How to Save the Parrotfish as Jamaicans need alternatives for Sunday Dinner

“There has to be a far more comprehensive approach. We are looking at fish sanctuaries, no-fishing zones, regulation for protecting the large fish, gear regulation, among other things. An outright ban is not the answer as it will create social and economic problems for the most marginalised — fishermen,”

Dr Andre Kong, Director of fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, commenting on the national forum on Parrotfish management

Jamaicans, it may be time to start eating another type of Fish, as a Parrotfish Ban is imminent!!

The national forum on Parrotfish management met on Thursday April 19 2018 in Ocho Rios as reported in the article “National forum to discuss parrotfish issues next week”, published Friday, April 13, 2018, The Jamaica Observer.

The national forum on Parrotfish management is a collaborative effort by the following NGO (Non Governmental Organizations):

1.      Sandals Resorts International's 'Save the Parrotfish

2.      Save Our Islands' Campaign

3.      The Nature Conservancy through the US Agency for International Development-funded Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Programme and its 'Pass On Parrotfish' Campaign

Participants who attended the event were:

1.      Local stakeholders in the fisheries and marine sector, including fisherfolk from across the island

2.      Researchers

3.      Representatives from environmental groups

4.      Non-governmental organizations

5.      Private and public organizations

Speakers will include:

1.      Dr Dayne Buddo, marine biologist and CEO of the Alligator Head Foundation who has worked extensively on fisheries management and the issue of Parrotfish conservation

2.      Dr Mark Tupper, fisheries specialist who has carried out research on the length at maturity of commercially important Caribbean reef species.

3.      Dalelan Anderson, Manager of the White River Special Fishery Conservation Area and lead researcher on the Parrotfish Research Project

Among the issues to be discussed are:

1.      The harvesting, sale, and consumption of juvenile Parrotfish

2.      The implications these factors have on coral reefs, food security, and sustainable livelihoods

So why are the Parrotfish so important?

Parrotfish and Jamaican Beaches - Parrotfish produce Sand and maintain our tourism sector

Preliminary findings are showing that Jamaican Parrotfish measure smaller in size than the expected mature fish size.

This suggests that Parrotfish being caught, sold and consumed may be young fish which have not been allowed to mature. The Parrotfish Forum plans to produce a strategy document which is to be prepared and presented to the Government and other stakeholders for action.

The survival of the Parrotfish has implications to the maintenance of the Coral reef, the main barrier to beach erosion, as they as a group of fish produce some 800lb of sand to rebuild beaches as explained in my blog article entitled “How Parrotfish and Sea Urchins ban saves Coral Reef, Beaches and US$3 billion Jamaican Tourism”.

In short if the Parrotfish do not rebound, neither will our Tourism sector!!

SRI's Save the Parrotfish, Save Our Islands campaign

The Parrotfish Research Project is initiative facilitated by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between The University of the West Indies and SRI that aims to gather convincing data to support official calls for the introduction of Parrotfish management systems.

SRI's Save the Parrotfish, Save Our Islands campaign is driven by similar objectives. It has the Parrotfish Research Project as its centerpiece. The campaign has also seen extensive public education efforts, underpinned by social media activism with the support of the following NGO's and Private Sector Interests:

1.      The Jamaica Observer

2.      The Sandals Foundation

3.      Rainforest Seafoods Limited

Rainforest Seafoods Limited, to their credit, is no longer importing, producing or selling Parrotfish since 2014 as noted in my blog article “How $1.25 million Rainforest Seafoods and UWI AHML FAD's will protect Parrotfish, Coral Reef and Tourism”.

But aside from not selling Parrotfish, how can regular Jamaicans help the Parrotfish to bounce back?

Save the Parrotfish - Alternative needed for Sunday Dinner

#PassOnParrotfish is a collaborative campaign in which The Nature Conservancy and local partners in the Caribbean as noted in the article “National Parrotfish forum is timely”, published Friday, April 13, 2018, The Jamaica Observer.  

The aim is to raise awareness about the need to protect Parrotfish across the region. The campaign is part of the Caribbean Marine Biodiversity Programme, a five-year project (2014-2019).

Through an MOU, The Nature Conservancy and SRI have committed to working together to garner support for the implementation of Parrotfish management regulations.

The aim of this program is to:

1.      Reduce threats to biodiversity in priority areas in the Caribbean

2.      Achieve sustained biodiversity conservation

3.      Maintain and restore critical ecosystems

4.      Realize tangible improvements in human and community well-being

The campaign encourages fishers, restaurants and consumers not to catch, sell or eat Parrotfish because of the important role they play in maintaining coral reef health.

This stance taken by environmental groups to ban the harvesting, sale and consumption of Parrotfish is going to affect the lives of fisherfolk who make a living form this Sunday staple. Already NEPA (National Environment and Planning Agency) has spoken to fisherfolk about the need for conservation.

Fighting consumer demand, the real driver behind Parrotfish consumption, is going to be hard to satiate, especially as Fishback is not so popular albeit fish stick and fish nuggets may work with children as explained in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How Andrew Holness made Rainforest Seafood Fish Back a Sunday Menu Staple”.

Still, the fisher folk do acknowledge that having regulation in place would help the Parrotfish rebuild in numbers and size:

1.      Implementation of fishing sanctuaries

2.      No fishing zones

3.      Regulation on the types of fishing equiptment

4.      Closed season for Parrotfish

Plus the plan to ban fishing Parrotfish is a bit absurd, as you'd have to resort to policing fishermen. Rather the environmental groups are seeking to implement but management systems that would help in protecting the Parrotfish.