Beaten, broken and battered fishermen afraid to return to sea
September 16, 2011 | By KNews
Fishermen are crying out for help, especially those attached to the No 66 port complex as piracy return to the fishing industry with avengeance. The latest attack occurred between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, where over 35 fishermen who were plying their trade, in seven boats, were attacked in the Corentyne River, in the vicinity of Caronie and Copenaam by a group of pirates.
The fishermen are so traumatized that they are afraid to speak to the media or show their faces. They do not want their names to be mentioned or even the names of their boats.
The latest attack is said to be the fifteenth in the past month, occurring in both Suriname and Guyana waters.
Some six boats from the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Coop Society and two from the Rosignol Fishermen’s Co-operative Society were hijacked on the Suriname side of the Corentyne River in an area called ‘Shell’. The men were badly beaten as the pirates carted away all of the day’s catch as well as fish glue. The pirates did not take any engine this time, but disconnected the engine leads from several of the boats.
One fisherman who was one of those badly beaten, speaking on anonymity stated that it was dark and the men came up suddenly, they brandished cutlasses and asked for the captain. When the captain was identified, he was immediately beaten. The engine was disengaged and the lead thrown away after which the fish and Fish Glue were taken.
The captain was then taken with the pirates in their boat to rob other boats. After awhile the pirates left the men they had taken with them – all captains – in one boat, to drift, as they made their escape. After the brutal attack, the victims used their skills to get to shore on the Guyana side and report the incident. They also collected spare leads and other spare parts and headed back to sea to rescue their stranded colleagues.
The men were badly beaten with cutlasses, iron, pieces of wood and other implements. One of the men it is suspected to have suffered a broken leg and arm.
The fishermen decried the tardy treatment they received at the Skeldon hospital. They claim that they were asked to sit on a table outside the hospital for a long time and did not get any treatment. They said that it was not until the media showed up that a doctor
made an effort to treat them. One of the men who was at the Fish Shore Complex yesterday displayed his bruised and battered back to the media. He was so afraid that he did not want the camera to focus on his face. He also complained of the treatment he received at the hospital.
On Thursday more than half of the boats were parked at the Fish Shore Complex and the fishermen expressed fear for their lives. They stated that the Government is only offering ‘lip service’ and doesn’t care about their welfare.
“We employ over 1000 workers at this complex and the fishing industry takes care of over 10,000 persons and this government shows scant regards for us,” one fisherman said.
The fishermen stated that some of their own are suspected to be involved, taking into account the modus operandi of the latest set of attacks.
“We need guns, we need communication equipment, but we are not getting anything. We are crying out for help to the heavens, because the government is not listening to our cry and plea. Imagine five fishermen are missing and are presumed dead and we have not received anything from the government, no assurance, nothing.”
The angry fishermen told the media, “The ministers came and just talk and talk and left. They did not even come here and keep a meeting at the complex, how shameful”.
“The Government is only interested in votes and collecting revenue. They are really taking us for a ride. The Guyana Government only keeps saying that they cannot do anything because most of the attacks occur in Suriname water, but they can come together with the Surinamese authorities and work out something tangible,” one of the men said.
He queried why the Surinamese fishermen not suffering like “us”. One fisherman stated that all that the government is doing is making excuses. He said that his boat was hijacked in Guyana waters and nothing was done. “Why can’t the Coast Guard patrol the Guyana waters?”
He stated that he has two boats and both are onshore because the fishermen are afraid to go out again. “We are losing badly.”
“This thing is terrible but what we can do? Some of us have to go back to sea, because it is the only thing we know. The whole industry is going down; this will impact the fisher folks and the business because the workmen are willing but their families are afraid to let their sons and husbands go out there. The Guyana Police have been informed, but nothing comes out of these matters.”
One fisherman who lost his boat during a previous attack showed the media the motto which reads: “We risk our lives to feed the nation with protein”, and said it should be changed to “We sacrifice our lives to feed the nation”.
Only last month, five fishermen who made up the crew of the Reshma disappeared and have not been accounted for to date. Only an empty boat was found. Those missing and presumed dead are boat captain Khemraj Dhanpat, 42, called Manohar or Rajin a father of four, of No 64 village; his brother Narine Dhanpat, 38, called ‘Shrimp’ a father of two, also of No. 64; Clifford Singh, 28, a father of one of No 62 village; Ouditnarine Ramnarine, 37, of No 64 and Suresh Martin, 34, a father of two. That boat is owner by Gajadar Bishnauth, called Lakeram of No. 64 village.
