Vox pop

Western Focus looks back at some comments made by major stakeholders in the agriculture and environment sectors regarding Jamaica's fisheries subsector over the years:

"When we talk about the fishing industry, let's not forget that this is a vast and important industry. Globally, this industry is worth US$136 billion. Jamaica has only a small slice of that, with our total production valued at US$86.84 million.

- Karl Samuda - Post Fisheries Industry Retreat, June, 2016

"We have overexploited our reef fishery resources, and the industry is suffering as a consequence."

- Former Minister of Agriculture Christopher Tufton, Budget Presentation, 2008

"Of course, the forests, fish, and coral reefs of Jamaica are sorely depleted because of government slackness ... . Jamaica has the most overfished waters in the Caribbean (and maybe the world).

- Peter Espeut, January 2011

"The fisheries sector remains an important source of livelihood for thousands of Jamaicans, and we have a God-given responsibility to manage our large endowment of fishery resources in a sustainable way,"

- Former agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Derrick Kellier, Sectoral Debate, 2015-2016