A group of fishermen have planned a protest today in hopes of getting protection from pirate attacks that they say are occurring in the Waini area of Region One.
The protest is set to begin this morning at the Meadowbank Wharf and then move to the Ministry of Public Security on Brickdam.
According to one fisherman, they will be taking the protest to the Ministry of Public Security as fisher folk were previously given promises by the ministry of better systems being put in place to ensure their safety.
The man, who was identified as Krishnadat (only name given), stated that they would not like to have a recurrence of the pirate attacks which happened last May, just off the coast of Suriname, which left over a dozen fishermen missing and feared dead.
Krishnadat stated that he was recently fishing in the Waini area and the attacks have become more rampant in that area. “They getting on the rampage down in Waini there. We don’t want a next something happen like wah happen in Suriname the other day,” he said.
The man then added that in the Waini area, pirates from Venezuela would come to the border to rob the fishermen and make their way back to Venezuela.
He further stated that the reason for the protest to be taken to the Ministry of Public Security is to have the minister deliver on promises that were made to them. “We’re going to be asking the minister for guns, because it’s a long time since the campaigning the last time he promise we, you know,” he said. According to him, the Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan had promised to provide fishermen with firearms and to have arrangements with the marine officers to ensure their safety. “when we come back from sea, we lodge the weapon there (with the marine officers) and when we ready to go we uplift it, but when we onshore the weapon is protected by the lawmen them and when we ready to go we sign out, you know,” Krishnadat said as he spoke about some of the safety measures that can possibly be put in place for local fishermen.
