by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 4, 2024
This afternoon, Thursday, April 4, Amandala received information that several fishermen were waiting outside the building of the National Fishermen Producers Cooperative Society Limited on North Front Street in Belize City for ice to load up on their boats as they make their journey out at sea to fish.
When Amandala arrived at the location that information was confirmed, as a large number of fishermen waited outside the locked doors of the cooperative, and others were loading up their vessels to go out to sea. While holding a conversation with those disgruntled fishers, they elaborated that the cooperative has made its quota for conch, thus closing its doors.
Those fishermen also noted that, because the doors of the cooperative are closed, they are not supplying ice to them – which they believe is mandatory for them to do so as they are member/owners of the cooperative. Some were forced to either buy from the Northern Fishermen Cooperative Society Ltd, which is estimated to be a $15 or $20 increase, in comparison to what they are getting from their member cooperative, or wait in a first come, first serve system.
“We have to find a next job to do. We’ll start to rob, thief, kill; that’s what we need to do to survive,” expressed one angry fisherman.
Another group of fishermen told Amandala that they were forced to purchase ice from the other cooperative and were about to set sail later on in the evening. They said they were told that in addition to the quota being met, the ice machine at the National Co-op needed to be serviced for 3 months, and its doors will not be opened until in July, which is the start of the lobster season.
George Myvett, Technical Advisor for the Belize Federation of Fishers (BFF), spoke to Amandala about National Co-op being closed and not providing ice to its members, and the conch season not yet being closed.
“The closure of National has the potential to disrupt the smooth flow of accessing ice by members, and it has implications for fishers and consumers because, if these guys are paying 20 or 25 dollars for a sack of ice versus 5 dollars, you will pass that on to consumers, that’s one thing for National. The other thing for National would be that, if they go out and harvest … conch season still open, I think the quota for National is being realized … if the quota for Northern is full, then you will not be able to deliver to Northern; and if they don’t deliver to them … the local market is small, so you’ll be looking at a decrease in prices due to fulling of the market and produce,” he explained.
Myvett noted that the numbers for the Northern Cooperative are significantly larger than of those at the National Cooperative. For official confirmation, a report issued by Oceana in 2020 entitled, “State of Belize Fisheries Report 2020,” mentioned that Northern holds approximately 1,231 members (611 active), and National with 531 (all active).
Several fishermen expressed their dissatisfaction, but have settled for the treatment, as catching fish is their main source of income.
