JDF Coast Guard nabs more people fishing illegally in Jamaican waters

For the second time in a little more than a week, the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard has nabbed persons fishing illegally in Jamaican waters.   
   
A Coast Guard team on board one of  the newly acquired Offshore Patrol Vessels, the HMJS Cornwall, was conducting routine patrols in the vicinity of the Pedro Cays on Wednesday when it spotted a suspicious vessel in the area.
    
Major Basil Jarrett, Civil Military Cooperation Officer for the JDF, said the vessel was signalled to stop and a search carried out.
    
He said 59 nationals from the Dominican Republic were aboard the vessel with more than 7,000 pounds of fish, valued at more than J$3.8 million.

But Major Jarrett said the problem of illegal fishing extends beyond foreigners in Jamaican waters. According to him, a group of 23 Jamaicans was caught fishing illegally in the same region. About 4,700 pounds of fish were found in their possession. 

All the individuals were detained and their vessels seized and towed to the JDF Coast Guard Base in Port Royal.
 
They were also escorted to the Coast Guard base for arrest and processing.
 
This week’s interception brings to 114, the number of illegal fishermen caught in Jamaican waters in just over a week.

Last week, 32 fishermen from the Dominican Republic were caught by the same crew close to the Pedro Cays.