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The Marine Enforcement Section is aware of recent Social Media posts regarding the catching and retaining of lobster in St Helena Waters.

Allegations have been made of illegal fishing practices, therefore an investigation was undertaken and it was found that no illegal fishing had taken place:

Below outlines the current regulations in place for the protection of St Helena’s lobster species and the justification for such regulations:

Protection for lobster carrying eggs (Berried Lobster) – A lobster that has eggs attached to its underside are referred to as ‘Berried Lobster’. It is an offence at any time of year to catch and retain a Berried Lobster or remove eggs from a Berried Lobster.

Justification – A Berried Lobster in St Helena’s waters can be carrying up to 300,000 eggs. Removing this from the fishery can be severely damaging to the lobster population.

Closed season for lobster – This year will see St Helena’s first closed season for lobster. There will be a complete closure of the Spiny Lobster and Stump Lobster fishery from 1 October – 31 December.

Justification – From 1 October – 31 December lobster are in the early stages of their reproductive process. At this time eggs are stored internally and there are no visible signs that the lobster is reproducing. Even the most conservation minded fisher could take an egg producing lobster and not realise. The lobster needs the highest level of protection during this period.

Closed season for spearfishing/lancing 1 Jan – 31 March. – Every year there is a complete ban on spearfishing/lancing from 1 January – 31 March.

Justification – This is a restriction on a fishing method and helps protect Berried Lobster and other marine species during the spawning season. By this time the lobster are in more advanced stages of the reproductive process, female lobster will now be storing eggs on their underbelly and it is easy to visually check to see if lobster are producing eggs. 

If a lobster is killed using a spear/lance the lobster will be dead before a fisher can check to see if the lobster is carrying eggs.

Where lobster are caught using other fishing methods (hand gathering, snare, pots/traps) the lobster can be visually inspected whilst it is still alive and safely returned to the sea.

Minimum Sizes

  1. Any Spiny Lobster (Long leg) must have a carapace length of at least 85mm along the center line of the carapace before it can be retained or landed.

Justification – The minimum size is linked to when a lobster reaches sexual maturity and can reproduce. Having a minimum size in place ensures all lobster have a chance to contribute to the biomass of the species.

Total Annual Catch (TAC) – A TAC is the total amount of lobster that can be removed from the sea in a year sustainably. The TACs for St Helena’s lobster species have been informed by scientific survey work. The TAC for Spiny Lobster is 1000Kg and the TAC for Stump Lobster is 500Kg. It is not expected that the TACs will be exceeded this year.

Justification – By restricting the amount of lobster we take on an annual basis we can ensure that we are not taking too much and damaging the stocks. Scientific survey data shows that if we do not exceed the TACs the local population, through reproduction, will be able to replace the lobster that we take year on year.

SHG
3 February 2022

The Health Services Directorate would like to advise the public that there will be two COVID-19 booster vaccination clinics during the month of February.  There is no need to book an appointment as clinics will continue to operate on a walk-in basis.

Both clinics will be held at the Flu Pod, General Hospital, Jamestown, between 9am and 1pm on Wednesday, 9, and Tuesday, 22 February 2022.   

If you are attending the clinic for a Booster or second dose vaccination, you are reminded to please bring along your yellow vaccination card for recording purposes.  If you do not bring along your card you will not receive your vaccination. 

Any persons who have misplaced their yellow vaccination card, please contact Grace Richards prior to attending the clinic.  Grace can be contacted on tel. 22500 or via email: grace.richards@sainthelena.gov.sh.

Let’s continue to protect ourselves to protect St Helena.

SHG

1 February 2022

With fisheries laws becoming much more technical, the way coastal states are monitoring their fishing fleet is evolving.

This month, the Environment, Natural Resources and Planning Portfolio’s (ENRP) Marine Enforcement Section will be installing a Remote Electronic Monitoring System on the fishing vessel John Melliss as part of an equipment trial.

The John Melliss will be fitted with a camera system that can count fish, identify the species and measure fish as they are brought on board the vessel and processed. The vessel will also be fitted with a weather station and other sensors to allow ENRP to collect important meteorological and oceanographic data.

The John Melliss was selected for this trial as it is the only vessel in the St Helena fleet that is actively engaged in offshore fishing.

The John Melliss will gain no fishing advantage from taking part in this trial and the master of the vessel is working with the Marine Enforcement Section to modify the on-board working practices to allow the system to work effectively.

The system and expertise required to allow this project to take place has been provided through Blue Belt Programme funding. An officer from the UK Marine Management Organisation is currently on-Island to oversee the installation and provide training on the installation and use of the REM system.

