Edmond Campbell, Senior News Coordinator

Local fish may not be on the plates of Jamaicans for days to come as fisherfolk are unable to go to sea because of a shortage of marine fuel. In this file phote, a customer buys fish at Old Harbour Bay in St. Catherine. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

The fishing industry is now facing a crisis due to the lack of marine fuel which has triggered a severe shortage of fish on the market.

"There is absolutely no fish (local catch) on the market," said Havelon Honegan, chairman of the Jamaica Fishermen's Co-operative Union. According to Honegan, approximately 40,000 fisherfolk have been left idle for more than a week, as they were not supplied with marine fuel since last Tuesday.

He told The Gleaner/Power 106 News yesterday that the Petroleum Company of Jamaica (PETCOM), the sole supplier of the product, had consistently failed to supply the fisherfolk with marine fuel.

With 99 per cent of local catch coming from the Pedro Cays, Mr. Honegan explained that fisherfolk need at least 900 litres of marine fuel to go to sea in that area. The alternative, which is to mix other types of fuel, would cost fishermen significantly more, according to him.

He said the industry was reeling from this setback, which has resulted in millions of dollars in losses on a daily basis. According to Mr. Honegan, this was the third time since January that PETCOM was unable to supply the sector with marine fuel.

"I went to a meeting in St. Elizabeth yesterday (Thursday) and the fishermen were very agitated. There are about 13 fisheries outstations across the island and checks with at least 10 show there is no fuel," he said.

No resolution

Stephen Smikle, director of the Marine Branch in the Ministry of Agriculture, said the division has been in dialogue with PETCOM and had been informed that the company could not source the lubricant. He said PETCOM was unable to give a date when it would obtain the product.

He, however, pointed out that the fisherfolk could purchase other types of oil products and mix them to provide fuel for their engines. Mr. Smikle said that representatives of the Fisheries Division were available at the outstations to assist fishermen in mixing the correct proportions.

But the explanation did not go down well with Mr. Honegan who charged that fisherfolk had lost scores of engines valued at more than $200,000 each when they used blended fuel previously.

He has called on the Government to revoke PETCOM's contract and identify a new marketing company to supply the industry with the product.

Efforts to get a comment from the management of PETCOM proved futile as we were told they were in a meeting.