The fishi
ng industry in Anguilla, export, and sales are now becoming big issues on the island. One of the main challenges to the trade appears to get the people who are called the ‘fisher folk’ to understand and accept the new regulations to be observed and, hard as it may be, the benefits involved.
One of the biggest events in recent times to bring the fishers in Anguilla together was a two-day meeting held at the Teachers’ Resource Centre on Monday and Tuesday this week. The event was called a “EU Seafood Handling Standards and Controls Raising Awareness Workshop”. The well-publicised meeting was aimed at representatives of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, personnel of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, merchants, vendors and, most of all, fishers. It was for the latter persons that the workshop was really intended yet there were only five fishermen in attendance despite the 300-500 fishers in Anguilla.
The scope of the workshop included requirements for persons engaged in fishing in Anguilla to ensure that they conform to a number of regulatory standards including type of fish being exported and the hygiene conditions involved. Where the European Union came in is the fact that Anguillian fisher folk have long been involved in exporting to and selling fish in French and Dutch St. Martin/St. Maarten – two neighbouring land masses governed by France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands [Holland].
Largely because of the EU regulations, Anguilla’s fisher folk are having difficulties selling their fish in the twin territory despite a long history of good neighbourliness and friendship.
Part of Monday’s workshop was a roundtable discussion during which Anguilla’s Director of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Ms. Kafi Gumbs, was one of the speakers. She said the French Authorities were willing to deal with the matter having been aware of the prohibition of fish export from Anguilla. The French officials who were not at the discussion, sent a list of EU regulations and types of fish banned from entering their borders. The French authorities are said to deem certain fish like jacks and black fin snapper poisonous and are opposed to the importation of conchs as they are protected under the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species.
The fisheries ban in St. Martin is also said to result from the fact that both the Anguillian fisherfolk and the persons in St. Martin importing the fish are not paying the required tax on imported goods.
The situation in Dutch St. Maarten is said to be somewhat different. Anguillian fishers can sell their fish there, but they need to have proper certification from the Dutch authorities to make the imports – as well as have certification from the Environment Health Unit and an Export Permit obtained in Anguilla.
Earlier, Ms. Gumbs said that in a small island like Anguilla, heavily dependent on fisheries, there was a need to work hard to reduce the challenges of export and the recent prohibitions in St. Martin. This is especially so now that the United Kingdom is leaving the European Union and Anguilla only has observer status in CARICOM.
The Director of Fisheries noted that the export challenges had come at a time when Anguilla was developing its fishing industry taking into much account that both French St. Martin and Dutch St. Maarten were the island’s main export market.
Ms. Gumbs reported that in December 2016, Mr. Aristo Richardson, President of the Anguilla Fisherfolk Association, had written a letter to Governor Christina Scott asking her to take up the Anguilla case with French St. Martin in particular. She further reported that the Governor invited representatives from that territory to Anguilla and that there were fruitful discussions and follow-up meetings. “Because of that letter, French St. Martin is aware of the impact of the prohibition on Anguillian fisheries and are willing to work on fixing the issues,” she added.
Mr. Richardson spoke at length on the establishment of the Anguilla Fisherfolk Association and its adoption of a five-year strategic plan for fisheries development and the training and exposure of some of its members to fishing cooperatives.
He went on: “It is my hope that as we meet over these two days of the workshop, all of us, as stakeholders in the fishing industry in Anguilla, will be motivated to push it on the front burner of the Government of Anguilla. This is in recognition that the industry is under recognised, under supported and under respected in so many ways.
“The Anguilla Fisherfolk Association, and I dare say the Anguilla Fishermen’s Cooperative Society, are both calling on all fishers to get involved and let our voices be heard as we take a stand so that, as fishers, we can demand the respect we deserve. This is because the fishing industry can contribute a hundred times more than what it is currently contributing to Anguilla’s economy. From now on we are saying to the Government, and the private sector, we are ready to sit around the table and participate in any discussion about any future development involving our marine resources in Anguilla. This is our livelihood and we must and will continue to have a say.”
Mr. Richardson, criticising fishermen for their poor attendance at meetings, added: “At OECS meetings I have asked for the wives and mothers of fishermen to be a part of the Fishers Association because in Anguilla when you have meetings it is quite seldom that the fishermen come out. So I have asked that we put in our laws that wives, mothers, and other women who are part of the fishermen should attend our meetings and take the message home to the men.”
Two other workshop speakers were Ms. Kathleen Rogers, Director of the Environmental Health Unit, who spoke on EU seafood handling standards and controls; and Mr. Vincent Carty, Senior Environmental Officer, who also spoke on matters related to food handling, hygiene and other issues.
