We also had a press counter with Dario Tapia, the CEO of the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security.
Last night that his ministry sent out a press release to note that the Coast Guard will be stepping up their operations in the country's sea spaces off the Stann Creek District. That's in response to reports of piracy affecting the fisherfolk in that part of the country.
Today, the CEO said that one of the fishermen'ss cooperatives specifically requested help from the Coast Guard out of concern for the safety of its membership:
Brig. Gen. (Ret) Dario Tapia - CEO, Ministry of National Defense & Border Security
"Last week, we received a letter from a fisherman cooperative asking the Ministry to support operations at sea for security reasons for the fisherfolk. And so, the Ministry directed the Commandant of the Coast Guard to meet with the fisherfolk and the cooperative to address the situation. They met yesterday, and hence, the press release was sent out because the Coast Guard is now going to launch operations at sea to address the issues of security concerns that the fisherfolk have. As you are aware, the fisherfolk play an important role in our fishing industries, and so, because it is the mandate of the Coast Guard to provide security at sea, they have been directed by the Ministry to do exactly that."
"I believe that it has been going on for a period of time; now and again, the Coast Guard conducts operations. But, you know that some stuff is seasonal. When it's open season, that's when - especially, we just had the lobster season opening, and then people go and steal the lobster from the fisherfolk. We will some come to the conch season being opened. Again, that's the time when people try to go out there and steal the fisherfolks' conch, hence the reason why the Coast Guard will walls be active there during those periods. It eventually dies down, and another season and the activity picks up again."
