Old Harbour Bay fishermen to arrive in Port Royal tonight

Since mid-October the fishermen have been detained in Columbia for allegedly fishing illegally in the territorial waters of the South American nation.

Both Kingston and Bogota have been in dialogue since to determine a plausible solution for the safe return of the 41-member crew which includes foreign nationals from the Dominica Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua.

With an agreement now reached between the two countries it was established that their respective Coast Guards will meet at the maritime border at 8:00 am today for the transferring of the fishermen.

This is happening a day earlier than previously announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, and will now see the fishermen arrive on Jamaican soil close to midnight.

• Date set for return of Jamaican fishermen in Columbia, but captain to be charged and vessel sold
• WATCH | Old Harbour Bay fishermen stuck in Columbia

“The Jamaican fishermen are expected to arrive in Port Royal at approximately 11:00 p.m. on Friday, November 11, subject to favourable conditions at sea,” said Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade minister, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith. “Two representatives of PICA will also be present alongside the JDF to receive the crew.”

Regarding the foreign nationals who are also members of the crew, the minister indicated that “checks have revealed that four nationals from the Dominican Republic are legally employed to operate in Jamaica and will therefore be included in the repatriation to Jamaica on Friday. The Honduran and Nicaraguan authorities have been advised of the circumstances of their nationals who have not been able to demonstrate a legal right to work in Jamaica.” 

Minister Johnson Smith further explained that the owner of the seized Jamaican vessel has made arrangements for receiving the crew members and transferring them to their respective destinations.

In its last press release on the matter prior to this one now, Minister Johnson Smith had indicated that the captain of the boat is likely to be charged and the boat seized. However, the ministry did not provide an update on the specificity of this particular matter. So it is unclear if the captain is one of the 34 Jamaicans to arrive or one of the foreign nationals mentioned.