In July last year Hurricane Beryl decimated the fishing industry with an estimated 75% of active boats damaged and 88 destroyed. The hurricane exposed our lack of a dry dock facility. To the surprise of many only 10% of an estimated 209 fishing vessels were insured. As you would expect the sad state of affairs has been heavily politicalised.
From reports published in the media, “more than $3.7 million has been disbursed to fisherfolk, including $2.75 million in business interruption benefits and nearly $1 million for boat repairs.” Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne, Caswell Franklyn and others have voiced displeasure at the criteria used by government to pay fisherfolk.
Almost six months later a stroll to the back of government’s Princess Alice carpark looks like a boat graveyard. It is an area visible to patrons using the carpark on a daily basis and to tourists frolicking on the pleasure boats and catamarans toing and froing in the ajacent sea.
It is unclear the status of the boats currently docked in the government Bridgetown carpark. It has become the norm that although the Barbados government has access to significant communications resources, relevant and timely information is rarely shared with the public.
There are many learnings stakeholders in the industry should have learned coming out of the Hurricane Beryl experience, government, fisherfolk, insurance companies. It is not dissimilar to the learning we should have gotten from the Hurricane Elsa experience.
The blogmaster invites you to join the discussion.