Minister with responsibility for fisheries Saboto Caesar says that the opening of the Argyle International Airport has positioned St. Vincent and the Grenadines for an increase in the exportation of fish and other marine products, and with initiatives like the Fleet Expansion programme, the fishing industry is taking off.
To date, there have been 130 applicants for Pirogues, and Government will support the human resource capacity for the operations of Tuna vessels. Minister Caesar said this will not only ensure a major transhipment point of fish for foreign flagged vessels but to develop an indigenous fleet flagged by St. Vincent and the Grenadines while operating within the legal framework of international law.
Minister Caesar was at the time speaking at a signing ceremony for an agreement between the Governments of SVG and Japan on Monday, 3rd April, 2023 at the Fisheries Conference room. This agreement will result in the local Fisheries Sector being given a boost to a tune of $US 2.3 million from the government of Japan through the procurement of equipment.
Ambassador of Japan to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, H. E. Matsubara Yukata said the donation is a valuable project which joins the list of other programmes presently being carried out. Other programmes of co-operation between the two nations include areas of health care, technical capacity building, and sargassum management among others.
