Fishermen Protest Abrupt Removal from Marine Parade…

Fishermen and vendors operating along Marine Parade were taken aback this morning when they showed up to their assigned location around ten o’clock only to find it is being dismantled by employees of the Belize City Council.  Several months ago, they had been relocated from the seawall adjacent to Happy Tails to an area further up where a shed was erected for the purpose of doing business there.  Today, without any notice given, the structure was disassembled, leaving vendors to sell their produce in the sweltering mid-morning heat.  According to Celia Nicholas, who scrapes and cleans fish for a living, the unceremonious taking down of the shed is bad for business.

Celia Nicholas, Vendor

“This morning the city council sent the demolition squad to take down the shed.  We understand the shed was leaning but we thought they were going to strengthen the shed.  The way how they built the shed in the first place noh really mih di mek no sense because dehn put metal bolts [on it].  Dehn know that mi wahn rotten, dis da sea water, salt water rotten anything.  Dehn know di fishaman dehn cohn ya cohn put dehn boat, put hooks or bolts or something weh dehn could tie dehn boat weh dehn noh haffi tie it pan di post we wahn mek di shed rock.”

Celia Nicholas

Chelsea Wagner

“How long has this been an ongoing problem for you guys?”

Celia Nicholas

“For like years because di otha day, bout six months, bout six months ago dehn move wih from up yonder so, Espejo cohn wid police, move we and bring we ya, promise ih wahn build wahn market, ih put di shed.  Now dehn cohn tek down di shed with no nothing, dehn just…  When Mr. Bennett come out ya and we ask ahn why dehn di tek down di shed he seh he noh know, dehn just tell ahn tek it down.”

Chelsea Wagner

“So what’s next for you guys?”

Celia Nicholas

“Well dis right ya, siddown eena di sun til di buyers dehn cohn. We need fi know, we need fi geh wah lee ansa by Friday cause we have to go weh part we comfortable and we noh comfortable eena di boiling sun.  If we haffi go back front ah Hotchandani da deh wi gwein and I know dehn noh wahn dat cause dehn wahn bring police again.”

Isani Cayetano

“Does this affect business in any way?”

Celia Nicholas

“Yes, cause when people cohn buy and di sun hot dehn go unda deh so, sihdown or stand up and wait.  Some people come early, wait fu when di fishaman dehn come een da evening cause normally fishaman come een da evening, you know, when dehn go out go camp dehn wah deh out ya da mawnin.”

When we checked with Mayor Bradley earlier today he told News Five that while the shed is being taken down it will be rebuilt to suit the needs of vendors in the area but for now they will have to endure the discomfort until the situation is improved.