KINGSTON, Jamaica – An intergovernmental regional tracking system supported by the Norwegian government is being hailed for empowering the Jamaica-led Blue Justice Caribbean Hub in its fight against organised crime in the fisheries sector, including Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing (IUU).
“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”, disclosed minister of state in the ministry of agriculture, fisheries and mining, Franklin Witter.
The satellite-supported vessel tracking and analysis system is already providing Caribbean countries with timely and actionable data, which the minister declared as critical for intercepting, monitoring, and deterring illicit activities. “In times of disaster, it becomes nothing short of a lifeline,” he disclosed.
Minister Witter was addressing the recent 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 Programme’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.
“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,” minister Witter declared. He encouraged all participating entities and member states in the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub to continue strengthening the collaboration, sharing expertise, and advancing practical solutions that support a safer, more sustainable maritime future for our region and beyond.
“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,” reported National Fisheries Authority (NFA) chief executive officer Dr Gavin Bellamy, whose agency heads up the Blue Justice Caribbean Hub.
He noted that Cape Verde has drawn inspiration from the Jamaican and Caribbean experience, which have helped inform discussions in Cape Verde on strengthening inter-agency cooperation and regional collaboration. Dr Bellamy also reported that with UNDP Blue Resilience support, regional capacity building interventions convened 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 observed.
In acknowledging the negative impacts of fisheries crimes on the economy, minister of water, environment and climate change, Matthew Samuda, said it was clear Jamaica had been raided of its fish stock far more than was realised. He pointed 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 explained.
With the support of UNDP’s Blue Resilience project financed by the government of Norway, Jamaica has established a Multi-Agency Mechanism to enhance governance systems, strengthen compliance, and build resilience across fisheries value chains.
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. UNDP is proud to support this effort through the Blue Resilience Project, working closely with national institutions to enhance governance systems, strengthen compliance, and build resilience across fisheries value chains.