Spencer: Upgrade of Lambeau fish depot waiting on budget

Members of the Lambeau fishing community will benefit from the refurbishment of the village’s fishing depot “in the not too distant future”, Secretary of Food Production Hayden Spencer said Saturday.

Spencer, in a telephone interview, said plans for refurbishment of the depot, however, “would have to wait on the budget.”

“There is a report on my desk from the Fisheries Extension officers, so I really cannot say what are the works necessary at the fishing depot. The Extension officers went down there, they did their surveys, analysis and they submitted something for approval. I know it is there,” he said.

Spencer’s comments came amidst protests by fishermen against the erection of a “No Vending’ sign by the Division of Infrastructure on the beachfront a short distance away from the depot. The fishermen sell fresh catch daily in this area. The depot also houses vendors/fishermen who deal in larger amounts of fish for sale to consumers.

Asked about the sign, Spencer said the aim was to get the fishermen away from roadside vending and into the depot.

“Since we built that facility, we have been asking all the fisherfolk who are vending to utilise the facility and these guys have never been to the facility.

“There is another issue which I cannot discuss, that is why they don’t want to go down there… we all know, fishing is not the issue, that’s a block, fishing is not the issue.

“Fishing is just the cover to the block so that is why you have so many challenges down there that has no relation to the fishing industry because it is not about fishing,” Spencer said.

He also said there were no plans to build a jetty in Lambeau.

“Lambeau falls on the Atlantic Ocean so you cannot just stuff a jetty just like that, that has to do so many surveys and analysis and all of that before you can erect a jetty on that Atlantic Ocean side. I don’t have that on agenda right now, my agenda is to deal with the fishing depot to make it as comfortable and accessible as it relates to the fishing industry… I really don’t see a jetty there being an issue,” he said.