When Hurricane Dean swept through northern Belize in August of last year it caused millions of dollars in damage to the papaya and sugar industries. And while its effect on those industries made the news – Hurricane Dean also affected 40% of the fisheries industry. In fact 9 months later – the industry is still reeling from Hurricane Dean’s fury.
Today the Fisheries Department and UNDP handed out $54,000 in fishing equipment to fishermen from Sartenja, San Pedro, and Caye Caulker – in addition to members of the Northern and National Fishermen Cooperatives. And while $54,000 doesn’t sound like much – for fishermen who lost just about everything – it is something.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This morning the fisher folks picked up rolls of chicken wire, piles of zinc, and stacks of pimento sticks from the Fisheries Office on Newtown Barracks. The equipment they received today are replacements for those wiped out by Hurricane Dean 9 months ago.
Wilfredo Alamilla, Chairman – Caribena Fishermen Cooperative
“We lost quite a lot of traps, lobster sheds, the lobster traps and fish traps because the winds that we got there, were very very strong. I think maybe about 100 miles per hour and we lost quite a lot of equipment. After the hurricane we had, our catch went down completely. That is why I could say the season was not a very good season for us. It was not a good season because the catch went down drastically, not only because we lost the traps but because the lobsters were driven away from the area because their habitat was damaged also.”
Ernesto Marin from Caye Caulker says hurricanes damaged about 100 of his traps – but more importantly it took Caye Caulker’s stock of lobsters
with it.
Ernesto Marin Sr., Caye Caulker Fisherman
“I lose like a 100 traps and I know some of them lost more. Like what I said, I don’t know if the government is willing to help the fishermen because we would appreciate it because for many many years the fishermen haven’t gotten help.
Hurricane Keith actually destroyed our waters. All the grass that used to be there, it swept it away and, this is what the Fisheries Department doesn’t know, but we are fishermen, we are the ones in the sea everyday. They don’t come and ask us what happened. They say the production in Cuba of lobster is more. Why? Because all our lobsters are going outside and they come over here because we don’t have shade.”
Keith Swift,
Will these donations help?
Ernesto Marin Sr.,
“Well you take as much as you can get. If you get like five bundles, it will cost us more to come for it. But if they give you like 25 or 30 bundles, that will help for sure.”
Like Marin, all fishermen agree this is a start but it falls way short of what they need.
Keith Swift,
How will these equipment help you?
Wilfredo Alamilla,
“Mrs. Wade said it right, it is just a drop in the bucket, it is very very small. So it’s not much but it’s a help.”
Gabino Canto, CEO - Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries
“Its not completely replacing everything but it is a good start and we will continue to help out fishermen as much as possible.”
Today’s donation is part of a larger grant of $235,000. So far $90,000 in materials and supplies have been acquired and distributed. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Gabino Canto says government is securing funding to establish a fund from which fishermen can borrow money at favorable interest rates to help them get back on their feet.
Conch production has dropped. Government hopes the trend doesn’t carry over to lobster when its season opens in June. Fishermen from Caye Caulker begin laying their traps on June 1st.
