Fishing leaders press for urgent upgrades, fair pricing

Leaders from key fishing communities on Monday called for urgent infrastructure improvements, equipment replacement and internal regulation to protect consumers from rising prices.

Both the Oistins and Paynes Bay fisherfolk associations called for swift government action to upgrade facilities and stabilise the seafood market, to help sustain the industry for workers and consumers.

Neil Cougar Bourne, president of the Oistins Fisherfolk Association, highlighted severe infrastructural problems at the Berinda Cox Fish Market, noting that the absence of electricity and water on the jetty is hindering daily operations and vessel maintenance.

“Our challenge is here. We need our current balance on jetty. We need our pikes run on the jetty. At least we need a 220 [volt] plug. So we need current back on jetty,” Bourne said. “You still got fishing vessel, you see, I have to got a problem and a mechanic come. You want current up here so you can access the boat.”

Bourne raised the issue in a meeting with a government minister, who promised an official tour of the facility, he said. Beyond restoring basic utilities, he pointed to the need for weather-resilient infrastructure. After losing three storage structures to severe weather, he suggested a modern approach to rebuilding the diesel station.

He said: “We lost about three huts up here with weather. So best to do a collapsible station so that you can move it.”

The Oistins market is also reportedly dealing with a malfunctioning commercial ice machine, which has disrupted vendors’ supply. A smaller machine remains in operation but produces enough ice only for fishing boats, leaving vendors undersupplied.

Addressing calls from some quarters to extend fuel lines directly to the jetty, Bourne urged caution, citing safety and behavioural risks.

“So many fishermen [are] making noise for gas by the jetty. But they’re gonna know that it’s a technical thing to run gas when you get it,” he said. “Gas is more flammable than diesel, so you just can’t go and run gas to get to the ocean and fishermen. And fishermen still like the smoking. And so now you can smoke wrong.”

Bourne also raised concerns about attracting younger people to the industry. Reflecting on his own youth, when he learned traditional navigation techniques before the introduction of global positioning systems, he warned that heavy reliance on technology could leave young fishers vulnerable.

On the West Coast, the Paynes Bay Fisherfolk Association is facing its own challenges. Eulene Haynes, the association’s president, rejected the view that the hurricane season alone is behind low sales, pointing instead to a reduced fleet, ice shortages and high retail prices that are discouraging buyers.

President of the Paynes Bay Fishing Association Eulene Haynes. (Photo Credit: Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)

“For me, I think that the prices of the fish is a little too high, because our people… we are fish eaters. We are really fish lovers, and people would love to eat fish, but the prices of the fish constantly turning the people back.”

Pricing issues are often exacerbated by vendors who do not pass savings on to consumers when supply is high:

“Vendors have a lot to play in the pricing of the fish also because if there is a glut in the fish, we have a lot of fish, the price go down, but then you have some of the vendors that still keep the price up so it don’t turn over to the consumer.”

In addition to financial pressures, the Paynes Bay representative called for redevelopment of the area, identifying an abandoned bar on the property that she believes should be cleared and repurposed to improve the community’s appearance and economic potential.

The Fisherfolk in Paynes Bay St. James wants this facility once used as a bar to be reimagined to enhance the space there. (Photo Credit: Ricardo Roberts/Barbados TODAY)

Haynes noted that Paynes Bay has historical significance as an early centre of fish fry activity, predating the well-known market at Oistins. She expressed hope that the government would support the redevelopment of vacant spaces to revive a vibrant night-time economy.

“Before it was like this, we had a lot of little huts up there. So we actually started that,” Haynes said. “I would really like for this better to reclaim… so that we can have the same Friday-Thursday night and redevelop the area.”

(RR)