Fishermen are pooling their resources to rebuild storage bonds that were burnt in a fire at the Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara docks on Wednesday, costing them millions in losses.
Five fishermen, including the one who allegedly started the fire, lost millions of dollars’ worth of fishing equipment in addition to the storage bonds to the flames.
The fire, according to one of the fishermen, started around 8 pm on Wednesday night. While some of the men on site tried to put out the flames, it was firefighters from the Leonora station who eventually were able to put out the fire but by that time the damage had already been done to the five storage bonds containing valuable fishing gear, including motors and seven large seines.
Narine (only name given), one of the fishermen, said that he was out at sea when the fire started and when he returned to shore he was told that the man who started the fire was upset about being robbed and so he decided to burn his bond and the fire spread to the others. He noted that because his bond was the furthest from where the fire started, he did not suffer as many losses as the others. While his bond was gone, only one of his seines was burned.
Another fisherman informed this newspaper that his losses add up to an estimated $1.8 million but noted that the figure was nothing compared to the losses of his friends.
When Stabroek News visited the site yesterday afternoon, construction work to rebuild the storage bonds had already started. It was raining but the men were not letting the weather deter them. “We own money we gather to start fixing,” the fisherman said, while noting that they have to get back to work.
Rafeek (only name given), called ‘Baby,’ another one of the fishermen, told Stabroek News “me was at home when the guard man call me and tell me that the thing dem de on fire”. He said their seine, engines and the actual structure of the storage bonds were completely engulfed by flames. He estimated the losses at over $3 million.
According to the men at the site, the arsonist was arrested on Thursday and had reportedly confessed his crime to police.
When Rafeek was asked what he expects to happen next, he said “He admit, but nobody nah gon’ give us nothing.” He explained that they were told when they got into the business that they couldn’t get insurance because “these things nah insured.” Another fisherman helping with the rebuilding said that the government is not responsible for the damage they suffered so they cannot expect any help from it. Rafeek repeated that none of them have insurance and added that the arsonist’s family will not be repaying anything. “We don’t even know his family and them nah go give we nothing,” he said.
Victor Mangru, a fisherman who did not suffer any loss from the fire, said his property was untouched because it was on the opposite side of the where the fire was set. He said that his boat was in the water and almost got caught because it was on the side where the fire was. However, the firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to the boat. He said noted that the arsonist came to the docks on Thursday afternoon and declared, “I build the world and I gon’ destroy it one thousand times.” However, no one paid him any mind.
According to the men, the man drinks a lot and would sometimes “act mad” but they said that there was no reason for him to start a fire where all their equipment, including his and his home, was located.
The alleged arsonist was being held at the La Grange Police Station up to yesterday afternoon.
