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Rainforest Caribbean, NCB, JSE partner on support for fisheries sector

Published:Friday | August 16, 2024 | 12:06 AM
Roger Lyn, director of Corporate Affairs, Rainforest Caribbean, and Belinda Williams, head of Corporate Affairs, National Commercial Bank, present a cheque for $10 million to the Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fishe
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Roger Lyn, director of Corporate Affairs, Rainforest Caribbean, and Belinda Williams, head of Corporate Affairs, National Commercial Bank, present a cheque for $10 million to the Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Floyd Green, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, while Michael Pryce, senior strategist, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Dr Gavin Bellamy, CEO, National Fisheries Authority, Dermon Spence, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, and Owen Dobson, president-elect, Jamaica Agricultural Society, look on.

The hurricane-ravaged fisheries sector has received well-needed support from a coalition partnership of Rainforest Caribbean, National Commercial Bank (NCB) and the Jamaica Social Stock Exchange. Rainforest, the region’s leading seafood supplier, donated $5 million, which was matched by NCB’s Building a Better Jamaica Fund in a collective effort to rebuild the sector in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. A release noted that the companies handed over the $10 million donation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining at the annual Denbigh Agricultural Show in Clarendon on August 6.

Roger Lyn, Rainforest’s director of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Partnerships, explained, “Hurricane Beryl has had significant and far-reaching negative effects on the Jamaican fisheries sector, hitting hard the island’s most well-known fishing communities on the south coast and affecting the livelihoods of many of our artisanal fishing partners. We recognise that an all hands-on-deck approach is required to rebuild and restore the sector so we are proud to be a part of this public-private partnership.” He added that the funds would be used “to address fisherfolk’s most urgent needs”.

According to a Hurricane Impact Assessment report from the National Fisheries Authority, “Hurricane Beryl had a significant impact on fishing beaches with flooding, damaged buildings, powerline infrastructure, blocked roads from felled trees and severe inundation particularly in the coastal areas of the parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth.The livelihoods of fishers have been affected primarily with the loss of beach infrastructure such as gear storage sheds, sanitary facilities, jetties or berthing, and utilities.”

Dr Gavin Bellamy, CEO of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) explained that, “More than 18 fishing beaches suffered damage estimated to cost in excess of $64 million, while up to 11000 fishers may have lost fishing gear left at sea.” In expressing gratitude for the donation, he assured that as the implementing agency the NFA would ensure a “coordinated, synchronised and equitable response”.

Rainforest Caribbean is the region’s trailblazing seafood supplier, distributor and manufacturer with its headquarters in Jamaica and locations in St Lucia, Barbados, Belize and St Vincent and the Grenadines. NCB’s Building a Better Jamaica Fund was launched by National Commercial Bank Jamaica Limited in response to the devastating impact of Hurricane Beryl and is being managed by the NCB Foundation.