September 16, 2011 | By KNews
Fishermen are crying out for help, especially those attached to the No 66 port complex as piracy return to the fishing industry with avengeance. The latest attack occurred between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, where over 35 fishermen who were plying their trade, in seven boats, were attacked in the Corentyne River, in the vicinity of Caronie and Copenaam by a group of pirates.
The fishermen are so traumatized that they are afraid to speak to the media or show their faces. They do not want their names to be mentioned or even the names of their boats.
The latest attack is said to be the fifteenth in the past month, occurring in both Suriname and Guyana waters.
Some six boats from the Upper Corentyne Fishermen’s Coop Society and two from the Rosignol Fishermen’s Co-operative Society were hijacked on the Suriname side of the Corentyne River in an area called ‘Shell’. The men were badly beaten as the pirates carted away all of the day’s catch as well as fish glue. The pirates did not take any engine this time, but disconnected the engine leads from several of the boats.
One fisherman who was one of those badly beaten, speaking on anonymity stated that it was dark and the men came up suddenly, they brandished cutlasses and asked for the captain. When the captain was identified, he was immediately beaten. The engine was disengaged and the lead thrown away after which the fish and Fish Glue were taken.
The captain was then taken with the pirates in their boat to rob other boats. After awhile the pirates left the men they had taken with them – all captains – in one boat, to drift, as they made their escape. After the brutal attack, the victims used their skills to get to shore on the Guyana side and report the incident. They also collected spare leads and other spare parts and headed back to sea to rescue their stranded colleagues.
The men were badly beaten with cutlasses, iron, pieces of wood and other implements. One of the men it is suspected to have suffered a broken leg and arm.
The fishermen decried the tardy treatment they received at the Skeldon hospital. They claim that they were asked to sit on a table outside the hospital for a long time and did not get any treatment. They said that it was not until the media showed up that a doctor
made an effort to treat them. One of the men who was at the Fish Shore Complex yesterday displayed his bruised and battered back to the media. He was so afraid that he did not want the camera to focus on his face. He also complained of the treatment he received at the hospital.
On Thursday more than half of the boats were parked at the Fish Shore Complex and the fishermen expressed fear for their lives. They stated that the Government is only offering ‘lip service’ and doesn’t care about their welfare.
“We employ over 1000 workers at this complex and the fishing industry takes care of over 10,000 persons and this government shows scant regards for us,” one fisherman said.
The fishermen stated that some of their own are suspected to be involved, taking into account the modus operandi of the latest set of attacks.
“We need guns, we need communication equipment, but we are not getting anything. We are crying out for help to the heavens, because the government is not listening to our cry and plea. Imagine five fishermen are missing and are presumed dead and we have not received anything from the government, no assurance, nothing.”
The angry fishermen told the media, “The ministers came and just talk and talk and left. They did not even come here and keep a meeting at the complex, how shameful”.
“The Government is only interested in votes and collecting revenue. They are really taking us for a ride. The Guyana Government only keeps saying that they cannot do anything because most of the attacks occur in Suriname water, but they can come together with the Surinamese authorities and work out something tangible,” one of the men said.
He queried why the Surinamese fishermen not suffering like “us”. One fisherman stated that all that the government is doing is making excuses. He said that his boat was hijacked in Guyana waters and nothing was done. “Why can’t the Coast Guard patrol the Guyana waters?”
He stated that he has two boats and both are onshore because the fishermen are afraid to go out again. “We are losing badly.”
“This thing is terrible but what we can do? Some of us have to go back to sea, because it is the only thing we know. The whole industry is going down; this will impact the fisher folks and the business because the workmen are willing but their families are afraid to let their sons and husbands go out there. The Guyana Police have been informed, but nothing comes out of these matters.”
One fisherman who lost his boat during a previous attack showed the media the motto which reads: “We risk our lives to feed the nation with protein”, and said it should be changed to “We sacrifice our lives to feed the nation”.
Only last month, five fishermen who made up the crew of the Reshma disappeared and have not been accounted for to date. Only an empty boat was found. Those missing and presumed dead are boat captain Khemraj Dhanpat, 42, called Manohar or Rajin a father of four, of No 64 village; his brother Narine Dhanpat, 38, called ‘Shrimp’ a father of two, also of No. 64; Clifford Singh, 28, a father of one of No 62 village; Ouditnarine Ramnarine, 37, of No 64 and Suresh Martin, 34, a father of two. That boat is owner by Gajadar Bishnauth, called Lakeram of No. 64 village.
