As fisherfolk experience plunging profits due to rising costs, the minister holding responsibility for fisheries is giving the assurance that government will do what was necessary to revitalise the industry.
An apologetic Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy Kirk Humphrey told The Barbados Advocate that he understood the frustration being experienced by these individuals, and outlined the administration’s intent to work with them to ensure that the sector was maintained.
In an article carried last month in this paper, the vendors at Oistins pointed out that with fishermen raising the price of fish to offset the impact of the fuel tax, they had seen a significant decrease in customers.
“We have been very cognizant as a government that it costs the fishermen more because there is an additional cost on diesel,” Humphrey said on Friday at the Embassy of Argentina, adding that compounding the problem was the lack of fish available to be caught.
He noted that as government continued to address the country’s economic woes, citizens were being asked to be patient as all bore a part of the burden.
“Unfortunately we as Barbadians have been asked to carry a little bit more for a little bit longer. In my conversations with the fishermen, I’ve had to tell them the same thing. Just give us a little time to address the overall economic conditions and then when we are in a position to pass on the benefits, then I guarantee we will pass on the benefits to the fishing industry,” he added.
Humphrey said it was the intent of his ministry to have the fishing boats retrofitted and to give a much needed upgrade to the fish markets.
Calling it “embarrassing” that the island could not export fish in many cases due to it not meeting the phytosanitary standards required, he said that government would start the process of addressing this by firstly replacing the tiled countertops at the Bridgetown market with stainless steel.
