The national umbrella body for fishermen of this country is Trinidad and Tobago Unified Fisherfolk (TTUF), and the organisation is living as a vagrant on the streets, getting sun burnt and wet with no shelter.Six years have passed and the organisation still has no place to call its own. No place to conduct its business. The organisation is depending on the good graces of Claxton Bay SIDC to fulfill its mandate and conduct its meetings for the benefit of the fisher folk.
During the tenure as first President of TTUF, Mr Emile Louis made the bold move by making a down payment of US$8,000 for a pre-fab building coming from the USA, with the promise that SIDC would complete the payment on its behalf. This promise, however, was not fulfilled. US$8,000 went down the drain.
In our second attempt to establish a businessplace in central, a Caroni 1975 building was identified in Chaguanas. The "perfect" building was earmarked only to be told that our letter requesting same was forwarded to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Food Production during the early part of the year. We were further informed that the said building given to other interest, not fishing.
Are we then to believe that the authorities don't want TTUF to exist when the fishing industry is an integral part of the food chain. The Ministry up to this day has not informed TTUF of the situation.Fishermen risk their lives on a daily basis to feed the nation. Is that not a good enough reason to give them a base to conduct their business?
Peter Glodon
President Moruga/La Rufin Fishing Assoc