Portland Bight Protected Area

C-CAM’s approach to natural resources management is based on the maximum involvement of communities though co-management based on the best available scientific and social information. When it was first established, C-CAM focused on carrying out baseline studies of the Portland Bight Area to provide the background information needed to manage the proposed protected area. This included studies of the coastal communities, the wetlands and birds.

Our philosophy is that we cannot manage the area alone. Therefore we have established several co-management councils, including Portland Bight Fisheries Management Council (PBFMC), Portland Bight Tourism Council (PBTC), Portland Bight Industrial Council (PBIC) and Portland Bight Citizens Council (PBCC). The Councils are designed to allow us to collaborate and partner with community groups, NGOs, business people, government departments and agencies to manage the area.

This has greatly enhanced C-CAM’s effectiveness in the area. The most consistent council has been the PBFMC which has been meeting every month for more than 15 years. The members include Marine Police, Jamaica Defense Force Coast Guard, Fisheries Division, Jamaica Fishermen’s Cooperative, National Environment & Planning Agency and all fisheries organizations on the beaches in the area as well as other fishing interests. The members of the PBFMC discuss and try to come up with solutions raised by fishers, lobby on behalf of fishers, review acts (e.g. Fisheries Act), provide training to fishers, provide interchange with other fishers though exchanges (e.g. Haitian fishers 1998, Colombian Fishers (2006)). We also facilitate fishers participating in local, national and international workshops by seeking funding, transportation, visas among other things. This council seeks to empower fishers.