Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Ravi Ratiram has acknowledged that the fishing industry has been in decline, but says plans are underway to revive the sector through training and community support.
Speaking to the media on Friday, he raised concerns about the state of the country’s fisheries sector, saying many fisherfolk feel as though they were left behind.
“Fisherfolks from across the country have been reaching out to us that’s how they feel, very much abandoned by the previous administration. But they are very happy that PS is on the ground, myself and other officers from within the Ministry who are highly motivated and are highly inspired by the new leadership being provided by our Prime Minister.”
Minister Ratiram pointed specifically to the long-promised Icacos Fishing Facility, saying that although a huge parcel of land was earmarked, a recent visit revealed little evidence of the project.
“The entire Icacos Fish Facility disappeared into thin air. What we saw there is a fence, a high fence, with a big empty space on the inside. The last administration basically shut down the entire fishing facility down there in Icacos. They removed what it had and the fisherfolks have been abandoned.”
He noted that the problems facing the industry go beyond infrastructure, adding that participation in the fisheries sector has been steadily declining.
“It’s very important for us to equip all the relevant stakeholders with the necessary information for improving the efficiency of the fisheries sector. And as we advance the sector, what we recognise over the years, it has been declining. Participants in the sector have been leaving that sector.”
The Minister says that renewed interest is now being driven by training opportunities being offered through the Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institute (CFTDI).
He said Government intends to expand those programmes into fishing communities across the country.
“Is a lot of young people have really expressed their interest to get it to become trained, to become seamen, to understand the different aspects of the seafood industry. As you can see today at this expo, there’s a lot of processors, fish-processors. We have the future fishers. We have the smoke and salt fish to bring about value-added products into the industry.”
Minister Ratiram was speaking to TTT News as he visited the Carenage Fishing Facility where the community celebrated St Peter’s Day, an annual cultural and religious festival celebrating the island’s fishing communities.