Georgetown : A group of fisherfolks from East Berbice, the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara met with President Donald Ramotar with demands for justice and security following the recent spate of pirate attacks.
Included in the group were victims of the pirate attack on 15 boats in the Pomeroon River on February 3rd which ended with fishermen being beaten, bound, robbed and abandoned at sea in sunken vessels. Also at the meeting were Minister of Public Works Robeson Benn and Minister within the Ministry of Agriculture Alli Baksh.
President Ramotar had met some of the victims of the attack on February 7th and had promised intervention at the level of the Cabinet and assured that no stone will be left unturned to “put an end to this lawless activity.”
His assurance came with a request for the fisherfolks to cooperate with the various agencies.
In an invited comment to the Government Information Agency (GINA) President Ramotar said, “We are putting a response in place, a response to what is taking place and I hope that this will be implemented immediately because this thing (piracy) we have to stamp it out immediately,” President Ramotar said.
The issue of firearms was also brought to the fore during the meeting as the fishermen spoke of reprisal during an attack and in this regard an urgent need for expeditiousness in the review of applications made for such weapons.
President Ramotar lent an ear to the requests expressed but noted that it is an issue that requires careful examination and conveyed to the fisherfolks that it would be a careless act if “firearms are handed over the counter” at random.
Some requested interventions in the release of boat engines that have been seized pending court cases but, given the law, the fishermen were told that government’s hands are tied when it comes to those issues.
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