Dozens of Mon Repos villagers last evening poured into the streets to protest the recent spate of piracy even as the second body of four men who went to the aid of hijacked fishermen and encountered tragedy washed ashore in Essequibo.
“We fed up …fed up nobody care about we fishermen that is how all a we feel. Pirate attacking we left right and centre and nobody a seh nothing. We can’t get no security when we left fuh go out pun sea is we one and God alone no boat nah pass fuh see if we alright nothing …leh dem hear cocaine pun one a we boat nuh, see how quick dem get boats fuh come see” said Leonard Jettoo a fisherman and Chairman of the Anti-Piracy Committee, as dozens other chanted “Is time Is time”.
Questions have been raised about the apparent lack of GDF coastguard operations off the Pomeroon where around 15 boats were attacked last Friday. Around 20 fishermen had to be rescued on Friday after the spate of piracy.
Only using the name Tony, another fisherman spoke last evening as many others chimed in adding to or agreeing with what he was saying. He told Stabroek News that the community of Mon Repos was a fishing community and that the housewives and children had left the comforts of their homes to protest because they were scared for their loved ones at sea. “Look at de hundreds a people wuh come out you think dem nah could a deh watch TV or relax a dem house but dem vex wid this government. All dem giving we is promising. Dem a talk bout rice rice sugar here, farmer there and is if fishermen nah exist. We family frighten every time we left fuh go out a sea but wuh a we go do that is all we know we can’t go tek office wuk”.
A female boat owner who asked that her name only be used as Bibi said “This industry everybody a benefit from it cause if five people pun one boat dem gat bout ten people from he family depending pun that money, then when we bring de fish a wharf hundreds and from that mo and suh de story a go and it create wuk fuh nuff people. Government like dem nah understand that so dem seh `fishermen, oh dem a mek money dem nah need. We forget them’. Gosh we so fed up “
The group of fishermen also informed that even after requests for a regulatory agency to meet with them they were never approached by any Ministry of Agricul-ture or Government official on the creation of a fishermen’s organization that would document their catches daily and they want to see that happen at least by March. “We want a system that gon document every time we left, weh awe going if everything alright and so we want it quick cause we nah want wait or mo people a go dead”. With this system they said they would be equipped with satellite facilities and could communicate with persons.
The villagers plan to stage a protest outside of the Office of The President this morning with the hope of meeting with President Donald Ramotar to voice their concerns. “We want meet de President. We meet every Minister from Sash Sawh to Robert Persaud must be a hundred time all we a get is a promise here a promise there and nothing. So now we wukking from de top come down we nah want from de bottom no mo. Bottom people a fool we up too much we want de media there to record so dem nah go seh deh nah know this time.”
Piracy has been a major challenge for the 2006-2011 PPP/C government. There have been numerous attacks and the seizing of boats over this period. Despite various attempts by the government at remedial measures, the fishermen have said that nothing effective has been done.
On Tuesday, GINA said that President Ramotar summoned a meeting with persons who were affected by the recent pirate attack in the Pomeroon River and promis-ed intervention at the level of the Cabinet.
GINA said that the delegation of fisherfolk who were led by Region Two Member of Parliament Cornel Damon were “assured that the necessary interventions will be guided by assessments of reports being received on a daily basis.”
The group that met the President represented the shareholders of the damaged vessels but, according to Damon about 60 persons including employees have been affected by the criminal act committed.
Writhed
Meanwhile, the lone survivor from the ill-fated rescue party on Saturday, Dhaneshwar Reddy, recounted his harrowing experience to Stabroek News yesterday from his Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation bed.
As he writhed in pain from second degree burns he suffered from the gasoline that poured out on him when the boat capsized and from objects in the sea battering him, he said that it was because of the brotherhood between fishermen that saw him going to sea that tragic Saturday. “All a we like buddy out deh we have fuh look out fuh we matee fisherman so when we hear one need help a we a rush fuh help am. Saturday me friend tell me he saro boy (brother-in-law) and he buddy been get catch by pirate and dem beat dem up and suh and left dem fuh dead some way by Charity so he, me and three mo man meh nah know dem though, them jus a fisherman and wan help”.
He said that when they left the Meadow Bank Wharf at around 2:30 pm on Saturday the weather and the sea looked fine. However after travelling for about one hour the rains came beating down on them. Reddy said that he was not sure when the squall hit. “When we left everything look good but bout a hour or suh, rain suh till and de seas get rough rough, start fuh lick a boat all over. Me nah know what time de big wave hit but all me remember is seeing a big wave a come and me seh nah boy me nah stay in a boat cause he a got cover. So me tek one water bottle and jump out and bladam . ”When me look back suh, boat gone down everything cover and then a rain a beat me so me hold on pun a empty bottle and a pray and pray meh never pray so yet…Me a pray and me a scream fuh help pray lil mo shout lil mo”.
He said that as he thought of his wife and four children he found the will to hold on for life a little longer and began paddling his foot holding the bottle, all the while the salty water slipped down his throat and into his eyes. As late afternoon turned night and another day he gave up hope since the cover of the bottle popped off subsequently sinking it. At this time he could not see anything because of his sore salty eyes. “When de bottle cover come off me seh dis a it cause all me foot get numb me couldn’t a feel nothing nor see nothing but me decide fuh paddle paddle lil and give a last scream and meh hear people seh nah give up we a come”. The voices he heard were some women off the Essequibo Coast who were bathing. They in turn signalled to other villagers who took a boat and rescued Daneshwar.
And as he recuperates, the man wants to thank the villagers who he said saved his life since they took him, temporarily blinded, to the Suddie Hospital and stayed with him as he was treated before being transferred to the GPHC.
