Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Floyd Green, is extending his sympathies to the family and friends of the 15 Honduran fishermen who were aboard the lost fishing vessel, the Falling Star.

The last known GPS tracking of the vessel was recorded on Wednesday, July 7, 2021 at 5:45 GMT. The men who were contracted by Rainforest were en route to Jamaica for the lobster season which commenced on July 1, 2021.

"My thoughts and prayers are with the men aboard the vessel as well as their loved ones and the fishing community. I am still holding hope that they will be found and rescued as the good men and women of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard and the Marine Police and others continue their search and rescue operations," said Minister Green.

Fisherfolk are reminded about the unpredictability of the waters, and that extreme caution should be exercised, especially during the hurricane season.

“The safety of our fisherfolk is a priority for the Ministry and that is why we are introducing a modern and improved satellite-based vessel monitoring system that is being used by the National Fisheries Authority and is being piloted by our conch fishers in the season now under way. We are also adding a marine Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communication system in the next financial year to enhance the safety of our fishers at sea,” Green indicated.

The National Fisheries Authority is committed to playing its part in reducing the number of lives lost annually at sea with the new vessel monitoring programme. It will provide a means for fishers to communicate distress situations and for the JDF and other first responders to be able to track and locate their positions in offshore waters.

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