Basseterre, St. Kitts, April 6, 2020 (ZIZ News): Fisherfolk in St. Kitts- Nevis will also be receiving assistance to help boost food security as the federation faces the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was announced by Director of Agriculture, Melvin James at a recently held press briefing organized by the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC).
“Fishermen will receive assistance. Firstly, the fishing department will be procuring a number of aggregates, (FADS) and with the assistance of the farmers and fishers we will be placing these in the waters around St. Kitts and Nevis”, he said.
Fish aggregating devices (FAD’s) are man-made or natural objects commonly used to attract fish. FADS can be buoys or floats secured to the ocean floor.
The Director explained that these fishing objects are known to yield positive results.
James said, “We know the fish aggregating devices, within a week or so, they usually attract a lot of fishes and so once we have an increased number of these FADS, then it means that the fishermen have a greater chance of catching their fish and increasing their catch”
He also said that the Fishing Division will be assisting fisherfolk with the provision of low-cost fishing gear and subsidized fuel to ensure that food production in the federation increases despite the global impact of the virus.