Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 29, 2021 (SKNIS): Provisions are being made to several stalls at the Basseterre Public Market to accommodate fisherfolk.
On the July 27 edition of Leadership Matters, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ron Dublin-Collins, noted that while the Basseterre Fisheries Complex was established by the government as a medium for buying and selling local fish, alternative avenues are necessary.
“We did make provisions very early for part of the meat stall to be converted into stalls to provide for fish vendors to ply their trade,” he stated. “We have reviewed that and recognized that there is need for increased spaces and the Department of Marine Resources is currently reviewing that to see how best we can respond to that concern.”
The decision is part of the efforts by the government to organize and restructure street vending in St. Kitts.
Another avenue being pursued for fisherfolk to sell their catch is the allocation of space for fisherfolk in the area where the Basseterre Fisheries Complex is located. Preliminary processes are already being carried out. Additionally, Mr. Dublin-Collins added that some fishers continue to sell at landing sites.
In September 2020, at a ceremony held on September 14, Rams Trading Limited, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and the Basseterre Fisheries Complex entered into a commercial and community partnership whereby one thousand pounds (1000 lbs.) of fish would be sold to Rams on a weekly basis.
The Basseterre Fisheries Complex is supplied with fish from Nevis through the Fishermen’s Cooperative and from the major landing sites in St. Kitts – Dieppe Bay, Sandy Point, Old Road and Basseterre.
