Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves has called what he heard about fishermen selling fish on the beach and the closure of the Calliaqua fish market ‘completely unacceptable.
Last week Winsbert Harry President of the National Fisherfolk Co-operative told St Vincent Times that the market is currently closed and fishermen are utilizing under the almond trees at Calliaqua bay to do business.
Harry said since the fisherman’s day celebration the fish market has not reopened.
Gonsalves on Tuesday said he told the Fisheries Director on Tuesday morning that they have to move fast on work at the market.
“The place is fixed up inside, If you had a problem about inside not being fixed and that whoever fixing it was holding up, but the work, I’m told, is finished. You mean you cannot employ some people to go inside there and run the thing? Somebody to be in charge, a couple of other people there presumably to work a shift and she agrees with me”.
“I called the Agriculture Minister Saboto Caesar on Monday night and I discussed this with him and he also agrees with my position”, Gonsalves said
Gonsalves said he is hopeful that in the next couple of days that persons are appointed to deal with the issues surrounding the market.
“I think they have people in mind and that’s what I was told but it’s not in my place, I believe, to call the person name, because I don’t think if it’s finalized yet, but I was told by both Minister Caesar and the Chief Fisheries officer about the name of a person”, the Prime Minister said.
“Policies are set in train and any public servant along the way, for whatever reason holds back something from being done, I mean, come on, we have enough challenges already. I don’t have anything dog hunting in this race other than the people of Saint Vincent Grenadines and their interests”, Gonsalves said.
Harry told St Vincent Times last week that since the fisherman’s day celebration the fish market has not reopened.
