83 fisherfolk to get COVID-19 relief

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has started the disbursement of relief to 83 fisherfolk from four main fishing beaches in St Catherine and Hunts Bay in St Andrew who have been severely impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fisherfolk from Old Harbour Bay, Hellshire and Port Henderson in St Catherine, and Hunts Bay were singled out for a special allocation of $30,000 because they were significantly affected from the lockdown of the parish during the early onset of the pandemic.

Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Floyd Green, who handed out eight of the vouchers on Wednesday at a ceremony at the Old Harbour Bay Baptist Church, said the Government has also allocated $24 million to procure cold storage containers that will be placed strategically at fishing beaches across the country as part of a renewed focus on improving the fishing industry.

“During the pandemic, these fishermen have seen increases in the prices of a number of items pertaining to their craft, and as such they needed the support to help them weather the storm,” Green said.

In addition to the slowdown in production and markets, all their fishing traps that were left unattended for the period were destroyed, and now that they are able to resume their businesses, they are experiencing increases in the prices of a number of their inputs.

Charles Moodie, a 76-year-old Old Harbour Bay fisherman who has been fishing for 60 years, said he lost his business and has to partially retool on borrowed money.

Damaged Traps

“I have 19 fish traps at sea and during the lockdown, I couldn’t go out to attend to them, so by the time I was able to go back to sea most of them were damaged or stolen,” he told The Gleaner.

“Each trap costs to construct. I lost over $60,000 worth, also on a good day I would make up to $20,000,” he disclosed.

He said the aid will assist him in obtaining wires to build more traps.

Hunts Bay fisherman Daniel Jagoo, 38, said other than the lockdown, his business was also affected during the period when he could not do night fishing because of the curfew hours.

“For a time before they cleared up whether fishermen were essential workers, we were stopped by the coast guard from going out to do night fishing, this also affected my income,” he declared.

Jagoo, who has a wife and two children to support, said he lost 60 traps during the lockdown and he is struggling to replace them.

“With this voucher, I can get some wire to build a few traps and try to come up from here,” he said.

The agriculture and fisheries minister disclosed that as a part of a broader incentive programme, some 5,000 additional licensed fishermen across 137 communities who have been impacted by the pandemic will get start up grants of $15,000 each.

“This is our first fisheries incentive programme where not only we are providing grant support and cold storage, but we will be embarking on our first beach improvement program,” Green stated.

According to him, he wants this to be a regular part of the ministry’s budgetary allocation to provide support in helping fishers to retool.

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