One member of the Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors says their company cannot remain closed given the number of workers who depend on it.
The association took a decision not to resume harvesting as a result of the high fuel prices, which they describe as presenting a crisis to the industry. The seafood industry was to resume work this week after a mandatory six-week off-season to help replenish marine resources. Kit Nascimento, public relations officer of the Trawler Association, noted this week that they would be meeting with President Bharrat Jagdeo very shortly to discuss a cut in the consumption tax.
A worker at BEV Processors Inc. at Houston told Stabroek Business that the company is still in the closed period and she was not sure when the plant would re-open.
BM Enterprise in Houston has also not resumed its operations. One official noted that employees who did return to work after the break were sent home. The company has close to 200 workers. This official noted that the company would await talks on fuel before reopening. Noble House Seafoods also remains closed.
Lloyd Piggott, of Georgetown Seafoods and Trading Company Limited told Stabroek Business that 800 direct and indirect workers are affected as a result of the company's closure. Piggott is the president of the association.
But Ronald Deen, the financial director at Pritipaul Singh Investment(PSI)says, "We can't join them..., I am very worried about our work force," adding that many are single mothers. Fifteen hundred persons are employed with the company along with 500 indirect workers.
But he says, "I am in sympathy with the industry - we need a break...where the C-Tax is concerned." Deen says when harvesting the required amount of shrimp becomes too costly as a result of high fuel prices, PSI still has fish to process. This company has a substantial fish processing and packaging unit while some of the other processors concentrate on shrimp. PSI has a fleet of 55 boats with 15 boats specifically for shrimping.
Nevertheless, these only supply 2/3 of what the plant manages everyday which amounts to 75 to 100 tonnes.
Trucks with deep freeze compartments are contracted by the company to supply fish from as far as Moleson Creek and the Essequibo coast. Before the closed period, which lasted from September 1 to October 15, PSI took two weeks to conduct maintenance work to its vessels and Deen notes that they cannot remain closed any longer. As regards to reports that at least one processing plant may relocate to Venezuela, he says that fuel and labour is cheap in that country but PSI will not be going that route. (Nicosia Smith)