Marlon Penn envisions Red Bay for fishing revolution
At a meeting held in Parham Town last evening Saturday October 30, 2011, Penn said he envisions Red Bay as the place to start the Virgin Islands fishing revolution, and wants to see the 8th district with the largest concentration of fishermen than anywhere else in the Territory.
Stating that the NDP has a four-point strategy to developing the industry, Penn said his party will begin developing Red Bay “into a modern facility for our fishermen, a facility that will serve as a one stop shop for all the fishing needs, equipped with a processing centre and a fishing outlet to purchase fish” among other things.
In addition, the political figure revealed that the NDP will strengthen the capabilities of the traditional fishing methods, by showing fishermen new technologies to expose them to methods such as long lining and fish farming.
Furthermore, the 8th district candidate said the NDP will ensure the proper laws and policies are in place to protect against over-fishing and illegal fishing within the VI waters while modern technology will be used to better protect the banks and also police the VI’s waters.
In order to develop the industry and seek market for local fish products, Penn said even if he has to sail to Scrub Island or Cooper Island, the NDP will actively facilitate the domestic market for local fish products, as well as, vigorously pursue the international market.
The young politician said his vision for the fishing industry is not limited as he “sees salaries, I see processing, I see packaging, I see fishing supplies, I see fishing equipment, I see boats, I see jobs, I see opportunities and I see a better 8th district”.
Noting that the Virgin Islands is blessed with some of the most fertile fishing grounds in the world, Penn said it is “inexcusable that we still important more than 80 percent of the fish sold at our fisheries” and it is time to put the pieces together to effectively utilise the vital resource.
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