PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands; Thursday July 30th, 2009 – On Wednesday, July 29th, Premier Hon. Galmo Williams along with Minister for Natural Resources and his Permanent Secretary - Hon. Gregory Lightbourne and Mrs. Judith Campbell respectively, headed to the island of South Caicos - the fishing capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands - as the plant operators and fisherman prepare for the opening of this year’s Lobster Season, scheduled for this coming Saturday, August 1st.
The reason for Premier Williams visit was to hear any concerns the plant operators and fishermen may have before the season opens and to assist with alleviating any of their issues.
Meeting first with the plant operators, they informed the delegation that their main concerns were in relation to the recession and the recent hurricanes, which has caused the demand for the product to be low. They noted that the price of lobster has declined by 50% percent this year; and that this decline, due to the recession - will affect both the operators who manufacture and process the product and the fisherman who catch the product.
Moreover, they indicated that the damage to the reefs cause by Hurricane Ike has reduced the normal and flourishing population of lobster on the bank. With the supply high and the demand low, this looks to be a challenging season.
The Premier and his colleagues then met with the fishermen of South Caicos, who were concerned about the foreign assistance policy that has been modified this year. The Premier believes that Turks and Caicos Islanders should have the opportunity to obtain fishermen jobs that will be available with the opening of this year’s season.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government along with the Department of Environment and Coastal Resources are committed to help deal with these challenges and wish the operators and the fishermen a prosperous season this year.
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