'We are yet to see a plan' for fishing industry- Opposition Leader
Hon Penn brought up the issue during a press conference at the Office of the House of Assembly Conference Room on Thursday, January 23, 2020.
He said Government announced plans in December 2019, to demolish the hurricane-battered fishing complex located in Baugher’s Bay on Tortola to facilitate an extension of the BVI Ports Authority facility at Port Purcell.
However, “You haven’t heard yet where the next fishing complex is going to be. Fishing is a very viable industry for this Territory.”
Hon Penn added, “We are yet to see a plan on how we are going to address the issue of fishing, and the issue of just growing food for food security in this territory. There is no holistic approach to the development of the agriculture industry.”
Location identified, but not revealed
Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7), during the budget debate in the House of Assembly on December 13, 2019, said a location had been identified for the new fishing complex.
He; however, did not reveal the proposed site.
“We have identified a location for the fishing complex so we can expect to see some forward movement on the Fishing Complex,” he said.
“I recently met the fisherpersons in Anegada. I know that they would be quite pleased to have a location because that’s very important for the development of their business,” he added.
The Minister stated that the fishing complex had to go to facilitate Port Purcell’s in keeping its certification that requires the facility to have a certain amount of space to operate.
Speaking at a community meeting at the Church of God of Prophecy on November 27, 2019, Dr Wheatley had said, “The Fisheries Complex has to be torn down because the Port has to expand to keep their certification because of course the bodies which accredit these ports require you to have a certain amount of space….It is important that we provide the Ports with the space to be able to expand which means the Fisheries Complex has to move.”
Dr Wheatley had also said the goal was for farmers to have convenient access to facilities for their catch.
“Facilities for landing our catches in the east, the west, central, Virgin Gorda, Anegada, Jost Van Dyke etc. that’s the vision and currently I am identifying sites to put fisheries complexes.”
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11 Responses to “'We are yet to see a plan' for fishing industry- Opposition Leader”
I only eat fish and this Fishing Complex is missed greatly. Fishing is a booming industry and so is farming around the world. All talk and no action from both sides.
Wasted money on green house with no penalties. You all were elected to fix problems and come up with new solutions.
Tell Marlon go TALKL THAT until then, wheel and come again!!!!