Parlatuvier fishermen want urgent repairs to unsafe jetty

Parlatuvier fishermen are calling for the Tobago House of Assembly to begin urgent repairs to the dilapidated, jetty in the village, which they say they are forced to use despite risks to their safety.

Darlington Chance, President of the Parlatuvier Fisherfolk Association, in a telephone interview last Thursday, said fisherfolk has been calling for repairs to the jetty for the last five years.

“We need help in Parlatuvier…Enough is enough, how much more must we take… the jetty is unsafe, it is shaking…,” Chance said.

He said that parts of the jetty has fallen into the sea, but that fishermen have no other option but to continue to use it, there being no other facility available.

“It is a chance that the fishermen are taking on this pier because they have to offload gas, they have to offload coolers, they have to offload everything from there and while they on the jetty, you does actually feel the shake,” he said.

Chance, who described Parlatuvier as the number one fishing port in Tobago, bringing in the largest catch daily, claimed THA officials were fully aware of the dilapidated state of the jetty and the dangers this poses to the fisherfolk.

“They are well aware… We met with the heads of the Divisions; the Administrator, all of them and all that they are doing is promising. We are getting tired… all they are doing is promising and promising and promising… It is just a set of talk… they saying money is the problem, they don’t have money. To add insult to injury, two weeks ago, a team from the Assembly came in and they erected a sign saying, ‘Strictly No Access by order of the THA’,” he said.

Minority member Farley Augustine, Representative for the area, told Newsday Tobago he was aware of the state of the jetty and the fisherfolk’s problems as he himself has visited the site.

“Both the left landing and a sizable portion at the front of the jetty fell into the sea. There is also a big gap between the right landing and the jetty itself…no remedial works have been done on the jetty.

“At this point, the remaining portions of the jetty shake when there are too many people walking on it. Using vehicles to drop off fishing equipment and gas drums and to pick up equipment and fish is an absolute no-no, that is evidently dangerous. This is sad. It speaks to our governance culture of ignoring rural communities,” Augustine said.

He noted that in the 2018/2019 THA budget presented in June, Finance Secretary Joel Jack has included the rebuilding of the Parlatuvier jetty.

“It is left to be seen what will eventually happen after central government’s allocation, but Parlatuvier needs the jetty… that cannot be overemphasized. In the first place, poor design, poor engineering and poor workmanship has resulted in the THA having to rebuild this jetty. “Most definitely, when Secretary Jack returns to the house in November to present an updated budget, I intend to insist that the Parlatuvier jetty be made a priority,” Augustine declared.

He noted that the THA Assembly has put down a foundation at the entrance to the jetty – to build a fishing depot for the fishermen, but that to date not one block has been laid for the depot.

Contacted for comment, Infrastructure Secretary Kwesi Des Vignes said the jetty was unsafe and due diligence had to be implemented.

“We met with the fishermen association and agreed on a particular course of action and this included the erecting of signs, barricades and a mechanical lift. The jetty has been placed in the draft estimates and listed as a Division priority for the new fiscal year.

“In the short term, there are other solution being explored to ensure that the fishermen are able to maintain their livelihoods,” Des Vignes said.