THE brave and industrious fisherfolk put their lives at high risk on a daily basis as they face the ravages of nature on the high seas to put food on the tables of people throughout the globe.
Mike Stones, in this article of February this year: Fish consumption hits all time high: FAO report notes: “Global fish consumption has reached its highest ever level of about 17 kgs per person on average, supplying more than 3bn people with at least 15 per cent of their average animal protein intake, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Fuelling the rise was the strong growth of aquaculture which is set to overtake capture fisheries as the main source of fish.
Richard Grainger, senior FAO fisheries expert, one of the report’s editors, said: “Fish is a good quality and high protein food and the sector contributes in an important way to world food security.”
Many people are unaware of the dangers, arduous work and sacrifices that fishermen have to endure on a daily basis to earn a living for themselves and families. And sometimes when the forces of nature become too erratic they are unable to venture into the high seas because it becomes too dangerous and so they have to stay at home until the forces of nature return to normalcy. For that period they receive no income nor any form of compensation, but yet they have to maintain their families. So these brave and enduring folk should be honoured and respected with great reverence. But instead what we have found is that in addition to the dangers they face from the ravages of nature they also face severe dangers from their fellow human beings who are engaged in the despicable act of piracy.
In recent years our fishermen like their colleagues in other parts of the world have suffered tremendously at the hands of heartless pirates, losing their lives and millions of dollars in property which they earned through honest and extremely hard work.
Edwin Espejo in an article in September last year “Piracy keeping fishermen at bay” pointed out: The bane of the ‘70s is back at the bay.  Or did it really leave? Last week, four fishermen went missing in what police authorities said is another case of ‘ambak pare’ or jump buddy, a fearsome phrase blurted out by sea pirates out to seize the engines of unsuspecting victims in the high seas.
The fisherfolk, all residents of a coastal village in Kiamba, Sarangani, remain missing and are believed to be already dead as the engine-less boat they were supposed to be riding was found abandoned at sea off the town.  Traces of blood and some body parts of a man were reportedly found inside the ill-fated fishing vessel.
Sea piracy has always been a perennial problem for fisherfolk at the mouth of Sarangani Bay. Tens of thousands of fishermen have been wounded, killed, or have disappeared as heavily armed pirates randomly attacked outrigger boats during the last four decades.
Against this background it was most encouraging that Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud has acknowledged the challenge of piracy which our fisherfolk have to face.
The minister correctly conceded that more can be done to tackle this scourge. “We need to see a step-up by the law enforcement agencies .The Minister of Home Affairs has passed an anti- piracy Bill .We need to see the judiciary also involved in ensuring that persons who are brought to the courts are prosecuted,” the minister stressed.
However, while legislation and the work of the judiciary are imperatives in this anti-piracy fight, it is equally important that there are more aggressive and consistent, preventative approaches. And in this regard we need to step up patrols on the high seas by our Coast Guard. But we also need to weed out the “bad eggs” from the Coast Guard who clearly are working hand in glove with the criminals. It was not too long ago when members of that outfit were fingered in brutal and despicable acts of criminality on the high seas.
Our fisherfolk are helping, like their colleagues in other aspects of agriculture, to put food on our tables and provide food security for this nation; therefore they must be given adequate security and support in every possible way. One of the best ways of doing so is by wiping out the scourge of piracy.