St. Lca: Coping with global shipping security changes

The work of the St. Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority in complying with the international ship and port security code has been causing some discomfort for fishermen located at Bannanes Bay .

As the island attempts to meet the requirements of the ISPS code before the set deadline just under a month away, some discomfort is setting in as the reality of the changes begin to take shape.

Change, though not always easy to embrace, will necessitate securing the seaside within the Castries basin. This will involve the removal of all current activity at Bananes Bay .

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Physical Development Martin Satney says as a result the huts in the area belonging to fishermen will have to be removed and relocated.

But the fishermen have been expressing concern about the security of their own vessels which may be allowed to stay in the short term while their shacks and other belongings may be further away, at an as yet undisclosed location.

Fishermen we spoke with say they understand what the authorities are doing but hope they can be given a suitable alternative place to house their belongings.

But it doesn't end with the removal of the fishermen's huts. Container transport chassis located along the La-Toc Highway and an Aggregate Plant will also have to move.

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