Hurricane Beryl Ravages Fishing Industry: Rotary Clubs of Barbados Step Up with $30,000 Donation for Recovery Efforts

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More than 800 people were affected when Hurricane Beryl devastated the fishing industry.

This revelation came from founder and director of Sustainable Barbados Nikola Simpson during a donation of boat repair supplies worth $30 000 by the Rotary Clubs of Barbados, the Cave Shepherd Group and Fiberpol, in the Oistins boatyard, Christ Church, recently.

She said 241 boats were damaged and 64 destroyed by the July 1 hurricane but those affected extended beyond boat owners to the crew and their families.

“We’re still kind of in the immediate recovery phase. The priority needs now are materials for repair of fishing vessels, trying to get as many longline vessels back out fishing as soon as possible so that we can hopefully resume fishing activities, restore livelihoods and also hopefully get some fresh local sustainable seafood back on the plates of not only Bajans, but within our tourism sector,” she said.

Simpson said the biggest needs right now were materials for the repairs of both fibreglass and the wooden vessels, support for shipwright services and for getting the boats launched back into the water. They were also looking at resilience and enhancing the fisheries sector.

“We are looking at how we can use new methods of technology and innovation to help make the industry more sustainable and hopefully more resilient to disasters such as this, which are impacted by the climate crisis.

“The past six weeks have been quite a journey, a heart-breaking one. The impacts have been catastrophic but the fisherfolk are strong and a united community. It’s been really beautiful to see the support of everyone coming together to help rebuild the sector and build [it] better,” she said, adding some people lost their homes as they had been living in their boats.

The director said more than ten boats had already been placed back in the water and they were hoping to have “at least” another ten seaworthy in the next few weeks.

President of the Bridgetown Fisherfolk Association Adrian “Muscles” Wiltshire noted that when a fishing vessel was lost, it was not only the boat owner affected.

“If you take into account the number of people that fish on a vessel – sometimes two, sometimes three – and 90 per cent of the time they’re not related, so when you look at a vessel that carries three, a captain and two crew and a boat owner, you’re looking at an average of about 12 or 15 people by extension as it relates to families that are affected,” he said, pointing out that more than 300 people became unemployed overnight.