Farquhar’s Beach fisherfolk anchored
Lack of ice forces suspension of fishing activities;Residents still suffering from no electricity, water since Hurricane Beryl
Published:Saturday | July 20, 2024 | 12:06 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
The livelihood of fishers in Farquhar’s Beach, Clarendon have come to a standstill since the passing of Hurricane Beryl two weeks ago.
This is because they have no way of preserving their catch owing to a power outage and limited access to block ice from the nearby ice factory.
In addition, there has been no running water in the small fishing village since the hurricane lashed the island’s southern coast.
Residents told The Gleaner on Thursday that they have had to journey six miles to fetch water from a nearby spring.
Fisherman, Beresford Watson informed The Gleaner that ice was desperately needed for fishermen to use and preserve their catch once they came in from sea so that it may be sold the next day.
“So, you find that nobody nah go sea because when them come you don’t have anybody to buy the fish to store it because there isn’t any electricity,” he added.
“If you should go May Pen to buy ice, the ice factory full up and then you have to join long line and then you hear that you can’t get it because it done,” Watson said.
Based on observations made when The Gleaner visited the area, the sea remained choppy, with crashing tides, and some fishermen would face these dangerous conditions just to capture fish for that day’s sustenance.
Their trade has been further disrupted as the fishermen’s fish pots were blown away by the strong winds that accompanied the category 4 weather system.
Watson explained that the tracking devices that were on the fishpots have indicated they were blown away into the sea.
No source of income
He and the other fishers currently do not have another source of income.
The larger community has been finding it most difficult to deal with the absence of electricity since they are unable to cool themselves with fans during the intense heat.
On the black-sand beach is where most residents spend their time, but when dusk draws near, they make up small fires with the hope that the smoke will help to ward off the pesky mosquitoes.
One resident, Shanique Lilly, told The Gleaner how awful it has been for her to go for an extended period without electricity.
“It rough,” she exclaimed, noting that they did not have any choice but to endure.
Sitting beside Lilly, her neighbour, Icylin Brown, revealled tiny bumps covering her arms and legs that she said were caused by mosquito bites.
Residents have expressed concern for the children’s health.
For families who can afford it, they buy mosquito repellant to run on their babies. For others, they must do without and try their best not to get bitten as frequently.
“As early as six o’clock you haffi go inside. Once the sun [set] mosquito rise and people have to take up wood to make smoke ... the [mosquito] destroyer can’t manage them and there’s no one to come and fog the area and when people [do] come, they only fog the street, they don’t walk into the bush and fog and as them pass[the mosquito] come back out,” Watson explained.
To ward off the insects, Watson suggests that the health ministry distribute the substance they use to fog the area so that the locals can soak the wood in it and burn it, causing the smoke to rise.
As to its most recent report, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has restored approximately 655,000 customers, or 94.6 per cent of the nation’s total customer base.
Prime Minister Andrew Holness revealled on Wednesday that JPS would be expanding its workforce, which would involve obtaining overseas assistance in bringing back electricity to other affected areas of the island.
According to the National Water Commission (NWC), 85 per cent of its 546,000 customers now have regular water supply, but the remaining of its facilities are reliant on JPS’ restoration of electricity to pump water into the pipes of affected areas.