Conch fishing back on track CONCH FISHING is expected to resume tomorrow. Industry sources had expected a resumption last month, after the Ministry of Agriculture reached an out-of-court settlement with DYC Fishing, which had taken the Minister of Agriculture to court over his decision to issue export quotas and grant licences. The Ministry started accepting applications for licences to fish for conch and for the allocation of quotas to exporters last month. The deadline was May 24 and it was expected that fishing would resume by the end of the month. However, this was delayed by inspection problems. Under the new system the Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Agriculture has to inspect all conch fishery processing and harvesting facilities, including vessels and boats, and issue a valid sanitary and hygienic certificate of approval prior to the issuing of licences and quotas. Industry sources said yesterday that the process was now on track and that quotas should be issued starting today, allowing a resumption of conch fishing by tomorrow. Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, has said that conch was too valuable an industry to be ignored any longer. Its potential to earn US$20 million to US$30 million annually from exports meant that the Ministry needed to ensure that it gets back on track as quickly as possible, he said. Conch has not been fished or exported from Jamaica since the legal battle between the Minister and DYC Fishing started in 1999, costing hundreds of jobs and over US$60 million in export earnings. In the meantime, vessels from Central American countries like Honduras and Guatemala, have been poaching conch illegally in Jamaican waters. Government backbencher Ronald Thwaites, has tabled a resolution in the House of Representative asking that any further development of the Port of Kingston, should take into full account the interest of Corporate Area fishermen. Mr. Thwaites' resolution tabled on Tuesday read: "Be It Resolved that any further development of the Port of Kingston takes into full account the interests of the fisherfolk of the Corporate Area, the regeneration of the fishing stocks of the harbour, the sanitising of one of world's finest natural harbours and the balanced realisation of the economic and social potential of Kingston Harbour."
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