NFA says shark numbers falling as FLA review and NCB phishing arrests advance

Jamaican authorities are addressing three separate public-interest issues: concern over suspected shark attacks in Trelawny, renewed scrutiny of the Firearm Licensing Authority, and fresh charges in a multimillion-dollar phishing case involving National Commercial Bank accounts.

Steven Michael, principal director of the National Fisheries Authority’s Capture Fisheries Division, said Jamaica is not seeing a rise in sharks. He said there are fewer sharks now than two decades ago, and rejected the view that sharks simply trail cruise ships along the Trelawny coast. According to him, sharks are more likely to respond to blood, dead fish, vibrations or other feeding signals in the water.

The issue has drawn attention after the 2024 death of Jamarie Reed, a 16-year-old William Knibb Memorial High School student, and the disappearance earlier this year of 58-year-old Trelawny fisherman Dennis Clark. NFA chief executive Dr. Gavin Bellamy said changing fishing habits may be increasing contact between divers and sharks, with more people now spearfishing instead of relying mainly on nets, lines, traps and boats. He urged fishers to put safety before their catch.

In another matter, National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang said the Government is working to restore confidence in the Firearm Licensing Authority after an Integrity Commission report raised concerns about alleged corruption, firearm storage and licensing irregularities. Chang said the process should be guided by evidence and due process. The ministry said no firearms were found missing from the main vault, though storage constraints remain, and a fuller review of inventory and controls has been ordered.

MOCA also reported that Paige Hibbert, 29, of Bay Farm Road, St. Andrew; Sherica Pink Oats, 26, of Rainford Road, Kingston; and Howin Patterson, 25, of Bushy Park, St. Catherine, were charged in relation to an alleged $47.5 million NCB phishing scheme. They received $450,000 bail each and are due back in court on June 26. MOCA said more than 20 people have been arrested in the investigation.