Post by montegobayjobs on Apr 23, 2020 4:27:59 GMT
Operator of Lobster Belly Seafood restaurant in Portmore, St Catherine, Orthniel Edwards - Ian Allen photo
At least one operator of a seafood restaurant in Portmore, St Catherine is calling for the government to allow fisherfolks and businesses to continue to ply their trade under special measures as they seek to combat the fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
Orthniel Edwards, the proprietor of Lobster Belly Seafood restaurant, says the continued lockdown of St Catherine could cause business operators at Hellshire and other beaches, and the fisherfolks who supply them, to go under.
Edwards says operators and fisherfolks already took a hit during the recent Easter holiday curfews.
He says that while he supports the government’s effort to limit the spread of the virus, he says the economic realities of individuals must also be given attention.
“When the fishermen who have them family fi feed and we same one and residents of Portmore would buy the fish fi go eat and the Coast Guard ago stop them from go sea and say a lockdown so them cah go sea, that is definitely ridiculous. Me hear the prime minister implement a thing like him a say farmers can back to work but we fisherman farm, is agriculture same way,” Edwards told The Gleaner, noting that he’s finding it difficult to support his household and his business.
He believes that the raft of initiatives rolled out by the Agriculture Ministry to save the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across the island should be extended to their colleagues who make a living from the ocean.
Edwards argued that in the same way land-based businesses are allowed to open on certain days to replenish their shelves, similar allowances should be made for fishermen to operate and keep the marine food supply going.
“There is no way you can stop the food supply, fisheries fall under farming same way. So when you ago say lock down, you haffi allow the fishermen fi go sea,” he argued.
“Same like how certain days you can go to the supermarket, a same way the fisherman supposed to can go sea. Like you give him today Wednesday as a day when people can go shop, the fisherman would go sea from Tuesday night and him come in Wednesday morning so people woulda able fi come buy fish,” the business owner continued.
“You can’t stop people’s livelihood and you not giving them back nothing,” he added.