A group of local fishermen is calling on the government to regulate large fishing boats that sell their catch wholesale and retail, in an effort to level the playing feel between larger and smaller fishing operations.
Jeremiah Rolle, who represents fishermen at The Potter’s Cay Dock, believes the practices of the large boats are unfair to the small fisherman.
“That’s what is causing a lot of guys out here to stop selling fish,” Mr. Rolle told The Bahama Journal. “There is no way that someone who cannot go out to sea can make money, so they buy kits of fish from the big boats to try and make a living. But how can we make it if after we buy fish from them (and) they come and sell alongside us.”
Fishermen say it is not fair that those who have to purchase fish from wholesalers have to compete with them head on in the retail market. They want the government to step in and put some control measures in place.
“If the government was to step in, clamp down and stop the big boat from retailing I think we would have a better market and the price of fish would drop. If not our business will continue to drop because we can’t keep up with them,” Mr. Rolle said.
A recent Central Bank reports indicated that when compared to the same period a year ago, the local fishing industry has suffered a loss of one third. The report pointed out that the decrease was due to a 35.2 percent contraction in the volume of crawfish landings, which constitutes the bulk catch.
Mr. Rolle said that the first nine months of 2005 were not as profitable as the year before.
He said weather conditions greatly affected the movement of fishermen going out and working the seas.
“Coming into 2005 there were several things that worked against us,” Mr. Rolle said. “First of all there was a cold front that lasted like forever, and that caused some of the guys to stay in port because they could not dive.
“What you also have to look at too, is that after the hurricanes in 2004 a lot of the spots where guys would usually fish and dive crawfish were rooted up, so there was nothing there to get,” he said. “And the bans in place were no help either. This year just was a hard one for the fishermen out here at Potter’s Cay, I just hope that 2006 be a much better year for us.”
According to the spokesman, there were several vendors at Potter’s Cay whose stalls were destroyed during Hurricane Frances, and they required assistance from the government.
He said the recent efforts by government to rehabilitate the dock are more of a stress to the vendors, because there are other vendors around New Providence who operate business under worse condition.
“What they plan on doing with those people who are selling fish and conch on the side of the road, with dirt and dust blowing all over the place?” Mr. Rolle asked. “But yet they are pressuring us, I feel that if you are going to make one set of people do something you should make everyone do the same.”
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
