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And while the issue between the PUC and the Supreme Court is turf and regulation, it’s pretty much the same in Punta Gorda. As we’ve told you fisher-folk in that community are up in arms about the arrival of Jamaican Fishing Boats. They are here supposedly to look into a possible relationship with Toledo’s Rio Grande Fishermen’s Cooperative – but just like you don’t wear your Sunday best to work – those looking to negotiate a contract shouldn’t bring a whole fleet of fishing boats including trawlers. From all appearances it looks like they’re here to fish – and fish plentifully – and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has been sort of wishy-washy on the whole situation - disavowing giving any permission but falling short of coming down firmly against the Jamaican fleet. We literally cornered the relevant Minister today and he was firm – in his own way. Here’s what he had to say.

Jules Vasquez,
“What officially is the Ministry’s position on it, will they be allowed to fish in Belizean waters?”

Hon. Rene Montero, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries
“As far as I am concerned, they have to follow due process before they can even be considered. They have to apply for a fishing license before we allow them to stay in our waters.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Is the Ministry minded to give them a license?”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“We do not have in place a framework for deep sea fishing so until then maybe we could probably consider it but we don’t have a framework for us to allow vessel, be it Jamaican or Venezuelan, to allow people to fish in our deep sea waters. We don’t have a framework.”

Jules Vasquez,
“So at this time there can be no permission?”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“There can be no permission.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Minister with greatest respect you keep talking about due process but what fisher folk in Belize are saying is that we don’t want to hear about due process, our fish stock is depleted and we don’t want nobody else in our waters.”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“But we are not giving any thing.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Because due process are you able to give an assurance that the fish stock, the water resources are for Belizeans?”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“As far as I am concerned, once we consult with all the stakeholders, the fisher folk, the NGOs, and then afterwards we will consider it. But as far as I am concerned, at this moment we are not prepared to entertain any foreign vessel to fish in our waters because as I repeat we don’t have a framework in place.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Should they have been allowed to enter with what these people see as a WMD?”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“That’s Customs to answer, I cannot answer for Customs. It is Customs that allowed them to come in.”

Jules Vasquez,
“But it is a fishing boat, you’re the Minister of Fisheries.”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“They came in but they don’t have a license to fish.”

Jules Vasquez,
“So you wish that they would leave?”

Hon. Rene Montero,
“As far as I am concerned they will leave the country, they must. We will not allow them to fish without a license.”

And while the opposition to the Jamaican’s has been vocal and organized, we note that there are those who extol the potential of such an arrangement and the benefit it offers to the resource-strapped cooperative.