Revamped fishing complex to store fish for up to one year
Dr Pickering held a soft launch of the newly revamped BVI Fishing Complex facility at Baughers Bay yesterday, April 23, 2013 that showcased major upgrades and updated packaging methods to members of the public.
In examining the possibility of improving the fishing industry and its potential for improving the overall economy of the Territory, Dr Pickering revealed that he held many discussions with fishermen throughout the Virgin Islands (VI).
Two of the problems he felt were very evident, were the issues of a central storage space for fishermen to take their produce and delayed payments from the Fishing Complex after selling their produce.
He related that a fisherman told him, “If I go out and I bring in 1000 pounds of fish I would be lucky if the Fishing Complex could take 500 pounds from me and that would be a good day.”
Previously, the Natural Resources Minister stated, fishermen often had to wait as much as two weeks before they could be paid for their catch by the Fishing Complex.
“You can well imagine,” he expressed, “if fishing is your livelihood and you have to wait two weeks to get a check, what that does for the economics of your household.”
Fishermen will now be able to drop off their catch at the complex even at midnight, stated Dr Pickering.
He explained that he consulted with numerous persons who possessed the technical expertise necessary to make progress within the industry.
The Deputy Premier acknowledged the yeoman contribution of Captain Kevin Grey in making the revamped Fishing Complex a reality; expertise which he related was provided free of cost.
“It is one step at a time that will get the job done,” Dr Pickering stated while expressing that he did harbour thoughts of commercial fishing becoming a reality within the VI.
According to Dr Pickering, significant investments were made in improving the equipment that is now at the complex. This includes flash freezing as well as vacuum packaging equipment.
Fish can now be caught and stored for extended periods of time with the new equipment and technology in place. “We will be able to store the fish and keep it fresh and you won’t know that that fish was caught last year because it would be as fresh as it was caught yesterday,” Dr Pickering revealed.
He also spoke of the storage improvements at the complex. “We are at least five times the capacity of storage now that we had (at the complex)…,” he disclosed.
“We will maximise the yield potential of the fish at the time when the fish is in our area,” he added.
According to Dr Pickering, given the seasonal nature of some of the fish in VI waters and their migratory patterns, the new improvements were a significant boost for being able to have fish available year round that would only have been previously accessible at one point of the year.
He also talked about the possibility of future exports in the fishing industry given that the current aim is supplying fish to the entire Territory with the new improvements in place.
“We lower our import bill when it comes to fish, which is such an important source of protein…” Dr Pickering noted while stating that the Territory’s food bill would be simultaneously lowered.
He also expressed the wish to build similar facilities on each of the other major islands of Anegada, Jost Van Dyke and Virgin Gorda in addition to the one currently on Tortola.
Premier Dr The Hon. D. Orlando Smith said, “The idea of making fishing contribute more effectively [and] more efficiently to the economic development of this country is something that has been spoken about for a long time.”
He felt that based on what he had seen over the past few months, the issue had been taken into hand and expected that very soon the fruition of the dream or vision of making fishing the third or fourth economic pillar would be realised.
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14 Responses to “Revamped fishing complex to store fish for up to one year”
A couple of things have to be considered in the back of the mind. If everyone brings in 1000 pounds of fish How much stock is out there? the point is fish nurseries need to be protected in order to provide more fish. That also dovetails into concern about shore development, erosion from poor engineering, oil and gas leakage from unmaintained boats. the supply of fish is not endless. We will have to be aware of numbers, just like lobsters in order to make this whole thing sustainable. Congratulations on a great achievement. I have had fish from there and it was great! maybe those megayachts should be made aware if not already, of the quality and supplies available to them.
What happen to the fish that comes from the Caribbean, try to open that market again, they fish used to sell, two days and fisheries don't have no fish from the caribbean. I suggest we start our own pond fish, let them grow to a palm size and release them in the ocean to grow, when those fish release the young ones not much of them survive, so we have to help in the sustainable developlmen of our country.