Crab and oyster venders in Woodland who have been struggling to survive since oil seeped into the mangrove more than a month ago also want monetary assistance from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley.
“Please don’t forget us,” said Woodland Crab and Oyster Vendors Association president Madan Rambharose who lives on the river bank opposite the Sudama Teerath with his wife and three children ages nine, five and four.
Rowley announced last week that Cabinet approved $1 million to assist fishermen affected by recent fish kills in the Gulf of Paria.
Pointing to dilapidated homes constructed along the river, Rambharose said the crab and oyster sales were the vendors only form of income.
Complaining that neither the Environmental Management Authority (EMA) or Institute of Marine Affairs (IMA) have visited the mangrove since the oil appeared, he said: “Up to now it still have oil in the roots and in the crab hole. We cannot sell that to the people and people fraid to buy. We heard about the $1 million compensation, but no one contact us about it.”
With school opening next week Monday, Rambharose said some vendors were yet to buy school supplies.
“People just struggling and trying to survive right now. They (Government) forget us on this side. They suppose to at least meet with us, but they not studying us up in the river.”
Saying that there were 38 registered vendors in Woodland, he said: “Some people don’t have food in their house. The cupboards empty. Some people making and selling cocoyea broom to try to get a lil change. We all trying to help one another, but it’s really hard.”
Rambharose called for a proper investigation into the origin of the oil spill. “We want to know who is responsible for this.”
Crab vendor Navindra Deodat, a father of young children, said he has been doing small jobs to try to maintain his family. “Whatever I get, I going. I not really working so I cannot buy school bags and shoes for my children to go to school, they will have to use their old ones.”
“Is cost me about $150 a week to transport my children to school alone. It hard, it really hard,” said Deodat.
Meanwhile, South Oropouche Crab and Oysters Association president Kishore Ramsingh said the parliamentary representative for his area contacted him after Rowley made the announcement.
“My MP contact me and tell me he have something from the government for we. So I believe we included too.” He will know for sure when he meet with his MP on Tuesday.
When contacted on WhatsApp on whether crab and oyster vendors were included in the $1 million assistance, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said: “The assistance will cover all those directly affected by the issues in south west.”