Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Floyd Green said the fisheries sector received a tremendous blow due to the passage of Hurricane Melissa, but noted that the ministry is assisting fisher folks by procuring and distributing fishing supplies.

Over 3,000 boats have been damaged, and almost all fishing beaches on the south coast have been tremendously impacted.

“Almost all our fishers lost most of their fishing wire and their pots, and as such, we have already started our immediate relief. We’ve already distributed over 900 rows of wire valued at $19 million to fishers across 20 beaches. We’re now emergency-procuring 2,000 rows of wire,” Green said, noting that distribution will begin effective next week.

The minister outlined that 10 2,500-gallon tanks have been purchased to be positioned at some of the fishing beaches to help fishers and also those who trade in fish to treat with post-harvest and personal hygiene.

“We’re also going to be embarking on a programme to distribute ice to some of our fishing beaches so that our fishers can get up and running,” Green said.

He expressed that across these beaches, a number of fuel stations still do not have electricity, but emphasised that the government have dispatched generators so that they can operate. “Generators have been dispatched to Alligator Pond and Great Bay, and those stations are now operating. The White House fuel station, we’ve done some cleaning work, and our electrical assessment is on the way to see how we can get it up and running.”

Fishers who lost license and identification card should visit the ministry

Additionally, Minister Green said fishers who have lost their identification card and their license in Hurricane Melissa are urged to reach ministry. “We’re going to replace those free of cost. We’ve also, for the hardest-hit parishes, put in a six-month moratorium on license and ID fees, so our fishers in those areas don’t have to worry about that.

“They can come in and do their renewals free of cost. We’re distributing net and wire across St Mary, St Catherine, Kingston, and St Andrew. Again, part of our drive is in the areas that were not as hard hit as so they can get out quicker, so we’ve been reaching out to them and providing them with some support,” Green continued.

The minister further outlined that for fishing beaches that are in need of cleanup, a team will be dispatched to do that cleanup. “Already, we have air-marked a team to go into Parrottee Beach. Unfortunately, when you go into Parrottee, all the boats are in the morass. Boats are stacked on top of each other. We’re going to move, hopefully this weekend, to try and treat with that.”

Veterinary Services

Green lauded the Veterinary Services Division for their tremendous work and outlined that the ministry is offering free veterinary clinics across various parishes.

“We’ve already done in St Elizabeth, St James, and Westmoreland. We’re going to Clark’s Town in Trelawny next week. That allows our farmers and pet owners to be able to carry out their animals, receive treatment, medication, wound care, vaccines, and nutritional support

“…What we’re actively pursuing now was the donation of a veterinary field hospital to see if we can establish some direct veterinary support in the western end of the island, where three of our four veterinary stations were severely damaged,” Green added.