Fishermen plan protest in new year

Fishermen from Cedros and environs spent the Christmas holidays planning how to survive in the new year given the impact on the industry of higher gas prices and oil pollution.

They attended a meeting on Monday, Christmas eve, at the office of councillor Shankar Teelucksingh and have keep in contact with each other, chairman of the Cedros Fishing Corporative Society Lewis Padarath said yesterday.

Padarath, who was present at Monday's meeting, said fisherfolk are facing a bleak 2019.

“While everyone is enjoying the holiday season, fishermen from the Cedros area have been communicating with each other and plans are in place for a huge protest at the beginning of the new year,” Padarath said. Fishermen, he said, settled for little income in 2018 and they are not prepared to do the same in the new year.

Fishermen from Cedros and the surrounding communities of Fullerton, Bonasse, La Brea, Grandville and Chatam suffered losses this year, he said.

“The cost of super gas is just too high for us who must venture out deep into the sea,” he said. He outlined that fishermen must also buy oil for the boats to supplement the gas and also pay workers to help throw nets or even operate their boats. Earlier this month, Heritage Petroleum Co, the successor of Petrotrin which was closed down in November, announced it would no longer supply regular gas because the demand was too low, and encouraged fishermen to use super gas instead. Fishermen have said regular was cheaper and now they had to pay more for super.

“We cannot increase the price of fish as this is a perishable product and each day’s catch must be sold within a day,” he said. Padarath said fishermen who have been doing this job for the past 30 years were also considering other alternatives.

He reiterated that last week's oil spill off Platform 9 in the Soldado Main Field also discouraged fishermen from going out to sea. “Once there is oil in the water fishing becomes difficulty. This is why we had to close up shop early this year,” he said.

Teelucksingh yesterday confirmed the meeting with fishermen on Christmas eve and that a protest is being planned to take place in Cedros and at the ministry offices of Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat. “Fishing is the livelihood of a large percentage residents living on the shore lines along the Gulf of Paria,” Teelucksingh said. If there gas and oil prices were reduced fishermen would fare better, he said.

Despite the challenges, he said fishermen were considering new sites to fish such as Moruga. “I have met with a couple of fishermen who will be camping out in Moruga to look for their early 2019 catch for their markets," he said.

Former Petrotrin workers who live in Cedros may consider working in fishing industry if it was viable, said Teelucksingh, who was among the thousands who lost their jobs at the former state oil company.

Last week, Icacos Fishing Association president Esook Ali said fishermen from his district, as well as neighbouring Chatham, were forced to hang up their nets and stop fishing for the rest of the year because of their recent losses.

Heritage has reported that an oil spill which occurred two weeks ago was contained. Ali said while no oil has since been spotted, there were long term effects.

“We have to be mindful that once there is an oil spill it will affect fishing in the given areas,” he said.