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With the Atlantic hurricane season now under way, fishermen along the southeast coast of St Elizabeth are bracing for what could be another rough stretch of high winds and heavy losses.

But seasoned fisherman Kenroy 'Ken Dog' Trenchfield is issuing a stern warning that, if any man goes out to sea during bad weather, "he's on his own".

"All I can tell them is, whenever the weather is not good, don't go out there. Because, if you go out there and break down, mi not coming out there for you. Mi not going out there in no weather. So, stay here with me," Trenchfield warned.

Trenchfield, who is almost 70, has spent nearly 50 years fishing off Jamaica's southern coast, and said experience and loss have taught him the hard way.

"Mi think [Hurricane] Beryl was the worst one for me, you know. Gilbert never do me so much tings. All mi furniture out inna mi yard mash up. Gilbert neva do me dat," he said, recalling how the 2024 storm devastated both his home and livelihood. When Beryl hit, it wiped out not just his furniture, but his fishing pots, the very tools of his trade.

"It took all of our pots, so we never had no work, and pots expensive, very expensive," he said. "Mi have couple roll of wire but mi nuh get back none [of the traps] out there yet."

Though the sea has sustained him for decades, the hurricanes have been unforgiving. Trenchfield said his roof was ripped off three times, forcing him to take matters into his own hands.

"Mi decide seh mi nah go four, so mi deck it. Just get in the windows, but mi nuh get in no door yet cause mi neva have the cash," he shared. "Mi still live deh with mi wife, children, and granny."

The veteran fisherman, who pilots a boat named 'Bull Dog', which is inspired by his own nickname, said he now keeps a close eye on both weather apps and natural signs.

"It come pon your phone and tell you when a [bad] weather. But mi know, when mi hear rumbling and lightning, a bad weather dat," he said. While many old-school fishermen swear by observing birds flying inland, cloud patterns, or even a sudden stillness in the sea breeze, Trenchfield said technology now plays a big role in early warning. Despite the knowledge and tools available, he's worried that some fishermen will still take the chance to venture out.

Meanwhile, Dr Gavin Bellamy, chief executive officer of the National Fisheries Authority, has commended the nation's fishers for their increased awareness and improved preparedness when it comes to safeguarding lives and livelihoods during storms.

"Last year we had almost 100 per cent compliance on the Pedro Cays, or people returning to land," Bellamy told THE WEEKEND STAR.

He said that the fishers also protected their vessels very well adding that only a few were damaged.

"We have gone to a stage where fishermen are now compliant to the safety precautions. I was so proud of them last year, how they responded to the warnings, and I hope to see that level of going forward for the hurricane season," he added.