Fish Santuaries are specific zones in the Montego Bay Marine Park which are afforded special protection under the Fishing Industry Act.

Currently, Montego Bay has two gazetted (signed into law) sanctuaries. These include: the Bogue Lagoon Fish Sanctuary (1972); and the recently established Montego Bay Marine Park Fish Sanctuary (2009).

It is illegal to fish within either of these sanctuaries. Fishermen found to be in violation are subject to arrest and will have their equipment and catch confiscated.

The Montego Bay Marine Park Trust has been working with the fishing community for over a decade to stem the loss of fish stocks within the park, and has used a variety of mechanisms to control the influx of new fishers into the park.

In 2004, the Trust launched the Sustainable Fisheries Management project, "Fish Cyaan Done!" (a common refrain in the fishing community which suggests that fish stocks can not be depleted). This project emphasized the importance of fish sanctuaries and established the first of its kind fishing permitting program in Jamaica. The project was tremendously successful at generating support from the fishing community.

In an ironic development, five years later, The Nature Conservancy released its own documentary called "Massa God Fish CAN Done". The following video illustrates the importance of fish sanctuaries and the need for immediate conservation steps.

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