No fishy business near Starfish

THERE will be no fishy business near the Starfish hotel (formerly Turtle Beach hotel) when it is upgraded to a four- or five-star hotel.

The proposed expansion has left Courland fishermen reeling, as they have been asked to relocate their fishing depot to make room for the project.

The fishermen told Newsday they are prepared to make a stand, but they could be in deep water, as the depot is situated on land owned by the Starfish Hotel.

Speaking to Newsday on Saturday, president of the All Tobago Fisherfolk Association Curtis Douglas said he was invited to a meeting last week by Starfish representatives, after fishermen started to complain about the lack of proper consultation.

He said, “I was told by the members of the Starfish hotel that they are looking into turning the hotel from a three-star to a four- to five-star hotel.

"But that doesn’t really serve us any benefit. We believe we all can co-exist, but we must have some sort of compromising from both sides.”

He said the fishermen will not accept any decision forced upon them.

On Thursday, at Turtle Beach, Douglas met with Black Rock and Plymouth residents, and Courland fishermen to discuss the situation.

Coming out of this meeting, Douglas said fishermen and residents want the hotel owners to say exactly what are the plans, what benefits will be derived and how the community and fishermen will be affected by this development.

He said the THA is aware of the hotel's decision and condemned the THA for not apprising them of the situation and advocating on their behalf.

“Most men, during the meeting on Thursday, (said they are) are not willing to move. The fishermen have made it clear because the location they (want to give) to us is not good for us, especially in the time when there is rough seas.”

He said Starfish hotel representatives told him there are plans to relocate the fishing facility closer to Turtle Beach or the Courland river. He wants the fishermen to be careful before they agree on any final decision.

Douglas said he was told fishermen and the community would benefit from the move through increased revenue.

While Douglas said he is in agreement with economic development, “They must come with something solid and a stable solution when talking about moving, because that (Courland fishing depot) is one of the oldest facilities in Tobago.”

He said there was a promise to create a market for the fishermen, but the fishermen aren’t convinced. He said the hotel rarely buys fish from them.

Douglas is expected to host another meeting with residents and fishermen for advice before he meets hotel representatives with a response to their proposal.

“I have already met with the residents ,and their response to the proposal Starfish Hotel presented was unfavourable.”

He stressed, "I know for sure we not going to sell out. You cannot come and just hand us something and say, 'Take this.' We expect to be treated as respectable citizens and as professional, even though we are fishermen.”

He said the fishermen will not be fooled by bogus promises, and a roundtable discussion is the only step forward.

"If they cannot meet in the middle, then the fishermen will have no choice than to stand for what they believe in.

“They said they are going to give fishermen privileges to be tour guides to their guests. We already do fishing tours, and it is very impolite to take fishermen and turn them into tour guides.

"We need to have that conversation. You don’t decide that for us.”

When contacted, Secretary for the Division of Food, Production and Fisheries Hayden Spencer told Newsday the THA was in the dark about the hotel's plans. He denied any agreement had been made between the hotel and the division, adding that the land where the facility stands belongs to the hotel. He said the the owners of the property allowed the THA to construct the facility, and the fishermen are aware of this.

Newsday tried to contact management of the Starfish Hotel via telephone and e-mail up but up to Monday evening no response was forthcoming.