by Ministry of Agriculture
THE SESSION ALLOWED OPERATORS TO REVIEW PLANNED WORKS, ADDRESS OPERATIONAL CONCERNS, AND REFINE STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DISRUPTION…
The Government of Saint Lucia is accelerating efforts to modernize the nation’s fisheries infrastructure, prioritizing safer and more functional environments for local stakeholders.
On Tuesday, September 15, the Department of Fisheries in Castries hosted a key stakeholder engagement bringing together Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Sustainable Development, the Hon. Lisa Jawahir, ministry officials, and operators of the Castries Fisheries Complex. Central to the meeting was the upcoming removal of the building’s asbestos roofing.
The session allowed operators to review planned works, address operational concerns, and refine strategies to minimize disruption to local livelihoods during construction. Fisheries Management Specialist with the Department of Fisheries, Vaughn Charles, explained the importance of engaging stakeholders ahead of the planned intervention.
” The ministry is upgrading all fisheries facilities. One of the facilities we are upgrading is the old fish marketing corporation building which is now occupied by Lucian Blue Ocean. We have now received the necessary finances to change the roof from an asbestos roof to a modern day roof but removal of asbestos requires a very high technical operations. So we’ve been discussing with the stakeholders today the process that will it will entail to remove the roof, the disruptions and the guidelines that are provided by the environmental health department, the conditions by the solid waste management authority and also the commitment by the department of fisheries to protect the fishing operations within the vicinity of the building and the bay. “
To ensure public and environmental safety throughout the project, the Ministry is coordinating closely with the Environmental Health Unit. Permanent Secretary in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Security, Bradley St. Ange, highlighted this collaborative effort aimed at ensuring the that the removal of the asbestos roof is done with the best safety practices.
” We also have the environmental health unit here. They will give us further guidance as to the best way to deal with this removal of asbestos roof. So we were pleased to have them in our meets. We got the necessary guidance. So all we are missing now is the approval from the environmental health unit which we should be getting very soon. When the work is being undertaken, we will be closing off the area to commuters and persons who come to congregate on the site. So we are asking and pleading with the patrons and the operators on the site to please bear some patience with us. As you know asbestos is hazardous and hence the reason why we’re asking and we’re begging persons to just bear a little patience while we undertake those works.
This initiative is part of a broader island-wide strategy to upgrade national fishing facilities. The Ministry re-affirmed that continuous dialogue with the fishing community remains essential as Saint Lucia invests in a safer, modernized fisheries sector.