Ice shortage leaves City fisherfolk stranded amid ‘Easter slump’

A severe ice shortage at the Bridgetown Fisheries Complex is paralysing fishing operations, leaving dozens of vessels idle during the busy Easter season and threatening the livelihoods of fisherfolk still recovering from Hurricane Beryl.

Several fisherfolk told Barbados TODAY that they have spent tens of thousands of dollars repairing their vessels following damage sustained during last year’s hurricane, only to be sidelined due to the unavailability of a critical resource—ice.

Long-time fisher Charles Carter, 75, expressed his frustration over the delays.

“After working so hard to make sure I get back in the sea following the hurricane, now look at this. I spent $50 000 to get my boat back out, and up to now, I can’t even make back a quarter of that,” he said. “There’s only one machine working and every day is a waiting game to get ice. Sometimes one or two boats might get through. The rest of us? Nothing.”

Carter said he has managed only four trips since returning to sea in February—two of which yielded no returns.

His concerns were echoed by other fishermen at the Bridgetown fishing port, many of whom are now seeing their earnings dwindle and their patience tested.

While vendors in Oistins earlier this week attributed slow Easter sales to bad weather, Bridgetown-based fishermen said the situation was far more complex.

According to several boat operators, the persistent breakdown of the complex’s ice machine—reportedly faulty since December—has meant that boats often wait two to three weeks to receive ice.

Wade Gittens said: “If you go up by the car park, BICO or even down by the Coast Guard, you’ll see boats just sitting there. A lot of boats have not yet returned to the sea. Then there are others that are ready, but they can’t get ice.”

He estimated that of the roughly 70 vessels that have returned to the complex, at least 56 are seaworthy but idle due to the ice issue. “Three-quarters of the boats in here today are waiting on ice. And if boats ain’t going out, there ain’t no fish coming in,” he said.

Adding to the frustration, fishermen claimed that a disproportionate amount of ice was being allocated to vendors rather than those actively engaged in fishing. “Vendors don’t fish but they’re still getting ice. Meanwhile, fishermen are struggling to get out here,” another fisherman argued.

Responding to the concerns, senior manager of fish markets Eric Lewis acknowledged that one of the complex’s two ice machines was down for servicing.

“One machine is currently out, but the other one is operational,” he said. “We’re doing our best to work with the fishermen, especially those who suffered damages from the hurricane. The machine that was recently down was only out of service for a few hours—it just needed to be gassed up.”

Lewis added that until both machines were operable, the government was partnering with a private ice manufacturer to offer ice at a lower price. He said fishermen also had that option available.

Still, claims from those on the ground tell a different story, with fishers insisting that the ice machine’s intermittent performance has been affecting operations for many weeks.

Last November, a group of over ten fishermen complained to Barbados TODAY about an ice shortage and were assured that the machine would be back up and running in short order.

Beyond the immediate need for ice, many in the industry fear long-term impacts on their livelihoods. “People think it’s just about a few blocks of ice, but it’s more than that. This is our bread and butter,” one fisher said. “We can’t survive like this.”

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb