Fishermen want compensation

Yesterday the frustrated boat owners, fishermen and vendors were joined by councillor for the area Anand Seepersad where they staged a meeting to highlight their concerns. The group assembled at the Orange Valley Community Centre. Vice President of the Orange Valley Fishing Vendors Association, Andy Hosein said fishermen and others were suffering as a result of the decrease in fish sales.

“Not only are the fishermen affected, it is everyone involved in the fishing industry, the boat owners, the vendors and others. There are only talks of the fish being contaminated, but there are no talks of compensation,” Hoesin said. He further added that the fishermen are not responsible if results from the tests on the fishes are positive or negative. “The fishermen cannot contaminate the fish, we are not at fault, it is the industries are at fault and day by day, month by month we are not getting no income to provide for our families and to date no one is speaking about compensation,” he said.

Hosein said that the fishermen and others needed answers from the Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat.

“Mr minister, you need to come out and tell us what is happening, because this is madness. It is only hear say and she say and rumours that the fish is contaminated and people are not buying, and there is no dialogue from the minister. We want answers, how long will we continue to suffer?”he asked. The fishermen are blaming secretary of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) Gary Aboud for the “confusion” and misinformation to the public. The FFOS and some fishermen have not been seeing eye to eye on reasons being given as to why dead fish is turning up in the Gulf of Paria. Fishermen say they are responsible as they are the ones dumping the unwanted fish that keep washing ashore while Aboud argues that it is Petrotrin as they used Corexit in 2013 to deal with a massive oil spill in La Brea. Aboud said certain species of fish is not fit for consumption.

On Saturday Otaheite fishermen held a similar meeting calling on the intervention of the Prime Minister to address their concerns.