It has been almost three years since the La Ruffin Fish Landing Site was commissioned by the People’s Partnership government and while many fishermen remain thankful for the facility, it is not fully functional and is causing them great financial losses.
Some complained that they’ve been forking out as much as $3,000 a month to get gas for their pirogues since the tank on the compound, installed to provide them with gas, is not operational.
La Ruffin is a village in Moruga where fishing is the livelihood of the majority of villagers.
When the Sunday Guardian visited recently, fishermen were at the facility repairing their nets.
Father of former West Indies Women’s captain Merissa Aguilleira, Michael Aguilleira, was in the company of fishermen Terry Nandlal and Reynold George.
Aguilleira said the facility once had a watchman and caretaker but not anymore.
He said, “We have no gas here. Fishermen more or less have to go elsewhere.The closest gas station is at Gran Chemin but that finishes very fast.”
They said they were forced to go to other locations such as St Mary’s, Princes Town, Barrackpore and Penal.
Aguilleira said all the fishermen needed was an operator to manage the gas facility.
They also complained bitterly about a poor water supply; a common cry by many in the area.
“The water (provided by WASA) is like mud. You have to wait for it to settle,” he added.
The men said just before the 2015 general election there was a watchman and a caretaker on the compound.
George also had similar complaints. “We need someone to take charge, to run it. They need a steady person to run it and fill it and receive the cash,” he said. He added that the cesspit was clogged.
The building is equipped with an air-conditioned meeting room, toilet and bath and lockers.
“We use this facility but something needs to be done to fix the problems,” he said.
The village falls under the Princes Town Regional Corporation. Lovell Francis is the MP for Moruga/Tableland.
The men said the councillor for the area, Joseph Lorant, visited them in April and listened to the concerns but “he doesn’t have any kind of say”. Lorant won his seat under a United National Congress ticket but the corporation is controlled by the People’s National Movement.
They said there were about 100 boats “doing all types of fishing”.
A grave concern for them, however, is the distance and cost to get gas elsewhere.
Aguilliera said, “One owner alone might have two or three boats, he will carry about nine or ten pans (for gas). One pan costs $40. So work it out. Plus you have to pay someone for transport.”
They explained that an average fisherman who fills three pans daily at roughly $120 plus transportation costs can find himself spending up to $3,000 a month. “And that is the least, so it is really tough.”
Nandlal said “Fishing here is our only livelihood,”the cost was too high and if the facility was operational it would be more economical.
“When you have to pay that money, children to mind, wife to mind...”
Rambharath: I will speak with NP
Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, Clarence Rambharat said he was unaware of their concerns but will speak to National Petroleum about it.
