–says gov’t may very well chip in to help combat piracy at sea

MINISTER of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan says fisherfolk owe it to themselves to ensure they are safe at sea.

And they can best do so by purchasing communication devices for swift onshore contact with law enforcement officials, he told the media at an Alliance For Change (AFC) press conference on Friday at the party’s Kitty headquarters.

Noting that it was not the first time he was making such a suggestion, Minister Ramjattan said he had pleaded before with fisherfolk in Rosignol and Number 66 and 43 Villages to equip their boats with communication devices such as transponders and radio sets, but it all fell on deaf ears.

In response to a comment that they may not be able to so readily as such equipment can sost as much as G$100,000, Minister Ramjattan said:

“Have you seen the houses of some of these fishermen? Have you ever noticed how much cars they have and vans they have? I don’t believe that at all. They have the monies, and if you can’t spend G$100,000 to affix some mechanism on your boat so that it can secure you, well c’mon…”

He would later come around, saying that perhaps the government might very well have to step in and render some assistance by way of providing loans for the purchasing of the devices.

“I now feel that what we’ll have to do is probably get some monies for this, so that we can loan to them and they can pay back by installments, because we have to modernise our fleets,” he said.

“But with the old and ancient attitudes of some of these fishermen, we’re not going to get there unless Government stumps up, I suppose,” he added.
AFC Executive Member and Minister of Public Telecommunication, Cathy Hughes, who was at the ‘presser’, seized the opportunity to speak on the recent “pirate attack” on some 20 Guyanese fishermen in Surinamese waters which rendered several either dead, missing, or injured.

On behalf of the party, Hughes condemned the attack, extended her condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished for the speedy recovery of those who were injured during the “harrowing ordeal”.
Said she: “The AFC condemns this abominable and inhumane attack. The party looks forward to the perpetrators being brought before the courts and facing the full extent of the law.”

Among other party members at the briefing were Party Leader, Mr Raphael Trotman, Vice-Chairman, Mr David Patterson and Members of Parliament Messrs Michael Carrington and Audwin Rutherford.