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Exemption for Fishermen (Essential Service)

 House of Assembly
The Valley, Anguilla

Tel: +1 (264) 497 5081

Fellow Anguillians, it has come to my attention that officers from the Royal Anguilla Police Force have been prohibiting fishermen in District 1 and perhaps elsewhere from fishing in our waters. I have been in contact with the Governor’s Office this morning seeking an immediate audience with His Excellency Tim Foy on this matter. In addition, I have contacted the Attorney General’s Office and the Fisheries Department on this important issue.
The Public Health (Temporary Restriction on Movement of People and

Public Gatherings) Regulations, 2020 which was Gazetted on 27th March

2020 outlines restrictions in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In those restrictions, exemptions have been made for essential workers. However, fishermen were not included in this category.
This is a critical time in our country and we need our fishermen now more than ever. Not only do they supply our grocery stores and restaurants, but they also provide fresh fish to households and communities. Fish is a healthy food choice and a critical component of our food security here in Anguilla. I would also like to point out that fishing and farming have been classified as essential services in Turks and Caicos, another Overseas Territory that has implemented even more stringent measures in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Likewise in Trinidad and Tobago, the Public Health Novel Coronavirus Regulations 2020 on page 238 specifically makes exemptions for “fishermen” and “farmworkers”.
Perhaps this was an oversight on the part of the Government, and I am calling on the Minister of Health and the Minister responsible for Fisheries

to please address this issue with great urgency, so that our fishermen and our farmers can be added to the list of essential services and be allowed to do their work. This is part of their livelihood and a source of income for their families. It is also important to engage in discussions on this matter with our fishermen and farmers so that they have a clear understanding of new approaches and processes which they must follow to minimize exposure to the Coronavirus, while at the same time being able to maintain supply to the local market. I appreciate that the monitoring of our borders is also a priority and I am willing to work with the government to mitigate this so that our fishermen are not compromised.
Once again, I am calling on the Governor, the Premier and the Ministers

responsible to address this matter swiftly. Thank you.

 

Office of the Leader of the Opposition

HON. PAM WEBSTER

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