The results of this trial could affect the way many UK Overseas Territories monitor their fishing industry and will help St Helena meet its obligations as a member of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

#StHelena #JohnMelliss #Fishing #BlueBelt #ICCAT

SHG
1 February 2022

What is being proposed?

An opportunity that could greatly benefit the Island has arisen, especially in terms of our built heritage! To enhance understanding and to objectively consider this opportunity adequate discussions and research have been undertaken.  This information is now available, and Ministers are looking forward to engaging with you.  We wish to present this unique opportunity to you so that we can obtain your views before making a decision on how best to proceed.

The British Napoleonic Bicentenary Trust, a UK-based charity, was created to generate alternative revenue streams for St Helena – in particular for our built heritage.

To date the Trust has been successful in securing funding for the renovation of Jacob ’s ladder and Toby’s Cottage. Now, through the tremendous work of one of the trustees, there is an exciting opportunity for a proposed expedition to the Island in late March 2022.  This expedition, if approved, would see a number of wealthy donors and business leaders with historical links to Napoleon, visit St Helena to raise funds for our built heritage as well as establish relationships which could transform the economic landscape of our Island.

The delegation for the expedition would include members of 11 royal families across seven European countries; to include some of the world’s wealthiest, most dynamic and interesting individuals and business leaders (who feature in the Sunday Times Rich List, the Forbes Billionaires list and the Forbes 500 list); and former premiers of at least two European countries.

Expected benefits of the proposed expedition include:

Important to note:  The trip will be fully financed from donations received from the delegates.

Who would be visiting?

The expedition would include around 40 persons, who are paying to fly to the Island using Titan Airways, as a private excursion, noting their experience operating flights to the Island. 

The expedition is expected to take place over a four to five day period during which delegates would be resident in the Mantis St Helena Hotel.

It is anticipated, that during the visit, a number of pre-arranged land- and marine-based tours will be offered to allow the delegation to explore St Helena’s unique environment, to include our flora and fauna, endemic species and our natural and built heritage. If approved, it is also envisaged that opportunity would be given for business leaders and entrepreneurs on-Island to engage with these delegates to network and explore opportunities for investment, fundraising and philanthropy.

Special Circumstances

Due to their high profile lifestyles, these delegates have a limited amount of time available to undertake this trip, but they are extremely keen.  Noting our current quarantine arrangements, a proposal has been received requesting that they be allowed to complete their 10-day quarantine under strict conditions before arriving to St Helena.

How would this work, in practice?

All delegates would undertake 10–day’s quarantine, to include a rigorous testing regime, before departure from London Stansted. The quarantine and testing programme would be overseen by one of the top five international health and toxicology companies, Randox Laboratories*.

Within the 10-day quarantine period each delegate would be expected to receive four PCR tests. A further test would be taken upon arrival to St Helena (Day 11):

In addition delegates would undertake a daily PCR test during their stay on St Helena, as added reassurance for both the delegates and the local community.

If at any point during the 10-day quarantine period any of the delegates test positive, they would not be allowed to participate in the expedition.  Delegates will quarantine at their own homes where most of them live on secluded estates, and will form bubbles where appropriate with family members.

It is anticipated that all delegates would be double or triple vaccinated prior to arrival on St Helena.

We welcome your views

The parameters of this proposal does not reflect the testing and quarantine procedures currently in place for all arrivals to the Island and it is for this primary reason that Ministers wish to engage with you.  We are keen to gauge your views before taking a decision on whether to allow this once-in-a-lifetime expedition to take place.

A meeting is planned for 7pm on Wednesday, 2 February 2022, at Prince Andrew School. All are encouraged to participate by providing feedback either through the meeting or by sending your views to: kerisha.yon@sainthelena.gov.sh.  There will also be a question and answer session on both radio stations on Wednesday, 2 February, commencing at 11am on Saint FM and 12.30pm on SAMS Radio 1.

*Randox was the company chosen to manage the quarantine and testing arrangements for Team Great Britain when participating at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics;   100% of the athletes arrived in Tokyo COVID-free.

SHG

31 January 2022

Elected Members,  Ministers, Portfolio Directors, officials and Legislative Council Office staff will participate in a Post-Election Seminar from Tuesday,  1,  to Thursday, 3 February 2022, delivered virtually by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK Branch.

Elected Members have participated in various international virtual conferences over the last three months, however this seminar has been specifically developed for the new Council and follows on from the virtual training that was delivered by the Civil Service College in October 2021.

This seminar will focus on three main topics: Good Governance (Day 1), Life as a Parliamentarian (Day 2), and the Committee System (Day 3).

