Vendors and fishermen at the Otaheite Fish Market burned tyres outside the market yesterday, blocking the roadway and preventing refurbishment works from starting on the compound.
Around 1 pm yesterday, the vendors threw old tyres across the roadway leading into the market and set them ablaze as they warned employees of Pioneer Construction 2000 Ltd against starting any work on the site.
Pioneer was contracted by Government to conduct refurbishment works on the facility.
The vendors chanted in front of the fire, calling on Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat to visit and speak to them.
President of the Otaheite Vendors Association, Clement Charles, said after meeting with officials from the Fisheries Division on Monday, the vendors needed Rambharat’s intervention.
“Right now we are calling on the Minister of Agriculture to come and address the vendors because there is a contract awarded to Pioneer Construction 2000 Ltd and the members right now are disagreeing with the work they are organising to perform on the market and on the compound,” Clement said.
Outlining the issues plaguing the industry in recent times, Charles said: “We need the minister to come down and address the people because earlier on, we had a fish spill and then an oil spill and our vendors are being affected presently where they can’t take care of their families in terms of making sales because the general public has been panicking recently.”
He said the proposed works for the upgrade of the facility would take about eight weeks but the vendors had no alternative accommodation until it was finished.
“Now they are going to shut down here for about two months and we need some kind of monetary compensation that the vendors could take care of their families because this is school time... we need books.
“We are losing money daily because the public is waiting on the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) and the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (Cariri) to address the situation with the dead fish.”
Threatening further protests, Charles said the vendors would not stand down.
“No work will be taking place in the community until the minister meets with us. We will protest every single day until he comes,” he added.
Minister: No request for meeting
Contacted for comment yesterday, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said he had received no request for a meeting from the vendors and no requests for compensation either.
Asked if he would try to meet with the vendors given the current situation, Rambharat said:
"There is a fisheries officer assigned to that area and a director of fisheries. The fishing association should be dealing with the representatives of the Fisheries Division of the Ministry."
However, he added: "If it becomes necessary to meet with me, I am always available to meet. To date no one has asked to meet with me."