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With its sunny weather, white sandy beaches, and bright music, Jamaica is famous as a source of inspiration. The small country is an old and enduring muse for tourists and artists alike, including writer Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond series.

But since the mid 鈥�90s, Jamaica and other unique islands in the Caribbean region, according to a meta-study by , have been facing the loss of one of their most critical resources: fish. And it will take a blue economy, like the one developing along Jamaica鈥檚 northeast coast, to keep this muse alive.

Not far from the buzzing tourist center of Ocho Rios is a stunning, sequestered coastal spot accessible only by driving 25 minutes along off-road trails: the Oracabessa Fish Sanctuary. It has crystal-clear waters that reveal emerald-hued depths, and a shoreline decorated by colorful boats, small yachts, and fish pots. With waters like these, one would assume Oracabessa to be a great fishing spot. But a sign on the docks boldly warns, No Fishing.

鈥淚鈥檝e been a registered fisherman since 1975, and I鈥檝e seen the depletion,鈥� says Captain Murray, a vessel operator and warden at the Oracabessa Fish Sanctuary. 鈥淲e saw the need to put something in place, because if you have a farm and you鈥檙e always harvesting without replacing new seedlings, it will run down.鈥�

The Importance of Fish

Often, environmental conservation comes across as a philosophy, or a political or moral conviction. The human element鈥攖he fact that people are relying on these same ecosystems for survival鈥攊s generally overlooked. But a large part of the magic and beauty that remains in Oracabessa is the result of efforts by local fishers.

Rural communities along Jamaica鈥檚 coasts rely on fish. They generate employment by selling and reselling fish, crafting and repairing fishing equipment, serving as fishing crew, and assisting with other fishing traditions. And in the face of soaring food prices, they can fish for dinner.

But environmental stewardship asks for sacrifice. The endorsement and buy-in of critical stakeholders, like fishers, can make or break a conservation project. And in Jamaica, fishers tend to be independent.

鈥淭o have any kind of success, you have to centralize and organize,鈥� says Captain Murray. 鈥淔ishers don鈥檛 want to do that, because they may believe that it might cost them more.鈥�

And so fishers were invited to the table as the conservation project took shape.

鈥淔or one thing, we allowed the fishers to decide the boundaries of the sanctuary so they actually chose how much they gave up,鈥� says Travis Graham, a board member of the Oracabessa Fish Sanctuary. Second, he says, 鈥淎ll of our wardens are fishermen. We鈥檝e created a source of employment for them through that role, so they understand that they benefit in more than one way. The commitment comes from that.鈥�

In short, the group was able to create a feedback loop where nature helps support those who nurture it. For a decade now, Oracabessa Bay鈥檚 GoldenEye hotel and James Bond beachfronts have been home to the area鈥檚 185-acre resident fish sanctuary. As unofficial evidence of their success, massive tarpons float gracefully beneath the dock of the sanctuary鈥檚 office.

Thanks to a dive shop and frequent tourist customers from the GoldenEye hotel, Oracabessa鈥檚 Sanctuary has enough money coming in to support the wardens and captains who patrol the borders. Although much of the land is privately owned by the hotels, the sanctuary itself is open to the public in areas where the beaches are public, like the James Bond Beach.

With a roster of 18 people鈥攆ishers, captains, coral gardeners, supervisors, managers, and board members鈥攖he staff manages and maintains the resources and a series of programs. This sanctuary is always buzzing with activity: educational school tours, maintaining and upgrading the budding coral gardens, and the newly installed sea urchin nursery. The sanctuary has met its ambition of planting 18,000 corals annually and releasing more than 20,000 sea turtles each year.

Oracabessa continues to expand, as it looks to add more conservation education programs and a sea urchin nursery to raise more of the animals that are so essential to reef health.

Thanks to the Oracabessa fish sanctuary and those of its ilk, the abundance of fish island-wide has increased more than fivefold between 2013 and 2020, according to Jamaica鈥檚 National Environment and Planning Agency鈥檚 island-wide reef . Coupled with reports from fishers of increased fish on the outskirts of the sanctuary, NEPA鈥檚 reef survey indicates a slow but strong rehabilitation taking place.

A Model for Success

A sister sanctuary in White River, situated just half an hour up the road, has adopted a similar model of operation. Following Oracabessa鈥檚 example, this sanctuary operates under a partnership between fishing entities and the tourist sector.

鈥淚t鈥檚 community-based, so 50% of all our operations and decision-making is in the hands of the White River Fisherman Association, and the other 50% is contributed by White River Marine Association,鈥� says Reanne McKenzie, general manager of the White River Fish Sanctuary.

The sanctuary itself is housed on protected land in the Ocho Rios Marine Park. 鈥淲e have a three-pronged mandate for the sanctuary, which is protect, restore and engage,鈥� McKenzie says. To protect, fishers patrol the sanctuary. To restore, they raise two different kind of coral at two different sites. To engage, they educate nearby communities and primary schools. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important they have this appreciation of the environment from a young age,鈥� McKenzie says.

With the Ian Fleming Airport in Boscobel鈥攋ust 20 minutes from the White River Fish Sanctuary鈥� open to commercial flights, the entire northeast coast may soon experience an increase in tourist activity. This could increase the viability of White River, Oracabessa, and other future community sanctuaries.

As White River鈥檚 sanctuary enters its fourth year of operation, the organization has an enthusiastic stream of volunteers, including a local student and two foreign students as well as a reliable staff of fishers and wardens. The sanctuary is in the process of conducting its first biomass survey, and it hopes to expand its coral programs and eventually the boundaries of the sanctuary itself.

鈥淲e really want to get to a point where we have so much of the community and surrounding areas sold on this conservation idea that we won鈥檛 really have a need to police waters,鈥� McKenzie says.

CORRECTION: This article was updated at 1:12 p.m. PT on September 1, 2022, to correct the size of the sanctuary and Taylor Graham鈥檚 job title, as well as to clarify the accessibility of Oracabessa.聽Read our corrections policy here.