DLP leader: Scarcity of food

Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne is levelling charges of food shortages in the country and calling on Government for answers.

He said while Government has stated that they have put $7 million into the fishing sector since the devastating blow of Hurricane Beryl last July, some fisherfolk are “out of jobs” and “mothers are suffering”.

“There is a food crisis. There is a crisis in milk production with we now having to import milk and a fear that if these imports are allowed to continue without interruption, they will destroy the local milk industry.

“There is also a crisis in the fish production sector. There is a crisis in both the agriculture and aquaculture. Ask the people who go to the supermarkets every week; don’t ask the well-dressed parliamentarians who come in here and talk pretty.”

Thorne, political leader of the Democratic Labour Party, asserted that the shortage of fish stemmed from Hurricane Beryl, which destroyed 90 per cent of the fishing fleet.

“What I am saying is that the Government failed to provide a safe harbour for the fishing folk. Government needs to accept public responsibility for its delinquency, for its dereliction of duty to provide safe harbour.

“There is a shortage of locally caught fish and locally means fish caught in the waters of CARICOM. I am saying that a lot of the fish that you are buying in the market is fish imported from beyond this region with foreign exchange.”

Important

He added that the local fishing industry was being treated with contempt while quoting Minister of the Blue Economy Adrian Forde on the Sustainable Fisheries Management And Development Bill, 2024 before the House which “he said will capture the whole sustainable development of livelihoods of the fisherfolk”.

Thorne said over 3 000 fisherfolk were registered in various roles in the fishing industry which included boat owners, boat agents, fishermen, fish vendors and fish processors.

“This is an important industry. It feeds people. More than six per cent of the labour force in this country is employed in fishing related activities. These catches are not only for local consumption, the industry also exports and much of that goes to the United States in the form of yellow fin tuna.”

He said that some fish vendors were still out of work, especially the women, and the Government’s “one-off sum of $1 500” to the fish vendors “was an insult when they are equally involved in the industry”.

Boat owners received in total $12 000 each, with captains and crew receiving a total of $9 000 each.

“Some of the fish vendors had to remove themselves from the industry and take other jobs. There is a social reality of suffering and struggle in this country that is being endured by too many people. The majority of fish vendors are women and the majority of boat owners and fishermen are male. The latter received $9 000 and the women who labour and are heavy laden in those markets from 6 to 6, you offer them $1 500 and expect congratulations.”

Thorne chided the Government, saying that even now some had not received any payments.

He said some of these women were now jobless and, as a result, their children were home from school because they had no income.

(NS)

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