A Fisheries Advisory Board has been established and Richard Sasso, businessman and fishing enthusiast, has been appointed chairman of the newly instituted body.

The establishment of the board comes against the background of the Ministry of Agriculture's drive to upgrade the Fisheries Division to executive agency status.

In announcing the appointment, Agriculture Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said: "The new board brings together a cross section of persons with competence and decades of experience in the fishing industry, as well as in maritime and environmental issues."

The new board comprises:

Dr Karl Aiken, lecturer in marine ecology in the Life Sciences Department, University of West Indies, Mona, and a former deputy director of the Fisheries Division

Douglas Golding, businessman with a life-long association with the fishing industry

Peter Espeut, executive director of the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation

Rear Admiral Peter Brady, director general of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica and former head of the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard

Joe Mahfood, chairman of Wisynco Group Limited

Norman Campbell, managing director of Diving and Salvaging, with more than 40 years involvement in the marine industry

Havelan Honeyghan, chairman of the Jamaica Fishermen's Co-operative Union and former instructor of 20 years with the Fisheries Division

Dwight Clacken, avid sports fishing enthusiast

Nigel Black, who has been involved in commercial fishing for more than 15 years.