A programme with details of each session will shortly be uploaded to the Public Information, Reports and Policies page of the SHG website at:https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/government/public-information/.

St Helena PES 2022 Programme Booklet

#StHelena #CPA #LegislativeCouncil #PostElectionSeminar

SHG

31 January 2022

Following re-testing of person(s) testing positive for COVID-19 within home quarantine and on-board a vessel, the public is advised that there are no positive cases of COVID-19 on St Helena at this time.

All COVID-19 protocols adhered to during these quarantine periods are now complete.

Members of the public should continue to practice good respiratory and hand hygiene and are thanked for your continued cooperation.

SHG

31 January 2022

St Helena Government (SHG) continues to run a ‘live’ Service Delivery Survey to gauge customer satisfaction of services offered by SHG. This user-friendly survey which was launched in January 2021, gives customers a chance to rate their satisfaction with 24 services provided by SHG.  These services range from the Public Transport Service to the Public Library and Waste Management Service, and customers are encouraged to provide feedback on how they feel a particular service can be improved.

A summary of the survey results along with the comments are shared with the respective Portfolios providing the services in question.  The Portfolios will consider what action, if any, can be taken to improve the services on offer.  

In November 2021 we published an infographic reporting feedback received on the services provided by the Environment, Natural Resources & Planning Portfolio, and the actions taken. Attached to this press release is our second infographic reporting customer feedback on our health services, along with the response from the Health Services Directorate. 

The Service Delivery Survey can be found on the SHG Website, in the Public Library, and also in the Post and Customer Services Centre in Jamestown. Alternatively, the Survey can be completed online via the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/SHG-Services.

Hard copies of completed surveys can be sent to Information and Research Support Officer, Linda Benjamin, at the Castle, Jamestown, or via email: linda.benjamin@sainthelena.gov.sh.

#StHelena #SHGServiceDeliverySurvey #CustomerFeedback

https://www.facebook.com/StHelenaGovt /  

SHG

28 January 2022

St Helena Authorities have received a request from fishing vessel Cuple for medical assistance for an injured crew member. This is not COVID-19 related and there is no indication of COVID-19 or any symptoms amongst crew members on board thevessel.

The vessel does not have appropriate medical facilities on-board and, as per the Island’s SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) obligations, St Helena will assist as the nearest port of call.

The vessel is expected to arrive at St Helena at 6am tomorrow, Saturday 29 January 2022, and pending sea conditions, the vessel will berth alongside Ruperts Jetty, where it will be boarded by relevant personnel.

The public is therefore advised that the whole of Lower Ruperts, including the Jetty and beach area, will be closed to the public until the vessel has departed.

All COVID-19 protocols and procedures, as per the Island’s Standard Operating Procedures for arriving vessels, will be strictly adhered to and all crew members will undertake a PCR test on arrival.

The patient’s condition will be assessed by medical staff and a decision taken on whether they can receive medical treatment on board the vessel or whether they will need to come ashore for further medical assistance and evacuation. If the patient needs to come ashore they will only be treated at the General Hospital if test results from all crew members are negative. If there is a positive test result from any crew member, the patient will be treated at Bradley’s Hospital under quarantine conditions. 

The Cuple will continue on its journey following the medical assessment and advice from Health officials.

SHG,

28 January 2022

In light of recent media reports about an alleged breach of quarantine St Helena Government (SHG) would like to reassure the public that all health protocols are being followed, that there is no requirement for contact tracing and that the situation will be kept under review.

SHG is not in a position to comment further on the alleged breach of quarantine because the matter is being investigated by the police.

SHG

27 January 2022

St Helena Police can confirm that our officers are investigating an alleged breach of quarantine.

As with any active police investigation, we are unable to comment or provide further details at this time as to do so could prejudice our investigation.

In the event that members of the public are in possession of any information relating to an alleged breach of quarantine we ask that they contact us directly.

We ask that members of the public and the media are mindful that publishing information or material relating to active police investigations could prejudice such investigations.

The public is reminded that in accordance with the Public Health (Prevention of Formidable Diseases) (Coronavirus No.2) Regulations 2020, it is a criminal offence to:

a. Breach or attempt to breach quarantine, or a condition of quarantine;

b. Knowingly assist or attempt to assist another to breach quarantine;

c. Knowingly, and without reasonable excuse (the burden of proving which is on the person), enter or attempt to enter a location where a person or persons are in quarantine.

St Helena Police take any report of crime seriously and will thoroughly, robustly and impartially investigate reports of crime.

St Helena Police

27 January 2022