Gouyave Fishing Complex completes in record time

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Details: Parent Category: Dec 2011; Category: Week ending Dec 03rd, 2011; Published on Monday, 19 December 2011 16:07; Hits: 559

The Gouyave Fish Market Project, which was first conceptionalised ten years ago and finished ahead of the scheduled time, is being looked upon to transform the lives of the people of the Fishing Capital of Grenada.

The EC $34 million project which is located on the Lance in Gouyave was officially handed over by the Japanese Government to the people of Grenada on Tuesday following the blessing by Roman Catholic Priest, Fr. Mark Haynes. The ceremonial handing over ceremony included the cutting of the ribbon by Prime Minister Tillman Thomas, and the presentation of the keys to Foreign Affairs Ministers Karl Hood by Japanese Ambassador Tatsuaki Iwata.

The assistance given by the Government of Japan in the tune of $33.4 million came through the Grant Aid Programme. Chief Fisheries Officer, Justine Rennie believes the fishing complex can increase the food security of the people of St. John’s to provide for the sustainability of their livelihood, and reduce the level of poverty.

Rennie exhorted the residents of St. John’s to treat the facility as their own. “Preserve its integrity for the next generation and generations to come,” he said. Rennie stressed that if the facility is utilised prudently, it has the potential to transform the social and economic condition of the Parish of St. John’s and the national economy.

The Chief Fisheries Officer spoke of the Parish of St. John’s being the major contributor to the export of fresh fish and the generation of foreign exchange earnings. There are currently 180 fishing boats and six hundred fishermen in St. John’s. The project has now addressed the inadequate berthing and landing facilities for fishing vessels, insufficient capacity for cold storage and production of ice, inadequate facilities for fish handling and preparation, and the limited coverage of ship to shore communication network.

The project itself consisted of four components such as the construction of a modern fish market complex, which incorporates an increase in the production, and storage of ice from four thousand to twenty thousand pounds, increase in the cold storage space from eight thousand pounds to forty-five thousand pounds.

It also provides for an increase in the number of vending booths from four to ten, provision of adequate space for fish handling preparation and processing, and provision of a workshop to conduct repairs and maintenance of fishing gears. The other components include the provision of equipment that includes a forklift and a truck with crane to assist the fishermen in transporting their supplies to their vessels and offloading their catch, the construction of a jetty measuring 272 feet, and the construction of a communication facility at Grand Etang, St. Andrew’s which comprises a 180-foot tower and building for ship to shore communication system.

The project was undertaken by TOA Corporation from Japan, and sub-contractor was Quinn Design. The overall period for construction was from June 2010 to the end of November 2011. Rennie said despite a two-month delay in the commencement of work, the project was able to be officially completed ahead of schedule. “The project was completed in 15 months instead of the 17 months,” he said.

According to Rennie, 21,000 square feet of space was required to undertake the project, but only 8,500 was available. He said 6,000 square feet of freehold property was purchased and an additional 6,500 square feet of land was reclaimed. Project Manager of TOA Corporation Shinji Hatazawa indicated that the project was able to be completed without any accident although they faced some difficulties including the rough sea.

Ambassador Iwata believes the project can serve as a sign of the co-operation that exists between Grenada and Japan. The Japanese Ambassador said they look forward to both sides making efforts to expand and deepen the cordial relationship now existing between both countries. Grenada and Japan established formal relationship in 1982.