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Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
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Address by the Parlimentary Secretary in the |
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Fishers and Fishing Communities of St Lucia Each year, around this time, fishers and fishers’ cooperatives celebrate the feast of St Peter, the patron saint of fishers. Cooperatives around the island will be holding celebratory masses, along with a variety of activities and functions to commemorate the occasion. Fishers and fishing communities on a daily basis provide opportunities for national economic and social growth and development to generate benefits for St Lucia as a whole. But what is the future of the sector like, at this time? The future of the industry depends on a series of changes and factors, including immediate changes being made by those involved in the sector from the perspective of sustainable utilization, management and investment for development. Investment in institutional and related capacity building, commercialization of the sector and the effective empowerment of fishers and fisher organisations so as to sustain the economic and social importance of the fisheries section. Generally, Caribbean people are big consumers of fish, eating on average about 55 pounds of fish per person per year. Demand from the local population continues to rise, as a reflection of population growth and the adoption of healthier lifestyles, of which a diet rich in fish is an important component. Indeed, throughout the region, fish is considered “brain food,” explaining the popularity of our fish broth as a source of growth, strength and virility! Development of the tourism business has also contributed to the increase in demand. This demand is expected to increase as visitor arrivals grow, particularly as we prepare for Cricket World Cup 2007. Moreover, the development of a guaranteed market through the establishment of the St Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation (more often referred to as the “Fisheries Complex”) has given local fishermen further incentive to continue to increase their levels of catch throughout the year. Annual fish landings are presently valued at over EC$22 million. Primary processing and the development of value-added products offer further means of increasing the overall value. However, a significant amount is lost due to poor storage and spoilage. In developing countries, production losses due to spoilage are an issue of some concern, with an estimated 10% of total catch being lost. It is critical therefore that proper handling methods are employed on fishing vessels, where fish are gutted and stored properly while out at sea. The use of ice at sea and vessels equipped with ice-holds remain as desirable developments within the sector. However, investment in such technology and practices needs to be supported by stratified pricing within the market place, where obtaining a reasonable price adequately rewards fishermen who present high quality fresh fish for sale. Lack of such an incentive will hinder real progress within the sector. The storage-life of fresh fish can be dramatically increased if the catch is placed immediately in chilled seawater, but most artisanal fishers have difficulty adopting this technology. Aquaculture is also an important avenue for increasing total fish production without placing additional pressure on fish stocks in the wild; it does not necessarily require high levels of capital investment and can provide an important form of diversification for local farmers and land owners with adequate water supply. Presently, a local fish feed is being developed which should substantially reduce the dependency of aquaculture farmers on expensive imported feeds. Such forms of technological advancement are central to continuous progress within the aquaculture sub-sector, to increase production, reduce costs and enhance profitability. With respect to the effective management of the resource base, over 30% of the world’s coastal regions are under threat of degradation, while an estimated 90% of the world’s marine fisheries production depends on healthy coastal habitats such as reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. As in many other parts of the world, our coastal fishing communities are now competing for scarce resources and space. Resource conflicts between traditional users (such as fishers and recreational users) and more recently tourism-related users (including scuba divers, day-boat and water taxi operators, snorkelers, yachters) have led to the need to establish the zoned management systems in place in the Canaries and Anse La Raye Marine Management Area, and the Soufriere Marine Management Area. The success of such systems depends on full user and public support. Effective schemes for generating revenue from area users to sustain the day-to-day management of these important coastal areas is essential for the sustainability of resources. For fisheries to continue to produce for both a growing population and an expanding tourism industry, it is necessary to ensure that wise planning and management of the fisheries industry and resources are achieved, to allow for the sustainable growth of the sector. We must continue to take the necessary steps to achieve sustainable production and prevent over-fishing. The recent success of Marine Reserve areas established on the west coast of Saint Lucia have shown that such protected areas do enhance the supply of fish to nearby communities. I call on fishermen to fully support and defend such “no-fishing” reserves as they play a central role in the recovery of coastal reef fisheries. The sustainability of the sector also depends on the role played by all stakeholders – the fishers, the fisher co-operatives, the business community and financial services providers, consumers and the Government. The Government of St Lucia remains committed in managing the institutional, legislative and fiscal environment for the continued growth of the sector. The Honourable Prime Minister recently in his Budget Address outlined the elements of an improved incentive regime in support of the broader agricultural sector, including Fisheries. The Fisheries legislation is currently being reviewed. However, it is critical that our co-operatives begin to transform their operations and become more involved in the business and increased commercialization of the sector, providing and facilitating business-related services to their membership. Facilitation of credit through credit unions, business record-keeping, procurement services, investments in support of production and resource management (such as Fish Aggregating Devices – FADS) are simply some examples. We cannot continue to operate like we did fifteen and twenty years ago, lest our fishers be relegated to the corners of the vicious web of social poverty. Already, the Government of St Lucia is taking steps to ensure that a safety-net mechanism is established under the National Insurance Programme. The banking and other financial services providers need to assist the sector by re-designing their service packages and working through the co-operatives to facilitate improved credit management for all. Generally, we have seen a significant improvement in the general fishing infrastructure throughout the island. Discussions with the Japanese Government are on-going to open the way for the feasibility study of the Anse La Raye Fish Complex, which we expect will include some facility for the continuous training of our emerging and practicing fishers. As I conclude this address, I take this opportunity to remind all our fishers and their co-operatives to prepare for the hurricane season, to avoid or minimize the loss of life and property during this seemingly very active season. Generally, you ought to be prepared at all times, ensuring that the appropriate safety and emergency gear and equipment are acquired and used while you go out on your fishing expeditions. We all owe it to ourselves, our families and communities to do all that is necessary to improve safety at sea and avoid loss of lives. The cost to the nation is enormous. On this note, and on behalf of the Honourable Minister, the management and staff of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries I seize this moment to extend to all fishers, Fisher Cooperatives, fish vendors, processors, fishing communities and the general consuming public a warm and successful
celebration of Fishers Feast, the feast of St Peter, the patron Saint of Fishers.
“Bonne Fete.” I do look forward to the active participation of all in this year’s celebrations and towards the continued growth of the industry. |
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