JAMAICA- Jamaica-led Blue Justice Caribbean model adopted by other countries.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – An intergovernmental regional tracking system is being hailed for empowering the Jamaica-led Blue Justice Caribbean Hub in its fight against organized crime in the fisheries sector, including Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing (IUU).

Through the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, launched in 2023, the region has been advancing practical cooperation to strengthen capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to fisheries crime.

“The establishment of the Blue Justice International Tracking Center, together with the secure government-to-government digital platform, has proven to be very, very transformative,” said Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Franklin Witter.

The satellite-supported vessel-tracking and analysis system, funded by the Norwegian government, is already providing Caribbean countries with timely and actionable data, which Witter said is critical for intercepting, monitoring, and deterring illicit activities.

“In times of disaster, it becomes nothing short of a lifeline,” Witter told the Caribbean premiere of the short film ‘Taking Back Our Oceans’ produced by the Norwegian government’s Blue Justice Initiative.

Under a global partnership, Norway and the United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) Blue Resilience project are tackling transnational fisheries crime. UNDP’s Blue Resilience project also supports the National Fisheries Authority-led Blue Justice Caribbean Hub to advance regional cooperation and strengthen capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to fisheries crime.

The short film, a deep dive into the regional and global fight against fisheries crime, features Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Floyd Green; National Fisheries Authority Chief Executive Officer Dr Gavin Bellamy; St Vincent and the Grenadines former minister of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, rural transformation, industry and labor, Saboto Ceasar; former head of Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism, Milton Haughton and the former executive officer, Maritime Air and Cyber Command, Jamaica Defence Force, Commander Alvin Gayle.

“We cannot confront transnational organized crime in fisheries in isolation. We need shared data. We need coordinated intelligence, and critically, we need equity in access to the technology,” Witter said.

He is encouraging all participating entities and member states of the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub to continue strengthening collaboration, sharing expertise, and advancing practical solutions to support a safer, more sustainable maritime future for our region and beyond.

Bellamy, whose agency heads up the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, said Through the Blue Justice, the Blue Resilience Project, the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub, and Jamaica’s multi-agency mechanism template – we have demonstrated the value of this collaborative approach, which has been shared and adopted in the region.”

He noted that Cape Verde has drawn inspiration from the Jamaican and Caribbean experience, which has helped inform discussions in Cape Verde on strengthening inter-agency cooperation and regional collaboration.

Bellamy also reported that, with UNDP Blue Resilience support, regional capacity-building interventions convened both in person and on the Blue Justice Community secure platform have positively impacted local and regional cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime and IUUF.

UNDP Assistant Resident Representative Lesley-Ann Ennevor also hailed the work of Jamaica’s Multi-Agency Mechanism, noting its collaborative approach was already yielding results.

“Through joint training, improved coordination, and the use of innovative tools such as secure digital platforms, agencies are better equipped to address illegal fishing and related crimes across the supply chain,” she said.

In acknowledging the negative impacts of fisheries crimes on the economy, Water, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Matthew Samuda, said it was clear Jamaica had been stripped of its fish stock far more than was realized, pointing to ongoing investments in the Coast Guard and in the environment as a positive contribution to the fight against fisheries crime.

“I’m happy with the work that we’ve done with the declaration of increased Protected Areas because ultimately this gives us a chance to replenish our pelagic stock,” he added.