Acting Fisheries administrator says the decision does have implications

George Myvett

A release from the Ministry of Finance which is now responsible for IMMARBE expresses surprise at the E.U. ban announced on Tuesday on fish imports. Today, we asked the Fisheries Department about the implications of the E.U. measure.

George Myvett, Acting Administrator, Fisheries Department

“Decision taken by European Union does have implications. Obviously a fair amount of revenues that would be derived from foreign fishing would be related to fishing within European waters and so that decision will definitely have negative implications. As far as the mandate of the Fisheries Department goes though, I must say that there is a division of labor in that regard. We have scripted a revised fisheries act that is now with the Solicitor General and in that act we have made provision to unify the management of the domestic fishery with the foreign fleet. I must say that there has been some decision taken by the cabinet that is not in concern with our technical recommendation and I must stress the issue of the technical recommendation because obviously the Fisheries Department is one of the technical arms of the government of Belize and the decision taking by the cabinet was not in concern of our recommendations. I must say though that I would like to think that the cabinet would have benefited from the informed opinion of some other parties in terms of making the decision that it has.”