Vendors want compensation after temporary closure hit Friday trade

Business owners at Oistins Bay Garden and fish market demanded compensation after a sudden closure on Friday left them counting heavy losses, with some describing the oil spill that triggered the shutdown as ‘neglect’ and a failure in emergency planning that cost them their busiest day of the week.

Although the authorities praised what they described as swift action by emergency personnel and community members in containing the spill, Edwin Warner, owner of Crazy Eddie’s cookshop, believes the spill and the response exposed serious shortcomings in emergency planning.

“This is neglect,” he told Barbados TODAY. “From the time the oil broke, the sirens should’ve gone off. There should always be a watchman on guard and none of that was in place.

“We have to be compensated. This is Friday, our best day. We’ve got staff to pay, bills to pay, and more than half the day gone already. We couldn’t cook or bake anything as the gas was off. This is a major loss.”

Warner said while he could not yet quantify the impact in dollars and cents, it would be felt across his business.

“We still have to pay the staff even though we couldn’t open until late. That’s going to affect us.”

Other vendors were less confrontational but still disappointed.

One said she did not expect compensation, but hoped for a strong evening showing to recover.

“You just have to sway with the tide. I don’t know who could really compensate you for a Friday loss,” she said.

“But we were hoping the gas would be back on by three so we could at least catch the night. If that didn’t happen, there was nothing we could do.”

Vendors at the Berinda Cox Fish Market also expressed concern about access to ice during the shutdown, especially with fish already stored for weekend sales.

“All we needed was for someone to come and let us get some ice so the fish would be good for the next day,” said veteran fish vendor Wellington Rowe.

“That would’ve made a big difference for the vendors who were already here from early.”

By 5 p.m., the authorities gave the all-clear for businesses to reopen, and vendors moved quickly to prepare for the popular Friday night fish fry.

Shutters flew open, tables were cleaned, and grill pans were lit as cooks and staff raced to recover lost time.

Bay Garden committee president Kemar Harris said while the day had been difficult for vendors, he supported the decision to prioritise public safety.

“Yes, this exercise impacted businesses, but I stand and say we prefer to be safe than sorry. We’re grateful we were able to deal with the situation quickly and avoid any further damage,” he said.

“It also shows that the spirit of Oistins is authentic, as when the call was made, people came out and helped without murmuring or complaining. We still have love, we still have that community spirit.”

As grills were lit and shutters opened ahead of the fish fry, vendors were hopeful that the night’s activity would help soften the blow of a lost day. 

(SM)