K.A. Aiken
Department of Zoology
University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica
Telephone 1-809-927-1661-9
Introduction
This will be an illustration talk on the subject of fisheries and marine conservation. Today, I want to look at
1) the organization of the fishery
2) the status or condition of that fishery
3) the effects of the reef environment
4) what can be done to conserve
5) what is in place at present, and finally,
We are concerned today with coral reef conservation in Negril, but in addition to the longterm changes we just heard about from Tom Goreau, what is the background against which fishing in Negril operates and what are the problems?
Background:
K.A. Aiken, Lecturer, Department of Zoology, University of the West Indies. Mr. Aiken is the foremost authority on fisheries issues in Jamaica as a result of over twenty years of reef fish research throughout Jamaica, some of that performed as a fisheries officer with the Ministry of Agriculture of Jamaica His expertise on fresh water fish is as well known as his reef fish world His leadership in the conservation movement is evidenced by his active participation in the Natural History Society of Jamaica and executive membership in the National Conservation and Development Trust, where he led the formation of the trust and was a member of the founding board of directors.
in Jamaica as a result of over twenty years of reef fish research throughout Jamaica, some of that performed as a fisheries officer with the Ministry of Agriculture of Jamaica His expertise on fresh water fish is as well known as his reef fish world His leadership in the conservation movement is evidenced by his active participation in the Natural History Society of Jamaica and executive membership in the National Conservation and Development Trust, where he led the formation of the trust and was a member of the founding board of directors.
Bio:
K.A. Aiken, Lecturer, Department of Zoology, University of the West Indies. Mr. Aiken is the foremost authority on fisheries issues in Jamaica as a result of over twenty years of reef fish research throughout Jamaica, some of that performed as a fisheries officer with the Ministry of Agriculture of Jamaica His expertise on fresh water fish is as well known as his reef fish world His leadership in the conservation movement is evidenced by his active participation in the Natural History Society of Jamaica and executive membership in the National Conservation and Development Trust, where he led the formation of the trust and was a member of the founding board of directors.
Fishing Areas:
The present fishery of Jamaica is essentially artisanal, that is, it is not highly technologically developed and is conducted by fisherman in small vessels. There are approximately 12,000 full time and another roughly 5,000 persons who would fall into the category, part-time fishermen. Up to the end of 1990, there was a total of 212 known fish landing sites around Jamaica (Espeut & Grant), and 76% of the total annual landings from the inshore fishery came from the South coast.
The fisheries activities of Jamaica may be divided into two main sectors:
a) Inshore, and
b) Offshore
a) The Inshore fishery:
This is carried out on the island shelf, the south shelf has a maximum width of approximately 24 km (15 miles) south of the parish of Saint Catherine, while the north coastal shelf is very much narrower and does not exceed 1.5 km (1.0 mile) in width at any point. The island shelf is approximately 1,853 square km (1,000 square miles) in area. It should be noted that the inshore fishery includes all the immediately adjacent banks which include nine such banks. These banks are more than 64-km (40 miles) from the mainland and access to them is by outboard-powered canoes which, according to Sahney (1982) comprise about 54% of all boats in the fishery.
Historically, the shelf and the proximal banks have supported the bulk of fishery activities in terms of manpower and vessels.
b) The Offshore fishery:
This sector includes all those activities carried on outside the zone of proximal banks, i.e. roughly in excess of 64 km (40 miles) from the mainland, including the larger banks, e.g., Pedro Bank and Morant Bank and in distant extra-territorial waters, i.e., outside of national jurisdiction. Up to about 1977, there was an extensive mother-boat trap fishery in the Colombian archipelago (Serranilla Cays, Banco Nuevo, Serrana Bank and Quita Sueno Bank) some 250 miles southwest of Kingston.
Fishermen are based on the Pedro and Morant Cays, a group of very similar cays on the southeastern fringes of both banks. They supply carrier vessels (larger decked vessels up to 20m LOA) from Kingston, which primarily trap-caught fishes in exchange for cash, fishing materials and thing requirements.
Fishing Gear:
As in Puerto Rico, the main gear is the fish trap or fish pot and in Jamaica accounts for approximately 54% of all catches. The other types of gear are in order of importance:
Nets 23%
Hook and Line 19%
Spearfishing approximately 2%
Illegal methods (dynamiting, poisons) approximately l%
The traps used in Jamaica are usually called Z-traps or Z-pots and are usually covered with hexagonal wire mesh with a minimum aperture of 3.18 cm (1.25 inches). The average Jamaican Z-type fish pot measures 230 x 120 x 60 cm (7x4x2 feet).
Status of Fisheries:
In Jamaica the demand for fish and fish products is very great and growing. The local marine fishery supplies only approximately one-third of the total demand. Additionally, unemployment is high and fishing is one of the few job opportunity options for a large segment of the coastal population. At the same time, the fishing industry is subsidized by the Government and the fishery and the fishery is essential an open access one.
