Moruga fishermen call for guns

FED UP of being held up and robbed of their catch, engines, fish-nets and even boats, Moruga fishermen are calling on Government to offer them more protection via the Coast Guard, or give them guns to protect themselves, when they take to the high seas to fish.

On Sunday, six fishermen from Grand Chemin, Moruga, were attacked, terrorised and robbed of their boats by armed, masked Spanish-speaking pirates, who the victims strongly believe came from mainland Venezuela. The men were part of a contingent of fishermen, who left home to fish in the seas off the Moruga coast. The victims said around 6 am on Sunday, they left Grand Chemin in three boats — “Sea King,” “Full Trottle” and “Eagle.”

The fishermen included captain of the “Sea King,” Earnest Campbell and his crewmates Russell Harripersad and Ryan Singh, a man known only as “Trevor” who was captain of the “Eagle” along with Sylvester Singh and Paul Singh.” By 7.30 am, the fishermen were directly south of the Moruga coastline several miles from land when a group of four pirates in a small vessel, armed with guns and wearing masks approached the TT fishermen and started firing shots in the air. Other fishermen who were also out at sea, witnessed the incident.

Captain of the “Sea King” Earnest Campbell told Newsday that the ordeal lasted 45 minutes, during which time guns were pointed at them by the pirates who ordered the local fishermen to tie themselves up with lengths of rope. The fishermen were then shoved into the bow of their three respective boats. “They spoke Spanish and also proper English,” Campbell related to Newsday. The fishermen accompanied by the pirates, drifted towards the mouth of a river near the Venezuelan coast, in the three boats. The pirates ordered the six victims to untie themselves.

The six TT fishermen were ordered to jump into the sea while the pirates placed the engines (valued at $23,000 each) of the “Eagle” and “Full Trottle” into the “Sea King,” in which they (the pirates) sped off. Up to late yesterday, searches on the high seas for the “Sea King” were futile. After being left in the water by the pirates, the six TT fishermen were rescued by Guyanese nationals Gobin Persad and Errol Douglas who were in their vessel and heard the victims’ shouts for help. The six were pulled into Persad’s vessel “Lady Vashti,” while the “Eagle” and “Full Trottle,” which were drifting nearby, were secured to the “Lady Vashti” and towed back to Grand Chemin.