Fishermen, fish vendors, and business owners who operate from the Meadow Bank wharf, in Georgetown have voiced their concerns over the lack of security and improper management there.
According to a Ministry of Agriculture release, these matters were aired when Minister Zulfikar Mustapha visited the facility to meet with those persons who conduct business in the area. During the tour, the minister was informed of the issues faced by the fisher folk and business persons.
The main concern vented was the issue of security and several persons had complaints they wished to have attended to.
Krishna Jettoo, Managing Director of Del Ice Co noted, “Security is the biggest issue we have. Secondly, the wharf is falling apart and everybody is doing as they choose to do. Nobody operates by rules and regulations. There’s no management here. We had a meeting last week concerning the same issue. I’m actually the only one who spends money to fix the wharf. Nobody pays anything and it has become a free for all. It doesn’t work that way. They come concerning issues of maritime fees for boats but nobody pays anything because the Co-op is not functioning,”
Also concerned about security was Renita Joseph, who operates a seafood retail store at the wharf. She also said that there needs to be a capable body in place to address the issues faced by those operating out of the wharf.
“We need a functioning Co-op; we need a body to handle our issues. We only see the Chairman when there is a meeting so I’m asking. I spoke to him and he asked me to give him two weeks. That’s last year. We just want a capable body so they can look into all the problems because we can list them. Everybody can come and list their problems and if we have that body they can look into things like security, every aspect of it. We do have police presence here but let me give you this instance, there was a guy selling illegal stuff in a car and I told a guy who was here and has a security company. I told him we can’t even call the police because we don’t know who to trust. He said he would deal with it. He called two persons, they came and I don’t know what happened. The next morning, the same guy who was selling the stuff came on the wharf finding out about us because the police told him that we made a report and that they collected thirty thousand dollars from him. He was also making threats to my family. The other day I was robbed and people are seeing these things but are afraid to go to the police.”
A fisherman who gave his name as Redman, echoed similar security concerns, “This out here is my living. I’m a father of four. I got a lotta family and friends working here. When the fishermen them go to sea, working so hard fuh bring in them lil fish, we get next to nothing for the fish. When yuh sell the fish now sometimes you gotta be careful. The security system is bad. People coming and rob yuh. We need a camera system so that yuh could pick up something. A proper security system.” He also spoke about getting better prices for his catch and the leaky roof of the building where fisher folk mend their nets. “This area where we mend the nets. The roof is leaking, is best you mend it in the sun.”
Ravin Singh, a fish vendor, also spoke about security and the lack of running water at the facility. “For years now we ain’t getting no water on the wharf to do nothing properly. They come round and collecting a $500 a day, we does pay. I does sell also out here and the same issue with the robbery and thing.”
Chairman of the Greater Georgetown Fishermen’s Co-op, Mohamed Khan, also known as ‘Teach’, noted that in spite of there being a police presence, there appears to be “some amount of collusion” between the police and those committing the robberies. “The police are here every single day. They only come here to collect fees from certain people. If you go to Ruimveldt Police Station and report matters, the next ten minutes the bandits know,” Khan said.
He also shed some light on the issue regarding access to water which he said was due to the facility not having its own water source. The chairman explained that in the past, water was supplied through a private well but after the owner sold his business, that convenience ended.
Lydia Basdeo, another fish vendor who operates from the wharf, opined that the fishermen and the Co-op need to work together to maintain order at the facility.
“Security here is two-way. People saying Mr. Khan is not doing his duty but the fishermen or the boat owners also not doing their duty. They were supposed to be paying to use the wharf. Nothing of that sort happens here and everybody doing as they like. Even the people them that clean the fish; if you go and tell them “if you clean the fish and throw the guts there, worms are going to come up” they abuse you. It reach a stage where you cannot say anything here,” Basdeo lamented.
In response to the issues of security and water, Mustapha assured the fisher folk and business owners that he would engage his colleague ministers responsible for security and water, Robeson Benn and Collin Croal respectively, to have systems put in place to improve security and provide water at the facility.
As for the other concerns raised, the minister acknowledged that there evidently needs to be improvements to the services provided at the facility. He also promised those gathered that he will try to have some repairs done at the wharf.
“Before we collect money from anyone we have to provide a service so we will try to see what we can do from our level. The most burning issues based on what was said, are security, the state of the building and the water. I can’t make a full commitment that we’ll do all the repairs right away but I’ll review our work programme and see what can be done. I’ve also instructed the Chief Fisheries Officer to meet with the Co-op and the fishermen to see how soon we can deal with all these issues. I’ll try to see what renovation works we can do to this building. These repairs cost a lot of money and only recently we had the National Budget read so I’ll see from my Ministry what resources we’ll have to try and enhance the structure. We also have to look at the cost to maintain this building. It has to be cost effective. If the services are being provided, then we have to ensure those benefiting pay a small fee to maintain these services but we first have to get the facility back in order.” Mustapha said.
Mustapha also said that his ministry will be working with both the fisher folk and the Co-op to resolve all other existing issues faced and disclosed that a committee headed by the Chief Fisheries Officer and comprising representatives from the Co-op and the fisher folk will be established, to resolve any issues that may arise in the future, the release added.
