Fishermen Howard Boland and Lloyd Johnson, secure equipment which was not damaged during Hurricane Emily. The men will not be able to use them until they replace damaged fish pots.
Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter
Lennox 'Presley' Stewart was distraught as he reflected on the passage of Hurricane Emily.
"I am left with only my name not even one cent," he said during a recent visit by The Sunday Gleaner.
A third-generation fisherman, with 23 years of experience, Mr. Stewart had battled and survived many storms, which had affected the Great Bay/ Treasure Beach area in St. Elizabeth.
But this hurricane, coming so soon after so many other traumatic events, has all but annihilated his livelihood.
"I lost 160 fish pots in (Hurricane) Ivan 10 months ago. In June this year, I lose my boat and two engines and by July again, I lose 145 pots," lamented Mr. Stewart.
Mr. Stewart told The Sunday Gleaner that he had created most of his pots to cut costs and now that were gone he had no idea how he would recover his roughly $ 1.5 million in
losses.
"I am left with only my name not even one cent including owing $194,000 on a loan. I don't have nothing to repay the loan."
A father of six, Mr. Stewart is now far away from the joy he felt when he was told his daughter had been accepted to Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Manchester.
In fact, Mr. Stewart was beside himself with grief.
"I don't have nothing to feed my six kids. I don't have nothing to send them to school," he lamented. "I not even could visit my daughter's graduation or pay her college fee. I am down and out right now. I did have a hope with the pots that I have at sea and now Emily take them away so all that hope blow up in smoke."
Obviously distressed, Mr. Stewart, says he has run out of options to finance yet another fishing operation. "I know I not doing anything crazy but I cannot turn to the bank anymore. I do not know where I can turn to get help to revive my losses. This is the most devastating hurricane that passed through the south coast for fishermen."
There are about 400 fishermen in the Treasure Beach area.
and hundreds more in areas such as Rocky Point and Alligator Pond. Many are getting a similar beating, said Dennis Abrahams, a director of the Calabash Bay Fishing Cooperative and the BREDS Foundation, a non-profit organisation which helps persons in need.
Just ask Aman Parchment, a fisherman from Billies Bay who collaborates with four sets of crew to fish in the Pedro Bank. Mr. Parchment lost 347 fishing traps to Hurricane Ivan and with borrowed money and savings, created 101 traps. He and his crew went to sea on Wednesday to check on them. They found only two.
"The realisation just struck us. It is going to be a hard, long road It took me nearly one solid year to build just those 101 back," said Mr. Parchment, his voice shaking.
"Several families depend on me for their livelihood. Last year they waited on me to set back out and it's a total wipe out... I don't know where to start from right now."
Mr. Abrahams said he asked several insurance companies for a scheme to help cover fishermen's losses but was turned down. "I understand where the companies are coming from. It's difficult to assess us but without insurance it's hard to start over."
