St. George’s, July 27, 2010 (GIS) – Head of the Fisheries Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, Justin Rennie, says the welfare of fisher folk is high on the agenda of the division.
Rennie said although infrastructural development is crucial to the sector and it’s welcomed, there is a need for the division to pay more attention to the well-being of the fishermen.
“We believe that concerted effort must be made so that fisher folks can improve their social and economic status,” Rennie said in an address to the annual prize-giving ceremony of the Fisheries Division. It honoured the outstanding work of fishermen and women for the period June 1, 2009 to May 31, 2010.
Rennie told the fisher folk that they must begin to think about ways in which they can diversify their portfolios to include investment and management skills. He encouraged them to seek training in business and finance. See your trade as a business and not a social activity, he added.
“This is very, very critical simply because the environment out there is very, very harsh,’’ Rennie said. “You would not be able to continue working forever; so it’s very important that you pay particular attention to your future.”
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Denis Lett, expressed pride at the contribution of the fishing industry to the nation’s food security program.
As the ministry moves deeper in the direction of agro-processing, Hon. Lett is hopeful that soon Grenada can begin producing its own saltfish to sustain its domestic market.
“We, at the Ministry of Agriculture, are very interested in adding value to our products,’’ he said. “We are looking at the day when we would be able to produce saltfish, something that we are now importing. A lot of money is going out of the country as a result of the importation of saltfish.”
Saltfish production for domestic consumption reached its peak in Grenada in the early 1980s. Only a few persons now produce saltfish on a very small scale.
About 20 people received awards at the prize-giving ceremony at the Melville Street Fish Market. They included Neil Frank and Simon De Coteau, who received awards for the largest total landing of fish nationwide. They both had reeled in over 51 thousand pounds of fish. Other award recipients included:
