MINISTER for Agriculture and Fisheries Alfred Prospere has outlined plans for more resources to be pumped into further development of the local fishing sector and wildlife conservation.
The minister addressed legislators during the Estimates of Expenditure session that was convened, last week, in the House of Parliament.
Speaking on repairs to fisheries facilities, he said there was an allocation of EC$1.1million. Some of these funds were distributed to the Lucian Blue Ocean Facility, an amount of $400,000 was spent on the Fishing Port in the Dennery North constituency, $129,000 was spent in Micoud to upgrade a washroom facility and another amount was spent to upgrade the Savannes Bay jetty.
This year, the minister added, it is anticipated that the sum of $850,000 will be spent to undertake repairs on the old Administrative Building at Savannes Bay, and other facilities in the communities of Gros Islet, Dennery, Vieux Fort, Castries, Anse La Raye and Soufriere.
An amount of EC5million plus was allocated for repairs to the Choiseul Fishing Port, which has been experiencing sediment buildup at the entrance of the port. As a result, since this poses a “serious problem” for the fishers, the minister said the continuation of dredging works and the installation of navigational aids and assessment and designs of counter measures are being undertaken.
Minister Prospere added, “The rehabilitation of the Castries Fisheries Complex is very critical, as it is a very important facility for marketing of our fish.” He said a sum of EC$200,000 has been allocated to help with repairs to leaking roofs and for the removal of asbestos that has been there for many years.
He is optimistic that the facility will be reopened soon and that the facility will be able to market their fish, as opposed to selling off the sidewalks, streets and by-ways.
Meanwhile, the minister reported on the Wildlife Education Centre facility that was erected in the Union area. The project, which began in 2018, was funded by a German agency to be utilised as a repository for the island’s indigenous bird – the Jacquot and other parrot species.
Alfred Prospere said, “The project has tremendous potential because it can generate very serious revenue for the government by means of encouraging our visitors and locals to see what is happening, in terms of our national bird.”
He said the project would also entail an educational component, focusing on conservation measures in the island’s forest reserves. To bring the structure up-to-date, a sum of $272, 000 has been made available to complete repairs on the existing Administrative Building and Interpretation Building, and the purchase of material for the kitchen and hospital, to take care of diseases and other conditions that may impede the wildlife creatures.
The minister said that repairs will also be done on the four log cabins, located in the Nature Reserve.
He indicated that having worked in the field for approximately 24 years, “those log cabins serve as a shelter, especially when you have to conduct research in the Forest Reserve when we are doing surveys of our national bird.”
He said sometimes, due to the walking distance that has to be covered in the forest “those structures or shelters would be used by us to stay overnight.”
The minister said those structures have deteriorated rapidly. As a result, he said, a sum of $350, 000 has been made available to upgrade these facilities.