Basseterre, St. Kitts - The Fisheries Unit in the Department of Marine Resources will be observing World Fisheries Day on Sunday, November 21, 2010, with a service of worship at the Wesleyan Holiness Church in Molyneux.

This year the Department has organized a number of activities in the run up to World Fisheries Day.  These include:

9 a.m.  Talks in High Schools, Thursday, November 18th 

5 p.m. Fish Fry at Old Road Fisheries, Friday, November 19th
Fish Discount Day at Basseterre Fisheries

4 p.m. Fish Fry at Basseterre Fisheries and Dieppe Bay, November 20th

9 a.m. Church Service at Molyneux Wesleyan Holiness Church, November 21st

Senior Minister with responsibilities for Marine Resources, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris said that “World Fisheries Day is celebrated internationally each year on November 21st by fisher folks, their families and communities.  World Fisheries Day serves as a gentle reminder to us all that we must manage our fisheries resources and indeed all marine resources in a sustainable way.  Here in St Kitts and Nevis, we are working to inculcate a sustainable approach to fishing and our oceanic ecosystems.  We have recently authorized a marine zoning plan to better regulate spatial issues among multiple marine users and to get better information on our marine resources”.

We encourage fishers to guard against overfishing, particularly of our near coast species and we instituted regulations on lobster catches.  We encourage long line fishing and put premium on issues relating to safety at sea.

Our fisheries subsector has not developed to the point where we would wish and we are working to mobilize the resources to take us there”, Senior Minister Harris said.