British Virgin Islands: At a fishermen meeting held yesterday in Virgin Gorda, Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, the Honourable Dr. Kedrick Pickering, said that fishing is one of the established sectors that the Government of the Virgin Islands is working diligently to enhance and boost, according to a BVInews.com report.
High fees for docking and fuel, temporary fishing licenses, the lionfish, a proposed fish farm site, waste being dumped into the sea, illegal fishing and trade licenses to sell fish were some of the issues heard during the meeting from concerned fishermen.
Honourable Pickering said that the fishing industry is very important to one’s livelihood and he will do whatever is necessary to assist with revitalising and strengthening the sector, thereby improving the standard of living for all. “We are in a developing country and we must be proactive, that’s why these meetings are very important and I assure you that action will be taken to ensure that the standard of the fishing sector will be raised, as this can boost our economy,” the minister expressed.
The BVInews.com report said that the Minister thanked the fishermen for taking the initiative to request the meeting and assured them that he would take the issues mentioned to his colleagues in an effort to resolve them and results will come in the near future. “As a government we have to do our part and lead by example. We can no longer fish the way we use to but we can make decisions on a better way to sustain ourselves”, the Minister stated.
Approximately, 30 persons attended the meeting. The Minister was accompanied by Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ronald Berkley, Acting Chief Conservation and Fisheries Officer, Mr. Kelvin Penn, Acting BVI Fishing Complex Manager, Mr. Lloyd Williams, Chief Agricultural Officer, Mr. Bevin Braithwaite, and the Virgin Gorda District Officer, Mr. Verne Wheatley.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour endeavours to effectively manage and administer the natural resources of the Territory in a manner that ensures long-term sustainability, according to the BVInews.com report.
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