Agriculture Ministry meets with San Fernando fishermen over King’s Wharf facility

OFFICIALS from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries met with San Fernando fishermen on the morning of January 20 to discuss concerns over the new fishing facility at King’s Wharf.

Newsday understands the meeting included members of the ministry’s Fisheries Division, health and safety personnel and members of the San Fernando Fishing Cooperative Society. It also entailed a tour of the facility.

Sources told Newsday discussions centred on what it would take to get the fishermen to occupy the partially completed facility.

The fishermen raised concerns about working on a site where construction is still going on, and in particular who would be liable for any injuries in case of an accident.

Newsday was told a suggestion was made that the section of the facility under construction could be barricaded, but the fishermen rejected this as insufficient.

Additionally, Newsday was told the fishermen wanted additional compensation for being unable to use the facility by the agreed date of January 15. However, sources said, this was not something the ministry could discuss, as the compensation agreement was not with the ministry, but rather the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott), which oversaw construction.

Udecott chairman Noel Garcia told Newsday on January 16 it was possible for the corporation to continue to pay the fishermen.

“I would urge them to go back to plying their trade, because the monies that we paid them to stay home for six months while we fix the facility, (we) no longer have any money in that budget.” So staying away longer, he said, would be to the fishermen’s detriment.

Garcia said Udecott was satisfied with the work done so far and believes the facility is ready for the fishermen to occupy.

“The issues that they are raising, in my view, make absolutely no sense.

“The jetty is completed. The lights have been installed, the slipway is there, the storage facility is completed and there is nothing to stop the fishermen from utilising the site.”

He held the $32 million facility was far better and more modern than the previous one, which was built of wood and did not have electricity for six years.

Earlier that day the fishermen demonstrated in front of the new facility, saying they had been told to occupy it, but were prevented from entering the compound by security guards, who said they could not come onto the premises without personal protective equipment, as construction work was ongoing.

Udecott said it had no knowledge of the fishermen’s being barred from entering.

Apart from the facility’s being incomplete, the fishermen contended that sections such as the crane and raised dock made it impossible to hoist their boats out of the water. In its e-mail response to Newsday, however, Udecott said it was impossible for the fishermen to come to that conclusion, since they hadn’t used the equipment. Udecott said if they used it and the claim proved true, adjustments would be made.

San Fernando mayor Robert Parris attended the meeting. He told Newsday he would refrain from commenting, leaving that to the ministry and Udecott officials. However, he said the meeting was cordial and he is optimistic an amicable solution will be found within the coming days.

Up to press time Newsday was unable to get a comment from Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Kazim Hosein.

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