Leonardo Blair, Staff Reporter
EIGHTY HONDURANS who were charged for fishing illegally in Jamaican waters last month, are to be returned home with the help of the local Honduran Embassy, despite not having relevant travel documents.
"For this time only, the Embassy will allow safe passage for the fishermen without birth certificate and photographs to facilitate their safe return to Honduras," said Lisette Ayala of the Honduran Embassy in a telephone interview yesterday.
The fishermen, including 17 juveniles, were arrested by the Marine Police for breaches of Jamaica's fishing and environmental laws in the Pedro Cays on January 16, and are being housed at the General Penitentiary Hostel in Kingston (adults) and the Alpha Boys' Home (juveniles). They were charged under the Wildlife Protection Act, the Aquaculture Act and the Fishing Industry Act.
On January 29, they were fined $1,000 or nine months imprisonment for fishing without a licence and $500 or six months imprisonment for fishing in a closed season for conch.
The captain and chiefmate of the fishing vessel which is currently docked at the Marine Police in Kingston were also additionally fined $1 million each or twelve months imprisonment for unlawfully hand-ling harvesting and processing conch without a licence. They were also fined for possession of a protected animal, a Hawksbill turtle.
While the captain, chiefmate and their 80-man crew pleaded guilty to the lesser charges in the Half-Way Tree Resident Magistrate's Court just over a week ago, the captain and his chiefmate pleaded 'not guilty' to the charge of unlawfully handling, harvesting and processing conch without a licence during the closed season.
According to their lawyer Hugh Hyman, they are expected back in court for trial next Monday. As a result, the crew had to remain in Jamaica.
When The Gleaner contacted the Honduran Embassy yesterday, and asked if they would assist the Honduran crew to return to their homeland since they had paid their fines, they initially said it would be difficult.
The Embassy explained that the fishermen, most of whom are from Rotan Island, Honduras, did not travel with the appropriate Honduran identification and it was uncertain whether they were Hondurans or Nicaraguans.
They said the only way they could have helped the fishermen was if they could produce birth certificates (which they had not travelled with) and a photograph, in order to make temporary ID's. It was only after they realised that this would not be possible that they decided that after the trial of the captain and chiefmate ended next week, they would provide a "safe return" to Honduras for the fishermen.
"After the court has passed its sentence on Monday, the Embassy will give each fisherman a safe passage without birth certificates," said Ms. Ayala.
