A unique fishing sanctuary is improving Jamaica’s coastal health and proving that community partnership is key to marine conservation.
Bottom feeders like the parrotfish help clean algae from coral reefs, and healthy reefs, in turn, offer shelter for fish, mitigate shoreline erosion, and help maintain healthy oceans.
Overfishing these species creates a domino effect that threatens the island’s tourism industry and coastal communities, with fishers forced to dive and look farther out to sea to catch fish.
To address this dilemma, a group of fishers partnered with the GoldenEye Foundation in 2011 to create a no-fishing zone on Jamaica’s northern coast. Today, 18 people work for the Oracabessa Bay Fishing Sanctuary, and all decisions are made through the Oracabessa Bay Marine Trust, which is composed of 50% fishers and 50% GoldenEye Foundation board members.
Herbivorous fish abundance reportedly reached 6,792g/100m2 in 2020, up from 1,192g/100m2 in 2013. The project is set to continue its work with protecting fish, while also replanting coral and releasing sea turtles into the ocean. Its success has inspired other conservation groups, and the Oracabessa Bay Fishing Sanctuary is currently working to bring its management model to four other coastal sites in Jamaica.
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