Fishers in Central Leeward and South Windward received this week fishing supplies to help them recover from the April 2021 volcanic eruption that the previous government had in storage since 2022.
iWitness News understands that the equipment was not presented amidst bickering among at least two ministers under the Unity Labour Party government, which was voted out of office in November.
The supplies, including rope, float, and fish pot wire, were also distributed to fishers based in Buccament, Layou and Barrouallie, in Central Leeward and Shipping Bay, in South Windward.
Conroy Huggins, who heads the new Ministry of Fisheries under the New Democratic Party administration, told a handover ceremony in Bottle and Glass, Barrouallie, that the initiative was production support for fishers under a project that the ULP government closed years ago, but the equipment was not presented to the intended recipient.
He explained that the programme was intended to support fishers following the 2021 volcanic eruption.
“… sadly, they were not distributed to the fishers within the time span,” Huggins said.
Huggins, who is also MP for Central Leeward, where Barrouallie is located, said that after learning of the delay, he instructed the ministry to get the equipment to the fishers immediately.
“It’s long overdue. It is something that they should have had at least three, four years ago… So today, we have been doing these distributions,” Huggins said, noting that the items being handed over include ropes and fish pot wires.
He noted that various types of fishing are done in Barrouallie, including using fish pots.
The minister said the distribution was being done as part of the Fisheries Month activities leading up to Fisherman’s Day on May 25 — the 49th edition of the festival.
“… we saw it fitting to get all of these items, which have been backlogged for quite a while, to the fishers,” he said.
Huggins used the occasion to draw a political contrast between the NDP government and the former ULP government.
“And this is essentially the difference between the previous administration and this present administration,” he said.
“We are operating on efficiency and delivery. We are about people. So whatever forms of benefits that the fishers are entitled to, we will ensure that they are able to receive this in a timely manner, so that they can be able to recover, operate and move forward with their business.”
He assured fishers across the country that the ministry remained committed to them but pointed to the scale of work still needed in the sector.
“We have quite a lot of work to do in the fishery sector. From our headquarters [to] all the fishery centres throughout Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, we have a lot, a lot of work to do,” the fisheries minister said.
He said there was a lot of interest locally, regionally and even internationally, framing current efforts as “historic change that is taking place in the fishery sector…
“We are confident that we can maximise our ocean [and] improve the livelihoods of our fishers,” Huggins said.
“So from a fisheries standpoint, we are here to facilitate and ensure that the capacity building takes place and the necessary equipment, tools that they need. We are here to give that support.”