Celebrating our fisherfolk

For the first time in living memory, fisherfolk across the island are set to have a national festival of their own called the Barbados Fisherfolk Festival.

Unlike the recently rebranded Oistins Fish Festival, this inaugural event will encompass every active fishing village, market and landing site across Barbados and each of them will get a day to host a range of fun and family friendly activities.

The organisers of the event explained that June 29 is internationally recognised as Fisherman Day but they wanted to extend the activities beyond a day to the entire month.

During the media launch of the festival on Friday at the Barbados Fisheries Division, Princess Alice Highway, The City, Chief Fisheries Officer Shelly-Ann Cox said she and her team believed this event will become the premier fisherfolk festival in the Caribbean. She said it was conceptualised to promote messages of sustainable fisheries in an innovative and inclusive way, adding that the festival will also showcase how and what it means to live sustainably in a small island through the use of food, fashion, film, poetry, music, and dance, and real world life demonstrations.

The month of activities will start with a church service and end with a ball and award ceremony.

However, June 8 will be recognised as Six Men’s fisherfolk Day, June 15 Western Fisherfolk Day, the following day will be Consett Bay Fisherfolk Day, while June 22 will be the Bridgetown Fisherfolk Day. Pile Bay  Fisherfolk Day will be recognised on June 23 and Oistins Fisherfolk Day will have their day on June 29.

Each fishing community will engage patrons in water sport activities such as boat racing, spear fishing and net throwing.

During his remarks, Minister of the Blue Economy Adrian Forde said this will be a momentous occasion for the fishing industry.

“We consider this to be one of the most important moments in the history of our fisherfolk and to be able to say to those in the industry a job well done.  I think it’s important for us to be able to congratulate persons when they are with us and for us,” he said, pointing out that government was committed to ensuring that fisherfolk had a tangible stake in this country.

“We are not only serious by ensuring that there is legislation to protect those in the fishing industry and to ensure that there is a sustainable development thrust in that said industry, but we are serious because we have done a lot physically to shape the architecture of the industry,” he said, highlightings the numerous facility upgrades various markets underwent as well as some of the island’s jetties.

He added that plans in motion to provide Pile Bay and Western with new slip ways, stating that contracts were already out.

As it relates to the slipway at Consett Bay, he said the work there was 90 per cent completed and would be finished soon.

Forde also said $4.3 million was budgeted for this financial year to erect a fisherman community centre and a boat yard.

He said government would continue to ensure fisherfolk had benefits such as locker rooms, subsidised ice and VAT free diesel. (SZB)