The government will allow duty exemptions on trucks and other heavy-duty equipment for bona fide fishermen and farmers to encourage the expansion of the industries Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Local Government V. Alfred Gray said.
Gray noted that the fishing industry has been a profitable one for fishermen, with statistics pointing out that some $70 million was made in the crawfish catch in 2010, which increased to $77 million in 2011.
Gray said the fishing industry is changing and fishermen can raise fish on land through tilapia farming.
“All you need is a space, the right technology and you can grow tons of fish on the land where there is no rough seas and you are always reaping,” he said.
Gray said it is a venture the govermment is willing to help fishermen with if they are serious and committed.
Fishermen who met with the minister on Friday voiced concerns about several issues facing local fishermen ranging from the increasing importation of tilapia that they said is making it difficult for fishermen to sell their catch to Dominicans fishing Bahamian waters without permits to do so.
Local fisherman Jonathan Carroll said there should be a sliding tariff on fish fillets that are being imported for about 50 cents a pound, when fishermen have to pay nearly $6 per gallon for diesel.
He added that fishermen cannot compete when they attempt to sell their grouper because the cost of diesel is so costly.
“When we used to have farmers raise chickens here we used to have a sliding tariff on that, the duty used to go from 12.5 percent to 212.5 percent. These tilapia are making it so we cannot sell our grouper,” Carroll said.
He added that profits on crawfish have fallen from $15 a pound some years back and are now $11 a pound, where in comparison the cost of diesel has increased, further cutting fishermen’s profits.
Gray said the government addressed the issue of Dominican divers in a Cabinet meeting last week and has plans to deal with the problem.
“We have got to bring it under control by not issuing permits unless we know that these people are doing what they are assigned to do,” he said.
Gray said boat captains utilizing foreign divers are going to be held accountable to the government.
Anther concern expressed by the fishing community was the tardiness under which fishing permits are granted.
To this Gray noted that he has spoken with directors within the Department of Marine Resources about improving turnaround time.
“We have got to have a 24-hour, 48-hour policy. If your permit is received, within 48 hours we are going to have to say yes or no. That’s the turnaround time and anybody who has to wait longer than that, call me . . . We have to change some things because we can’t ask you to go into business and then frustrate you,” he said.
By Cleopatra Murphy
Freeport News
