Permit· Port Royal / Kingston· Other Caribbean
Pedro Cays Fisheries & Access Rules
17° 3.1′ N · 77° 45.1′ W
The Pedro and Morant Cays are a restricted Jamaican fisheries zone: landing or fishing without good reason and a licence is an offence, and queen conch has a closed season - treat them as a look-don't-touch passage, not a cruising stop.
Practical
Position is the NE Cay light (Virgintino). The Morant and Pedro Cays Act prohibits entering the specified area without reasonable excuse, fishing there or in the territorial sea without a licence, and catching or disturbing birds and turtles or taking their eggs without a licence; Fishery Inspectors enforce it (FAOLEX/Ecolex summary). Virgintino (2015): authorities do not want yachts at the cays without prior Coast Guard permission; foreign yachts need a fishing licence to fish in Jamaican waters unless a Jamaican is aboard and on the crew list. Queen conch closed season is set each year by the National Fisheries Authority - in 2024 it ran August 15 to February 28, 2025, with possession, sale and processing illegal and fines up to J$1 million (Jamaica Observer). The cays are a known poaching area and are patrolled. If you must stop (emergency), call the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard on VHF 16.
Best for
Staying legal crossing Pedro Bank
Nearby
- Pedro Cays & Pedro BankRight here
- Alligator Reef Anchorage47.8 NM away
- Great Pedro Bay Anchorage48.7 NM away
- Treasure Beach49.5 NM away
- Black River Anchorage58 NM away
- Pigeon Island Anchorage (Portland Bight)59.5 NM away
- Manatee & Coquar Bays (Portland Bight)63.2 NM away
- Bluefields Bay Anchorage68.2 NM away