The consequence of this is that there is increased competition for the existing fishery resources. Historically, the fishery has been comprised of numbers of fishermen operating from a large number of small scattered sites. In the period up to about 1957, these were all unmechanized. Since about that time (1957), there has been increasing use of outboard engines and since about 1970, an increasing number of slightly larger fiberglass canoes.
Consequences of Open Access and Rapid Growth:
At the present time, and probably for some time previously, approximately 95% of the fulltime fishermen operated on the inshore fishing grounds and these fishermen produce about 88% of all landings.
Fishing Effort:
Available information shows that between 1968 and 1981, the total number of canoes increased by 21% but the real or Effective canoe effort actually increased by 85%, mainly due to a 93% increase in the number of mechanized canoes.
Catch per Unit Effort:
We can see that there was a steady decline in the catch per "effective" canoe. The calculated rate of decline is about 130 kg per canoe per year. If we use 1968 as the base year, by 1973 the catch per canoe had fallen to 84% and by 1981, to 59% of the 1968 figure.
Fishing Intensity and Catch Effects:
A maximum yield of approximately 2,100 kg / sq. km / year was attained by a fishing intensity of about 0.75 mechanized canoe / sq. km.
It is suggested that the date-indicate that in 1968 the inshore fishery was generally underexploited. By 1973 the fishing intensity had increased to about 0.6 canoe per square km and a maximum yield was being
approached. It is estimated that this maximum yield was attained around 1975 / 1976.
Since then, the fishery has entered a phase of over-exploitation characterized by declining catch rates as fishing intensity increases.
Changes in Species Composition:
There have been significant changes in the species composition of the landings of Finnish from the inshore fishery since 1968.-The table shows that the percentage composition by weight of higher valued species ("Quality") fish such as snappers appears to be increasing.
Also implied are the most subtle changes in the trophic relationships of the coral reef fish community.
Decrease in Mean Size of Catches:
Although there is no statistical data for this, we feel from repeated visits to the field, that, in addition to the above changes, there is also an accompanying reduction in the mean size of the fishes landed generally. Many persons in the fishery also share this view, especially regarding the period since about 1980.
Status Summary:
The available data suggest that the inshore fishery of Jamaica is well into an overfishing phase. The fishery is typified by falling catch rates, static total catches and declining catch value due to species changes trending towards those of reduced market value. Lastly, we feel that there is a tendency towards reduced mean sizes of fish landed.
In short, the Jamaican fishery is in crisis and in urgent need of management and control.
Having said all of this, it would be easy to blame the Jamaican fishermen wholly and solely as the expression goes, for the rather poor status of the fishery. However, although they are of course the major part of the problem of overfishing, there are a number of other factors which must be mentioned because they are now considered part of the problem.
It would be natural-for the fishermen to be "fingered" as the only cause, but some of the other factors are not easy to detect and others act slowly and possibly have long-term effects as well.
Let us look now at some of these other factors.
Is There Someone To Blame For The Present State Of Fishing?
Other Factors Affecting Fisheries Resources and Coral Reefs: A number of other factors in addition to overfishing, must be mentioned as affecting the fishable reef resources of Jamaica. In summary, these may be listed as follows:
- Domestic and industrial pollution, e.g. in Kingston harbor
- Solid waste disposal in coastal areas
- Deforestation of watersheds resulting in excessive siltation of coastal waters and smothering of reef corals which are the basis of most reef fish production.
- Pesticide and herbicide use in watershed areas, e.g in the coffee-producing areas in the Blue Mountains or in areas adjoining beaches, such as the wetlands of Negril (fish kills off St. Thomas).
- Removal of mangroves and landfilling of these areas for development such as housing and hotel accommodation.
- Collection of corals and shells for commercial purposes
- Removal of seagrass beds near hotel beaches to facilitate swimming. These beds are important feeding grounds for nocturnal feeding fishes, (snappers and grunts) which on their return to shelter in the reef deposit vital organic compounds in the form of faeces that are thus introduced into the reef food web.
- Collection of aquarium fishes may also disturb the delicate species - balance and certainly intensive collection in the shallows of the already stressed fish populations definitely is known to have negative effects. Mariculture of the various species may in time replace wild collection.
- Last but not least we have anchor and diver damage by reef visitors. One of the solutions to anchor damage is the very reason for this workshop.
- Die-offs of the Black sea urchin between 1983 and 1984 around Jamaican reefs and in other a Caribbean islands for as yet still poorly understood reasons, but which may include a water borne virus, also is thought to have been partially responsible for excessive growth by various types of algae. In overfished areas, where even the herbivorous fish (plant-eaters) had been largely fished out, such as the north coast reefs, there was much evidence for this algal overgrowth with some coral smothering. All this probably had negative effects on the fish stocks.
