PM: Invest in larger vessels

The fishing industry accounts for $27 million per year or two per-cent of this country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves is challenging those involved to do much better.{{more}}

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony for the 2007 Fisherman’s Day competition, Dr Gonsalves, who was accompanied by Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer, said that fishing is becoming more and more important to the general economy.

He challenged fishermen to move out of their old time way of thinking and to take advantage of every opportunity for training.

He also told them that EC$6 million has been allocated in this year’s budget to facilitate loans to fishermen who want to invest in larger vessels – making for more cost- effective fishing.

“We have to get rid of this old time mentality…you can’t fish the same way that Peter did on the sea of Galilee,” Dr Gonsalves said.

He said that in addition to extending and rebuilding

the Kingstown Fish market, he was also looking forward to the building of the EC$36 million Owia fisheries facility.

“I make those points to you so that you could appreciate where we are going,” Dr Gonsalves said.

When he spoke, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Montgomery Daniel said that the Government was committed to the continued improvement of the fishing industry.

He said that St Vincent and the Grenadines is blessed with an abundance of fish and other resources that must be capitalized on.

He said that as problems in the banana industry continue to mount, the fishing industry has the capacity to grow and bring in more revenue.

Parliamentary Representative for East St George Clayton Burgin and chairman of the fisherman’s day committee Leonard Charles also addressed the gathering.

Among the prizes presented on the evening were winners of the schools’ poster, story writing and poetry competitions.

Winners of the various competitions were Kendal Douglas copping the heaviest catch in the beach seine competition with 3,173 pounds, Orla Mathews was the lone participant in the female category; she caught 15 pounds of fish.

Switzerland Spring of Chateaubeliar won the junior competition while Edgar Thomas walked away with the class four honours.

Hallam Daize and Leslie Hazelwood were the class three and two winners respectively. The latter took home a 15-25 HP engine.

But the man of the day was Eli Slater, whose catch of 738 pounds aboard his vessel Ingelis has earned him the Fisherman of the Year honours.

The Fisherman’s Day activities were held on Monday May 28th at the Calliaqua playing field.