Licence and registration fees waived for fishers affected by Hurricane Melissa

The National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has announced a six-month moratorium on licence and registration fees for fishers severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

It says this forms part of the NFA's and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining’s wider recovery efforts to support the sector in its 'Back to Sea, Safely' action plan.

The fee waiver, effective immediately, applies to all registered fishers in the western and central parishes, which bore the brunt of the hurricane's impact. The designated parishes are Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny and St Ann.

The NFA says the moratorium is designed to alleviate financial pressure on fishers and support the recovery of the local fishing industry. It covers both individual and vessel licence fees, as well as inspection fees for Artisanal Commercial Fishing activity only.

"This waiver is a critical step in supporting our fishers during this challenging period of recovery," said Dr Gavin Bellamy, Chief Executive Officer of the NFA.

"Hurricane Melissa has destroyed livelihoods and damaged critical assets. By suspending these fees, we aim to ease the financial burden on our fishers, allowing them to focus on repairing their vessels and gear and returning to the sea to provide for their families and our nation," Bellamy further explained.

The NFA has encouraged all eligible fishers in the specified parishes to take advantage of this six-month relief measure.

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