The removal of damaged fishing boats from the water, in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, has been progressing apace.
Chief Fisheries Officer, Dr. Shelly-Ann Cox, gave this update recently at a press conference at the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification.
She noted that the environment, where damaged or destroyed fishing vessels are being removed from the ocean, either to be replaced or repaired, is a very sensitive one.
“They have lost their vessels – the vehicles for their livelihoods – and some persons had some concerns in the way that we were lifting. But we since had many briefings with them to explain the criteria for lifting, which included access to boats that were closest to the crane and the severity of damage,” she stated.
Dr. Cox also explained that the process of lifting the boats out of the sea came with its share of challenges. “We also had to take into consideration that four personnel were deployed in order to operate the sling. There were issues with the slings as well because we had to switch out big slings with little slings. So, when people saw a little boat go forward, it wasn’t any favouritism. It was just logistics. We had a meeting with them to explain this. For those who had major concerns, once their boats were lifted and, in the slings, tempers no longer flared,”, she stated.
Dr. Cox said approximately 123 boats had been lifted in less than two weeks. This, she described as a fantastic effort.