Attempts to develop and strengthen fisher-folk organizations in Antigua & Barbuda have had minimal success, due to the independent nature of fishers, according to chief Fisheries officer Cheryl Appleton.
The fisheries chief said observation has proved that general feelings of mistrust created by issues such as piracy and user conflict are causes for concern.
“Now more than ever fisher-folks organizations need to be strong to face the challenges of globalization. For only as a unified group will they be able to take advantage of some of the benefits of globalization,” said Appleton.
She outlined some of the benefits include; greater access to development aid and influence policies that affect their livelihood (whether it may be national or regional).
Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing and the Environment Hilson Baptiste since his appointment has been encouraging individuals’ within the sector to form themselves into cooperatives in an effort to stabilize the national food plan and by extension slashing annual $90-million import bill that burdened the country’s economy.
“It is critical that fishers form themselves into cooperative as a very small percentage of them are educated past primary levels,” Appleton said.
A survey conducted by the fisheries department said that fishers 29 –percent from Grays-Green are educated beyond primary school, while Point –Villa the level was lower than 24-percent.
The dependency on the fisheries sector for various communities. Value range from as low as seven in every hundred person sin Pint –Villa, are financially dependent on the fisheries sector, to as high as one in every four persons residing in Codrington, Barbuda.