Net fishing

Popular for smaller fish species and largely used within the murkier inshore waters of the Montego River estuary. Gill nets are laid floating, then the water is bashed with long polls to scare fish into the net. Beach seine techniques are also used.

Nets usually target small fish species, so larger fish of these habitats such as tarpon or snook are rarely boated.

Nets are occasionally used in reef habitats. However, net damage makes these areas undesirable for this equipment.

Spear fishing

This is the only entirely illegal fishing activity for the Park area. However, enforcement has proven difficult and incomplete. Spear fishers are able to target larger, reproductively valuable fish, including rarer species such as grouper, snapper and angelfish. This activity requires good lungs, clear water and relatively shallow living fish. Deeper or murky habitats are rarely fished.

Fish pots

The Antillean fish pot is the most popular fishing method in the reef and clearer water areas in Jamaica and in the Montego Bay area. The fish pot is a trap like a lobster trap, with a funnel entrance through which the fish enter the pot and then cannot figure out how to get back out. They are usually made of wire chicken mesh over an almond wood frame. They may be as large as 2.2 M high and 3 M long. They work for most reef species, and are particularly effective for grouper and snapper species, which are attracted to baits, and like to hide in caves (which may actually be pots)

Interestingly, several very large green moray eels in the park area seem to have figured out how to get into and out of the pots at will, so they may be seen in the rocks next to the pot set area with full bellies, while the pots contain only a few fish bits and terrified stragglers. Stingrays and nurse sharks will also suck dead fish through the wire mesh.

Hook & line

Sitting at any of the local seaside restaurants in the evening, one will see several little kerosene lamps of night line fishers dotting the drop-off areas of the Park. Similarly, hand-line and rod fishers may be seen along the shore. Line trolling is also productive for pelagics such as dolphinfish (Mahi-Mahi), wahoo, mackerel and tuna.

Catch & release fly fishing

This is a pilot program in the sustainable use of the inshore fishery.It allows fishers to make a living from a living fish, thus re-valuing the living resource. We are working with a local charter captain who is collecting data on fish species, sizes and frequencies under a number of parameters. We use this information to quantify the fishery productivity, the quality of the Bogue Lagoon mangrove area / fish sanctuary and the entire Montego Bay area's estuarine habitats.

Catch & release fly fishing uses light tackle equipment and fly fishing methods for pure sport. No fish are killed in this activity.

Recreational trolling

Deep-sea trolling offshore can be entertaining and productive. Blue marlin tournaments occur up and down the Jamaican North Coast in the Fall, including Montego Bay's in September. Catch and release is not usually practiced in Jamaica, though we at the Park are trying to sensitise the area captains.Tag recovery is practiced through the Montego Bay Yacht Club and the Park, however Jamaica does not tag marlin as yet. It is tradition in Jamaica that the crew keep all fish caught as a portion of wage, though some operators will have your catch prepared at a local restaurant if you wish. If you wish to practice catch and release, indicate this to your booking agent and captain with your booking and remind the crew as you get onto the boat.

Fisher Permitting

In an effort to grow fish by limiting the fishing pressure within the Park, the Park undertook a "Bold Experiment" in stakeholder empowerment towards choices of best practice...

In May 2004, every commercial fisher working within the Park space was permitted to do so having gone through a series of educational seminars in order to understand fish, the fishery and fisheries management. This has closed the Park area fishery to newcomers, effectively giving the fish within the area to the existing area fishers to manage, based on this education and with ongoing support from the Park.

This support will occur in continuing education, investment opportunities in sustainable or value added ventures such as eco-tourism or mariculture and training as needed towards the success of the above ventures.

More, bigger fish through management means more venues through which to sell them, alive or dead.... alive preferably.

Fisheries Wardens

From September to November 2004, the Montego Bay Marine Park Trust trained 12 people, including 6 fishers, to become wardens of the Marine Park. It is hoped that through this programme, compliance with Park regulations will increase due to heightened vigilance from within the fishing communities themselves. On their usual fishing trips, wardens will be expected to keep an eye out for any illegal activity on the water, and report it to the relevant authorities. In addition, wardens have the knowledge base to be able to explain to other fishers why certain laws are in place, and show how such laws may benefit the fishers themselves.

Although the Marine Park will be the primary focus of the wardens’ activities, their jurisdiction will extend island-wide due to official Game Warden, and later, Fisheries Inspector, status, which will be conferred in early 2005.