Back when it was first announced that Sandals will be opening a resort in St Vincent and the Grenadines(SVG), persons were generally optimistic about the possible opportunities to be derived.
But as time progresses some persons seem to be having second thoughts, while others have a more pragmatic view. Among them are fishers and taxi operators.
Situated along the coastline at Calliaqua is the community fish market where persons go to get their fresh fish from local fishers, most being residents of the town.
One fisherman, Fenrick Pierre, spoke to SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday February, 28, 2024 about the situation with Sandals, Rainforest, and Rayneau.
Pierre argued that SVG is becoming a country where only foreign investors can benefit financially claiming that little to no concessions are given to local farmers and fishers compared to larger, foreign companies.
Pierre said he was one who was sceptical about Sandals from the get-go, after witnessing what transpired with Rainforest. He claimed that this entity is now importing seafoods and selling to local supermarkets, when it was promised that local fisherman would supply the business.
SEARCHLIGHT was told that officials from Sandals, in the early stages, had visited the men when they were at the seashore near the fish market to try and negotiate a price for fish.
“ They came right here and spoke with us,” said Pierre, “They came here met snapper on the market for $10 a pound, they wanted to offer $6 and $7 a pound.”
Pierre explained that snapper is usually costly and resource intensive and it takes a lot of patience to obtain a substantive catch.
He said too that fishers also have to take into consideration the cost for bait and the fluctuating price of fuel for their boats. He said a pound of bait usually sells at $7 per pound, and that yields approximately 100 pounds of fish on a good day.
Additionally, that he and other fishers were affected by a shortage of bait claiming that silt from the quarry at Richmond had affected the population of the robin fish which they use for bait, but this situation was now on the rebound.
Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsavles recently made an appeal to local fishers to sell their catch to Rainforest who will then sell to Sandals Resorts, as Rainforest meets their standard and could meet Sandals’ demand.
Pierre argued that this then will make some fishers dependent on Rainforest, a situation he rejects.
“They need to know that fisherfolk are independent, we are one set of people that the government afraid to liberate because once we are liberated, fishers will live a much better life than others.”
There has also been recent talk of Sandals bringing their own tour company and that there may be a disparity in rates.
A taxi operator at the Cruise Ship Terminal on Thursday February, 29,2024, commented on this likelihood.
“Since the government gave them that opportunity, the taxi drivers supposed to get that same opportunity as well, so we looking out to see if anything going change when they open.”
Another taxi driver, however, said that he has no problem with Sandals doing their own tours as “it all depends on if your taxi is up to date….”
“So some would benefit and some would not,” said the seasoned taxi driver.
He said he knows of a few taxi operators who got a job that same day for sandals and that he does not know of anything being made official about a disparity in the price charged for tours.
“I didn’t hear much about that, and I mean, they are hoteliers so you must expect them to charge differently in order to pay way ever taxi they hire in order to get a benefit,” he pointed out.
The taxi driver of 15 years said that his main issue is the other taxi operators who are stationed on the inside of the terminal who in a way are “fighting we down out here”.
In a St Lucia Times article dated February, 24, 2024, businessman Rayneau Gajadhar stated their interest in selling agriculture produce to Sandals Resorts through his agriculture export company, Rayneau Industries Limited. However, he said there are no formal deals nor agreement in place and both parties are in the negotiation phase.
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