Thirty three Jamaican fishermen, who were detained for illegal fishing in Colombian waters, safely arrived at Port Royal on Friday night. The fishermen were reportedly received at sea by members of the Jamaica Defence Force, (JDF) and representatives of the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency, (PICA).
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, in confirming their arrival, notes the captain remains in Colombian detention to face charges.
The Minister also acknowledged PICA’s role in the verification process relating to the crew. She went on to laud the move by the boat owner to refund the government a portion of the money they spent on fuel to aid with the men’s repatriation.
Meantime, Johnson Smith is also reiterating her call for fishermen and boat owners to fish responsibly in Jamaican waters and not to extend their operations into the territorial waters of neighbouring countries, to avoid detention of crew and seizure of vessels.
The Minister also reminded that the foreign ministry will be working with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to establish a policy to govern the approach to such matters in future.
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