Rambharat: Grow more local produce, respect the environment

“There is a lot of consciousness about eating what you know and eating what you grow,” Rambharat said, adding, “The more we produce and the more accessible it becomes, we are able to keep the prices at a level where it becomes more affordable.” He was speaking after a tour of the Godineau River, south Oropouche yesterday as part of World Environment Day observances which is being observed worldwide today .

“Continue to respect nature and the environment.” Rambharat, who was accompanied by Fyzabad MP Dr Lackram Bodoe, was taken by boat along the river to those areas which had been affected by last year’s oil spill .

“One of the issues I saw in the Godineau river and in the Caroni bird sanctuary was the issue of dredging of rivers and the way in which the silt that is dredged is dumped onto the banks. When you do that, you really affect the shell fish that is using the bank of the river as a breeding ground so that will affect the oyster .

“We need to put in some infrastructure to help the boat operators to be able to land and anchor their boats a little more safely along the Godineau at an area called St John’s and another area called Woodland,” he said .

Rambharat also said the river possessed the potential for eco-tourism as there was already some activity taking place along the river but on a limited basis .

At a meeting with farmers, Rambharat said he knows “the number one issue is land tenure; the number two issue is access roads; and third is the support from the Ministry” and spoke at length about the work of the Ministry and other agencies to address their legitimate concerns .

While at the meeting with the fisherfolk, he called on the Fishing Association to instill discipline among its members with a view to proper management of their facilities .