It was during a sitting of parliament last April that agriculture minister Ezechiel Joseph addressed the future of the Saint Lucia Fish Marketing Corporation (SLFMC). He announced that government had decided to privatize the struggling entity, and to undertake a lease arrangement with Karen Fontenelle Peter, the president of the Chamber of Commerce. A new company, Lucian Blue Ocean Seafoods Inc., assumed control of the SLFMC’s three facilities in Castries, Vieux Fort and Dennery.
In an interview with the STAR last June, then managing director Hilary Herman indicated the company was eyeing a minimum 10-year lease, sufficient time to regain invested capital of “a little over $700,000”. On Monday Minister Joseph announced the approval by Cabinet of a 15-year lease agreement. Joseph stated that the lease is at a cost of $10,000 a month. “I’m getting the vibes that fishermen are expressing satisfaction,” Joseph said. “They’re being paid on time. It’s not like in the past, when it would take five to six months before they are paid. That’s an encouragement and of course we’ll see how it goes from there.”
On May 29 the Castries, Choiseul and Goodwill Fishermen’s Co-operatives raised concerns with reporters about the SLFMC’s transition. Of major concern was the cessation of the purchase of fish from their fishers. Herman explained to the STAR that in excess of 20,000 lbs was bought, but it was necessary to halt purchasing, since they were not then certified and therefore were unable to sell in bulk to preferred customers (hotels, supermarkets and schools).
John Sutton is currently the acting managing director of Lucian Blue Ocean Sea Foods Inc.
