Financial constraints cause challenges in the supply and demand of fish from local fishermen who weren't being paid on time. (photo showing a customer buying fish at the BVI Fishing Complex) Photo: bviguides

According to the report, it stated that one of their greatest challenges was balancing the supply and demand issue, regarding the purchase and sale of seafood. 

They identified that one of their goals was to meet the needs of their customers, while controlling the amount of seafood purchased, without losing the support of the local fishermen, but as a result of the financial constraint that existed, many of their local fishermen were dissatisfied because of the length of time it took for them to get paid. 

The report read, “the problem was that the department was allocating monies monthly, due to Governments issue with cash flow. This posed a problem for us because when the monies were expended each month, it prevented us from processing any new purchase orders until finance allocated more money at the beginning of the following month. As a result fishermen were not paid for several weeks a time.” 

The report further indicated that the fishermen of the Virgin Islands, were also dissatisfied with the weight limits that were imposed on them during "unscheduled times of the year”. 

“Normally the weight limit process would only be imposed at specific times of the year when purchases are at a minimum and landing is at high levels... However due to financial constraints, we are forced to limit the amount of landing when the monies for the purchase of seafood are expended.” 

Due to the fishermen’s dissatisfaction with the behaviour of the BVI Fishing Complex, the report stated that they [fishermen] have been increasingly selling their catch to the same clients as the complex. 

The report also stated, “Serious attention must be placed on developing the fishing industry’s infrastructure and unifying the local fishermen into self-motivated, self-sustained, established and organized cooperatives. This must first be achieved by the reestablishment of the Fisheries Advisory Committee (FAC). The Government’s role in achieving a united fishing industry with the support and cooperation of our local fishermen is vitally important and would help to solidify economic stability as well as ensure a sustainable future regarding food security and efficient harvesting of our marine resources.”

The BVI Fishing Complex is a department that falls under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour.