Temotu fishermen want Lata fisheries centre opened as their catch is wasted

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Fishermen in Neo, Santa Cruz are making a desperate call for the Temotu provincial and the national governments to support them operationalize the Lata Fisheries centre to help buy their fish.

“Right now, we are losing money. We are catching a lot of fish and there is no market for it,” said Dennis Mekoki on behalf of the community.

“All we do is to sell on the streets of Lata and the price is very cheap,” he said.

He cited one example of skipjack tuna, which is sold between 70 to 100 dollars in Honiara only costs $5.00. Also, huge yellowfin which would usually cost more than thousand dollars is sold between $150 to $200.

“Our people are suffering. We can’t afford to pay for our children’s school fees at all.

Many rest their hope on fish, but the price is so bad,” he added.

 Mekoki added “They spent a lot of money on fuel and got nothing in return because there’s no market. All we do is to merely to get enough to meet the fuel for another day. Making money is impossible,” Mekiki told SBMOnline tonight.

He, on behalf of his people, is questioning why the Lata fisheries centre remains closed—though it was completed some time ago.

“It was funded by donors and we don’t know why it remains closed,”he said.

“I am appealing to the government to open the fisheries centre so that our people can sell their fish there to get enough money to help their and their families,” Mekoki pointed out.

“Right now, life is tough,” he said.