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Fishermen and boat owners were lambasted for their failure to plan for their future, that of their families and their laid-back approach to the profession.
President of the Barbados National Union of Fisherfolk Organisations (BNUFO), Angela Watson, speaking during the opening ceremony of the 28th annual Oistins Fish Festival on Monday, 28th March 2005, said all efforts to have fishermen join the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) or obtain insurance plans for themselves, their families and their boats had failed.
She said that in 1999, Government agreed to pay fisherfolk who suffered losses as a result of fish kills.
Since then efforts were made to have fishermen join the NIS, but the response was small.
As a result, the BNUFO met with insurance agents to offer fisherfolk a group life policy which included health and pension plans. “To date no takers,” Watson said.
During the tongue-lashing, she said that fisherfolk were drifting comfortably through life as if they didn’t have a care in the world, even though they did not have a plan for their families.
She said that in 2000, two fishermen were lost at sea, leaving school-age children.
Since then, she added, there were a few near misses. Earlier this year, two men were again lost at sea, leaving behind families to be provided for.
“But yet we have not learnt a thing. What are we waiting for? Do we have to lose eight or ten people at a time so we can actually notice that the numbers are dwindling?” she asked.
She also chastised the fishermen for their failure to plan for their safety.
The president said workshops on vessels in hurricane, or other adverse weather conditions organised by the Fisheries Division were poorly attended.
Boat-owners were not spared her fury.
She accused them of simply purchasing vessels, hiring a crew and sitting at home while they [the crew] went out for ten to 14 days and returned and tied up the boat until the fish were sold.
“Any boat-owner with access to a phone, land line or cell phone can spare sometime to sell their fish and not try to sell to one or two people thereby creating their own shortages by taking reduced prices,” the president said.
The president ended by saying all that was needed was a plan, and though one had been articulated it was never implemented.
“But as some would say: Why am I surprised? Since we know in the industry, we do a lot of talking, but we don’t do a lot,” she said.
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