Minister Clarke to clarify position on fishermen's compensation
published: Saturday | November 23, 2002
- Contributed Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke (left) takes an interest in a demonstration from an employee of the Best Dressed Chicken Hatcheries, White Marl, St. Catherine on how to handle day-old chicks used in poultry breeding. The Minister was on a tour of the facilities, accompanied by Robert Levy (partly hidden), CEO of Jamaica Broilers Group, which owns the hatcheries. The group also visited the Hi Pro Farm Supplies Store, at the White Marl Complex, which manufactures and retails animal feeds, among a wide range of items used in the agricultural industry.
WESTERN BUREAU:
AGRICULTURE MINISTER Roger Clarke has promised to clarify, by next weekend, the position on the issue of compensation to fishermen for damage from dredging in the Kingston Harbour.
The dredging, which started on December 11, 2001, is reported to have affected over 833 fishermen, who have lost a total earning of approximately $81 million, based on their income over a six month period (January - June 2001) prior to the dredging operation.
The loss of earnings for the entire industry, which comprises over 1,000 fishermen, is estimated at $135 million.
"We will need to address a number of questions: What is the position of fishermen? What are their expectations? What is the extent of the Port Authority's responsibility? How do we arrive at the figures for compensation", the Minister said.
Speaking at a recent meeting with Minister of Land and Environment, Dean Peart; and representatives from the fishing industry, the Authority and the Fisheries Division in the Ministry of Agriculture, at his Ministry on Hope Road, Mr. Clarke indicated that answers to these questions would require further discussions with Minster Peart; the Minister of Transport and Works, Robert Pickersgill, whose Ministry was responsible for the Port Authority; and senior representatives of the Authority and the fishing sector.
