Jamaica rolls out new cybersecurity standard and cattle tagging measures

Jamaica moved on several fronts this week to strengthen digital security, agricultural traceability, and sustainable tourism, with ministers and agency heads outlining new standards, staffing, and industry milestones.

The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) launched the internationally recognised JIS ISO/IEC 27001:2024 information security management system standard to bolster data protection and cybersecurity across public and private sectors. Executive Director Dr Welton Godwin said the initiative followed the bureau's own experience with a cyber attack last year and is intended to help organisations better safeguard sensitive information. Chair of the BSJ Standards Council, Jacqueline Millington, urged entities to put the standard into practice, saying, "Do not allow this standard to sit on a shelf. Read it, review it, implement it. Invest in the systems, the training, and the leadership needed to make information security an integral part of your organization strategy." Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Sansia Bennett Templer, said the framework supports compliance with Jamaica's Data Protection Act and helps build trust in the digital economy.

Agriculture Minister Floyd Green, addressing the 128th general meeting of the Jamaica Agricultural Society at Denbigh Showgrounds in Clarendon on Wednesday, outlined steps to address a growing backlog in cattle tagging. Six animal technicians will join the Veterinary Services Division over the next four weeks and will be deployed to parishes facing the greatest challenges. The ministry will also recruit 100 community assistants to help farmers restrain animals during tagging and is working to maintain an adequate supply of tags, including an order for 130,000 additional tags expected by the first week in August, in addition to 20,000 tags received about two weeks ago. From July and August, a temporary arrangement will allow bonafide farmers who have had difficulty getting animals tagged to transport them for slaughter once they have notified the police and have receipts on hand. Green said the measures are needed to distinguish legitimate agricultural produce from stolen livestock and to strengthen traceability.

Sangster International Airport has become the first airport in the English-speaking Caribbean to achieve Level Three certification under the Airports Council International Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme, MBJ Airports Limited Chief Executive Officer Shane Monroe said during a recent virtual forum. Unlike earlier accreditation levels focused on emissions generated by the airport itself, Level Three requires airports to work with airlines, ground handlers, and other partners to measure and reduce emissions across the wider airport community.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said Jamaica is working to position itself as the culinary capital of the Caribbean, including partnerships with international culinary institutions and engagement with Afro-Global chefs. He was speaking at the second Jamaica forum on gastronomy tourism, which brought together industry leaders to explore how gastronomy can drive innovation and economic growth. The Christmas in July trade show, in its 12th staging, concluded on Friday at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, hosting 180 manufacturers and artisans, 121 of them newcomers, under the Tourism Linkages Network. Director Carolyn McDonald-Riley said category-centred showings were being arranged at the request of hoteliers. Bartlett said the event supports the government's local-first policy as an economic strategy to convert tourism demand into local production.

The National Fisheries Authority is preparing to introduce a Traffic Information Management System to handle certain offences by licensed fishers through tickets, including fines for breaches such as fishing without a valid licence, failing to report a lost or unserviceable vessel, and leaving fish waste on beaches. More serious breaches and offences by unlicensed individuals will continue to be handled through the courts.

Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie said the government will provide 200 jobs under this year's Youth Summer Employment Programme, with an estimated 10 to 15 youth workers assigned to each municipal corporation from July through December to support disaster coordinators during hurricane season.