Minister of Agriculture, Land and Marine Resources Arnold Piggott says eight fish landing sites will be developed to promote economic competitiveness and sustainability in the fishing sector. He made the announcement yesterday at the National Stakeholder Consultation of the Caribbean Common Fisheries Policy meeting at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre, Port-of-Spain.
Piggott said his ministry was in the process of developing plans and determining the infrastructural needs for the eight sites. He said the ministry was working on two prototypes at Las Cuevas and Moruga. Piggott said of the two prototypes, the most effective one would be used to construct the remaining six. He said a budget had not been established for the project. However, tenders would be advertised shortly for the Las Cuevas and Moruga fishing sites once the ministry received a certificate of environmental clearance from the Environmental Management Authority (EMA).
Piggott said the Government was taking the fishing industry and its stakeholders seriously and would be holding consultations with them about what was needed to further develop their trade.
He said the Government understood the importance of the fishing industry as a means to promote nutritional security and economic sustainability adding that on average fisheries earn $62 million annually in exports.
Piggott said the Government and other Caricom nations were committed to developing a Caribbean Common Fisheries Policy to further promote the security of the fishing sector in terms of establishing mechanisms of appropriate management, ocean resource conservation and economic and environmental sustainability.