- Lastly, there have been natural disasters such as the passage of two major hurricanes, Allen in 1980 and Gilbert in 1988. These both caused extensive damage to the fish-producing reef infrastructure of both coasts to about -30m, but again especially, the north coast. Coupled with all the foregoing, in addition to chronic over-fishing in most places, it should not therefore be altogether surprising that fishing is poor.
But all is not lost. There are ways to try to mitigate these negative factors and to attempt to conserve some of the remaining fishable marine resources. Let us look at some of the important ways.
But, enough of the problems, what were the recommendations about what could be done.
Management Recommendations:
Bearing in mind the Jamaican fishing industry conditions, it is thought that the measures listed, would be the most amenable to the fishing communities and minimize socio-economic displacements:
- Gear limitations
- Fishing effort regulation through a System of Fish Sanctuaries and Closed areas.
- Resource enhancement (artificial reefs)
- Catch monitoring or statistical system
- Establishment of a Fisheries Management Council
- A Fishermens' Education and Publicity Campaign
1) Gear limitations relate essentially to a two-stage introduction of 1.50 inches (4.95 cm) over a one to two year period in an effort to move away from the current mesh size of 1.25 inches (3.18 cm). Workers such as Munro (1974) and others, all provided evidence to show that increased mesh sizes would have beneficial long-term effects on catch weight and value.
2) Fishing effort can be identified as a function of four factors:
a) number of fishing units
b) their individual harvesting power
c) their spatial distribution
d) the total time spent fishing
Thus, in order to alter the total amount of fishing effort, one or more of these components will have been changed. The creation of fish sanctuaries and protected areas is a measure intended to modify the spacial distribution of fishing effort by easing-fishing pressure on the existing resources in selected areas.
3) Resource enhancement by Artificial Reefs is based on the knowledge that if site selection is properly done, then a resident fish population develops after a few months.
4) A catch monitoring and statistical system would enable managers to determine the status of the fishery and the effects of management measures that may be introduced. Good fisheries management depends on good monitoring of yields.
5) The Fisheries Management Council would have representatives who would provide the following types of information
a) Government administrative information
b) Fisheries biology and statistical
c) Fishermens' cooperatives
d) Legal and Enforcement information
6) A Fishermens' Education and Publicity Campaign is a key element to the successful implementation of any management program . The matter of support for the management measures by the fishermen whom they affect is a real concern and for them to give support they first must know about those measures. This is where community involvement comes into importance and there is now a growing realization of this factor.
Some Other Points Concerning Negril:
I would like to mention the following:
1) The continued support of the Negril Fishermens' Cooperative:
- needed to enable the fishermen to have a voice and to have a spokesperson
- Group interest means that people know that certain issues will be followed up
2) To state unequivocally that there is a role for fishermen who may be displaced by introducing marine parks in Negril in the future:
- there is room for a small number of fishermen to become boat guides for tours of the reefs
- or for certain fisherman to become, after suitable training SCUBA guides.
3) There is need for a proper socioeconomic study to be done of the needs of fishermen and how these may best be met.
This study will also provide information on what are the chance of success of the introduction of new fisheries conservation and management regulations. The Response:
Generally, the response from the Government has been, to say the least, disappointing. While the administrators would listen patiently, no real changes, for example in the control or restriction of new entries to the overgrown inshore fishery, came about.
On a positive note, we already mentioned that as long ago as 1976, lobster regulations were introduced, though in real terms these have been poorly enforced. Also, in 1989, a Close Season for spiny lobster lasting for 3 months (April to June), was introduced for the first time. It has proven to be a small step in the right direction. Let us look at some of the problem areas where the management shortcomings have been greatest. Enforcement: This has been particularly poor and ineffectual as there is no money for personnel for this type of work. Lobster enforcement is perhaps the only good point, in that, with assistance from nongovernment conservation groups, funds were raised to cover the travel costs of the lone enforcement officer. Nonetheless, it can be reported to this conference that this one person, did a very good job of visiting the hotels and supermarkets and restaurants all around the coast, but especially in the tourism areas, where demand is greater to inform the operators of the regulations. Fines and Disincentives: Generally, the fines for fishery breaches are too small and these have not kept up with increases (admittedly, this is difficult); but even at the start, they were far too small and were no disincentive at all to would-be offenders. Bureaucracy: This is a major problem in Jamaica and the cumbersomeness of the many and slow steps in getting new fisheries regulations introduced is another disincentive to change. New regulations must go before the legal draughtsman, then be passed by the House of Representatives and must then be passed by Parliament. The ways to modify these procedural matters are complex and may take a long time. Political Will: Most recently, a 1990 socio-economic survey of the fishing industry (Espeut & Grant), put forth the opinion that in Jamaica the fishing industry does not appear to have high Government priority, an opinion shared by many in the industry. This lack of any feeling of urgency, it was said, was demonstrated by the lengthy lag time taken in decision-Making and implementation. There are some of us in Jamaica however, that still support the view that the benefits that will accrue from even a rudimentary management and conservation program, far outweigh the multiple consequences of allowing the unmanaged fishery to strangle itself.
