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Fisherman vows never to return to seas after pirate attack
Fearful fisherman Adydia Chatterpaul.
A fisherman who spent most of his life at sea to make a living for his six children has vowed never to return to sea for fear of his life.
Within the last month, Adydia Chatterpaul and his four other crewmembers were attacked by pirates twice in November while fishing in Suriname waters.
Chatterpaul told this newspaper that the first attack occurred on November 13, in Suriname waters. He and his crewmembers were attacked by four gunmen who held them at gunpoint, and forced them to rob a total of eight boats.
Recounting the incident, Chatterpaul said that around 18:00 hours on the day, a boat which was approaching them fired a shot in the air forcing them to stop their vessel. He added that four men, all of whom were brandishing guns, then ordered them to do as they were told.
“Two of them hold me by me hand and another two hold me by me foot and threaten me to throw me overboard, and we tell them that we gon do whatever they want.” He added that for that entire night they were forced to rob a total of eight boats.
Chatterpaul said that he and his other crewmembers were forced to relieve those vessels of fish, fish glue and in some cases their engines. He added that it was until day clean the next day they were taken to a location and told to lay face down on their boat and not move as their attackers fled.
The fisherman said that their vessel was however only relieved of one bag of fish glue, their GPS equipment and their compass.
“When we get up we find that they left a boat engine wha dem put we fuh thief in we boat.”
He added that he and his crewmembers then went to the Number 66 Fishing Complex where they reported the matter and even lodged the strange engine left by their attackers with the persons in charge of the Number 66 fishing complex.
“We contacted the people and give them back their engine,” Chatterpaul said.
After returning home, Chatterpaul said that he and his crewmembers left for sea again on November 18 and once again they were attacked.
This time Chatterpaul said they were held at gunpoint and relieved of one barrel of fuel, all their food supplies and their clothing.
This incident, Chatterpaul said, occurred in Suriname waters and they were escorted to a location in the Corentyne area where they were told that they can go. Again Chatterpaul said they went to the Number 66 fishing complex and reported the matter.
However, the man said he will never return to sea for fear of his life, since other fishermen are accusing him of being the high sea pirate.
“They tell me is me is de pirate and if I go back at sea they gon kill me,” Chatterpaul said.
The man is claiming that he has never done any pirate attack on his own but he and his crewmembers were forced to do so.
“I does only do fishing to look after me, ma wife and six children and me wife pregnant again but I rather stay off de seas and just do me fishing business right in the area,” Chatterpaul said.
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