FISHERFOLK at the Old Harbour Bay Fishing Village in St Catherine say that the industry is suffering from a lack of attention and are calling on the new Andrew Holness-led Government for help.

“The fishing industry is the biggest industry and ah only farmers dem (the Government) pay attention to. They need to put something in place where we can get loans so that we can buy fish pots, fish net and repair our engines,” 62-year-old Busta Blake, a fisherman of over 40 years, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

Blake’s son, Jai, said so bad is the situation that fishermen are barely able to afford the very fishing nets they use to make a living. They said this is as a result of constant price increases.

“$1,000 per pound for fishing net when we need 40 to 50 pounds of net to catch fish. We need them to drop the price and help us to get loans so that we can expand our fishing business,” Jai complained.

Twenty-one-year-old fish vendor Nikeeno Barrett shared similar concerns and pointed out, too, that the facilities on the fishing beach badly needed maintenance.

“[The Ministry of] Fisheries never pay we any mind; farming more organised. From when they said the village a go tar, all now it nuh tar. Dem nah maintain the market, garbage nah collect on time. They need to fix up the market and put somebody in place to manage and maintain it,” Barrett told the Observer.

Meanwhile, 36-year-old fisherman Everald Campbell said that, even though the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard plays an integral role on the high seas in terms of securing the country’s border, they were overbearing at times.

“Even though di coast guards dem know seh wi have wi fisherman’s licence and boat licence, dem still tek set on us. All two to three hours a day dem have licence seh dem a check it out when we suppose to be fishing. All when dem know seh wi straight, a di same set a man dem a do it over and over. By the time wi fi come in wi cyaan buy gas,” Campbell said.

He added that the market needs bins so that garbage can be disposed of in more environmentally-friendly manner.

According to Campbell, fishermen are not benefiting from the Fishermen’s Co-operative.

“No matter how wi buy gas, wi nuh get back nothing from the co-operative. Back in the days we use to get back something from fisheries; dem use to send one net or so. Now, we nah benefit; we nah get back nothing. Like how is a new Government now we need him to strengthen up the fishing industry,” Campbell urged.

Following his swearing-in last Thursday, Holness announced a merging of the agriculture portfolio with industry and commerce, which he said forms part of the new Government’s emphasis on growth. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Agriculture is led by Karl Samuda with JC Hutchinson serving as minister without portfolio in the minstry.

Yesterday, the fisherfolk said they hope the men now in charge of the ministry will turn an eye in their direction.