Call for full financing

Some fishermen in Oistins, Christ Church, are demanding full financing for their destroyed boats and are calling for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley.

They told a Nation team they had some pressing concerns they needed to bring to her, chief among which was the 25 per cent grant as part of a 30-year revolving fund.

“That 25 per cent is nothing. You can’t get back into the sea with that. They say you need a boat to qualify. Where will we get a new boat from? What got me [angry] is they telling you if you get back piece of the boat, they will give you material. They bring material here the other day, but where are the boats to use it on? How many years will it be before boats get back in the sea? We will soon have to import fish,” fisherman/boat owner Robert Green said.

Both Green and fellow fisherman/boat owner Charles Harewood said it would be better for them to get 100 per cent financing.

“If we get 100 per cent, we would help one another and get back out boats in the water. All we need is the finances,” Green said, with Harewood adding he was not “settling for less” than full financing.

Green said his boat, Reya, needed an engine and material for the top. He added he was willing to help himself but needed greater input from Government as the grant would not cover his costs.

“We are helping ourselves but give us something [more].”

Harewood, a former public relations officer/treasurer for the Oistins Small Boats Association, said they would have difficulty accessing/repaying loans to build their boats given their ages.

“I’m in the red. I have rent, utilities, transport and food bills to pay. If you don’t have a boat, how will you even get the 25 per cent grant? I’ve asked for meetings but I haven’t gotten any reply.

“At my age, you feel I can handle a loan? Them feel we ain’t got no sense. Some boats only cost $15 000, mine cost $60 000, but if I can’t get a 100 per cent grant, then we need to elect someone new to run this country. My boat was named Why Worry? after something my mother used to say, so it has a lot of sentimental value. We want an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister,” he said.

At a press conference on July 5 at Ilaro Court, four days after Hurricane Beryl left a trail of devastation in the fishing industry, particularly at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex, Mottley outlined short-, medium- and long-term funding strategies. The grant and revolving fund made up medium-term funding.

“I have given instructions for us to work with financial institutions to establish and to raise the funding to establish a 30-year revolving fund that will be available to help fishermen finance any new boats.

“I have also agreed that we will give a grant . . . to the tune of 25 per cent of the cost of any new boat or repairs and the Government will carry the cost of that for them, therefore ensuring that access to financing would not become a major issue,” she said then.

The other strategies included a benevolent fund and a Business Interruption Benefit.

Other fishermen, who gave their names only as “King” and “Ron”, supported the stance taken by Green and Harewood, while raising queries about the availability of the Government-issued tractor to haul up boats and about a Canadian grant programme.

During a conference call recently with Minister of the Blue Economy Adrian Forde, Permanent Secretary Yolande Howard and Chief Fisheries Officer Dr Shelly-Ann Cox, the officials expressed surprise at the discontent of the fishermen as they said the measures being taken had been agreed upon by fisherfolk.

“The Prime Minister did meet with the fisherfolk organisations. This meeting occurred probably about five weeks ago. It was held with representatives of the fishing industry, including the executive of the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisation, and representatives of the various associations that are aligned with the fish market.

“The Prime Minister would have shared the proposal and there were no objections to the proposal that was outlined to offer a 25 per cent grant against the repairs of the boat,” Howard said.

Forde said there was nothing more they could say about it as anything further would have to be discussed with the concerned parties.

The post Call for full financing appeared first on nationnews.com.