The agriculture and fisheries ministry is taking steps to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, within Jamaica’s coastal waters.

This as portfolio minister, Pearnel Charles Jr, handed over 50 sanctuary boundary marker buoys valued at over US$7,000, to the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation.

The markers, funded by the world bank, under a community based climate resilience project, will be placed in special fish conservatory areas and will be used to support, and strengthen the national fisheries authority’s enforcement efforts.

Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Clarendon, on Thursday, Mr. Charles Jr noted that the markers will also help to identify the boundaries of the protected areas.