Stubborn fishermen feared stranded on Pedro Cays

More than a dozen persons were said to have been on the Pedro Cays when the dangerous hurricane Melissa slammed into Jamaica yesterday.

"We always worry when storm time come and some man stubborn," said one fisherman from the Parottee fishing village in St Elizabeth.

His comment underscored a long-standing fear among south-coast fishers, that the Pedro Cays, flat and exposed, offer virtually no protection once the weather turns.

"Pedro nuh have no tree fi hide under, only sky and water."

A well-placed government source told THE STAR that coordinated evacuations began as early as Saturday, with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Coast Guard and Marine police ferrying persons off the cays.

"We've been in constant contact with them, urging evacuation," the source said.

"If anyone is still there, that would be a stupid decision. People had several days' notice and transportation was provided," the government official said.

Standard procedure, the official noted, involves the Fisheries Authority issuing evacuation notices while the Coast Guard and Marine police assist those without boats.

"When the Coast Guard eventually pulled out, they made sure an offshore patrol vessel was there to help anyone who couldn't travel on their own," he said. "Those with vessels came over under guidance."

He commended the island-wide cooperation from fisherfolk but said it would be "unfortunate" if anyone ignored repeated evacuation calls.