Fishermen slowly returning to sea as Mother Nature restores coastline
Published:Tuesday | April 28, 2026 | 12:06 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Months after Hurricane Melissa battered Jamaica’s south coast, fishermen at Calabash Bay Fishing Beach in Treasure Beach, St Elizabeth, are gradually returning to the sea, signalling a slow but hopeful recovery for the coastal community.
Among them is 78-year-old fisherman Howard Moxam, who has spent decades working the waters off the south coast.
“We are taking our time going back out to sea,” Moxam told The Gleaner, explaining that while fishing activity has resumed, many fishermen are still rebuilding after the storm.
The veteran fisherman said support from the Government and private partners has helped the fishing community begin restoring their gear.
“The Government has really helped fishermen. They came around and gave a whole lot of wire to fishermen in partnership with Tank-Weld,” Moxam said. “Fishermen can’t complain when it comes to fishing nets; they got help.”
Still, the storm left lasting damage. Several boats that were docked with extra reinforcement were damaged, forcing some fishermen to depend on others while they rebuild, as downed trees and debris battered vessels.
“For now, I use one of my friend’s boats to go fishing because some of the boats were damaged,” Moxam explained.
Despite the setbacks, he said the fishing community remains determined to move forward and better prepare for future storms.
“We have to prepare for the next hurricane season. Melissa has taught all of us a lesson,” he said.
Moxam recalled that an earlier system, Hurricane Beryl, which passed in July 2024, did not severely damage the coastline.
“Beryl was never too bad because it never mashed up our beach. We found back the majority of our fish pots then,” he said. Hurricane Melissa, however, proved far more destructive.
“Melissa did us bad. It mashed up the beach. It was pure rock stones on the beach after Melissa,” Moxam said, recalling the condition of the fishing beach the morning after the storm struck six months ago.
Over time, however, nature has begun restoring the shoreline.
“But Mother Nature brings back the sand,” he added, pointing to the slow return of the beach that fishermen rely on.
Moxam also noted that officials visited the area to assess damage to the fishing beach’s engine room and public sanitary facilities, which were affected during the hurricane.
“People came and took measurements of the engine room and bathrooms that were damaged, but we haven’t seen anything happen yet,” he said.
Even so, the return of fishermen to the sea, the gradual rebuilding of equipment and the quiet restoration of the beach itself are signs of a community determined to recover.