Oh God! Advantage! Sea moss farmers still struggling after Beryl

Eight months done pass since Hurricane Beryl mash up we livelihood, and all now, sea moss farmers still cyah get help from we ministry to start back. Is plenty money, millions ah dollars approve in Parliament, but somehow it still ain’t trickling down to the people who need it most.

Plenty sea moss farmers follow what the Ministry of Fisheries say to do — we submit we losses not once, not twice, but more than four times. They come, they do site visits, they take pictures, they write up reports, and every month we getting the same old assurance: “Help coming soon.” But how soon is soon? Soon not a date on the calendar.

If the money approve from since last year, why up to now it cyah reach the sea moss farmers? We trying to start back over, trying to earn a dollar, trying to put food on we table, but instead, we getting pure run-around!

This is advantage; plain and simple! The same sea moss farmers who help boost the blue economy, who provide work, who contribute to sustainable fishing, we getting left behind. The government quick to talk about development, but what about the people who actually working the sea?

Minister of Fisheries, Saboto Ceaser, where the money dey? Minister, suppose you didn’t get pay for eight months, almost a year, you would a be happy? Sea moss is how we does pay we self. Seamoss farmers suffering while ayo dragging ayo foot. We not asking for handouts — we asking for what was promised, what was approved, what supposed to be ours!

The rainy season almost here again, and the most productive months for sea moss farming passing us by. If we don’t get help soon, it gon be another year of nothing. Minister Ceaser, how much longer we must wait?

Seamoss Farmer

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