Tyrone Reid, Staff ReporterPORTLAND COTTAGE fisherfolk are first in line to benefit from a multimillion dollar venture being undertaken by the Office of National Reconstruction (ONR) to rehabilitate several fishing villages devastated by the passage of Hurricane Ivan.
Danville Walker, ONR chief executive officer, told The Gleaner that, at present, fisherfolk are finding it rather difficult to gain access to their livelihood and the project is geared towards erasing that intricacy.
"Right now the boats can't get out through Portland Cottage so dredging would allow them to just get in the boat and sail out instead of getting out of the boat and literally pushing the boat through the mangroves," he said.
In addition to Portland Cottage, there are about five other fishing villages slated to benefit. Each project is estimated to cost six or $7 million.
Mr. Walker explained that after the island was exposed to the wrath of Hurricane Ivan's ferocious winds a lot of "silt and sediment built up at the front of where the fishermen go out to sea, so what the dredging does is open up back the channel that the boats go out...".
CONCRETING WORKS
The Portland Cottage leg of the dredging drive, which will also involve concreting works, will get under way as soon as a contractor is identified to undertake the project.
Mr. Walker pointed out that an invitation to tender will be issued for the work to be done on each fishing village.
While Portland Cottage is the first in line, other fishing villages such as Rocky Point and Old Harbour Bay are next to receive the blessing.
"We have about five other fishing villages that we are going to be doing the same work for," he said.
Mr. Walker said his administration will be working in tandem with the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) to ensure that no environmental laws are breached.
