The Jamaican fisheries are currently guided by the Fishing Industries Act of 1975. These regulations, however, are inadequate to address the current situations of the industry.  In order to achieve a sustainable and viable fishing sector, a new National Fisheries Policy is required. The government has been in the process of revising the Draft Policy, noting the concerns all stakeholders.

Purpose of the Meetings
To meet the latter requirement for policy development, the Fisheries Division has been having consultative meetings with fishers to inform the fishers of what the new Policy entails and how this will affect them. Meetings are scheduled to be held in St. Elizabeth, St. James (Montego Bay specifically), St. Mary and Kingston.

Duration and Cost
This project is expected to be completed within a 2-month timeframe. The Agriculture Ministry has allocated J$3 million to administer the project.