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Fisherman Envil Pollard’s death should not go in vain

Feb 01, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
Never a day goes by that the news in Guyana does not rock one’s level of mental consciousness. While the Government is seemingly misbehaving on one hand, the natives on the other appear to be following suit and perpetrating their own senseless acts.  Are the inmates running the asylum, or have the students become the masters?  The latest fatal shooting of fisherman Envil Pollard by a security guard employed by Pritipaul Singh Investments, somehow takes the cake and bears out the afore-mentioned point.  It has been reported that previously individuals in that area had been shot at before by the guards, luckily with pellets, but sadly Mr. Pollard fell prey to their change of ammunition.
The question of ownership readily springs to mind. To whom has direct or indirect ownership been given to this vast expanse of water that flows to the north for 346 kilometers until it reaches the Atlantic Ocean? To date there is no direct or stated owner, then why was the fisherman shot when he was as privileged as the next person to navigate the waters in search of marine life. Furthermore, the fisherman has a valid fishing licence, as was displayed by his wife, but no mention was made as to the presence of stipulated fishing areas.  In addition, it was stated that the guard collected royalty from the fisherman. I do hope that the collected royalties went to the rightful authority, as the guard was merely an employee of the establishment. Royalties are usage -based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset. Dead men tell no tales it has been oftimes said, but why was the deceased held to ransom regarding use of the wharf belonging to Pritipaul Singh Investments Inc, a sea food exporter and harvester. Why did he return to the killing grounds even after he was warned that he would be murdered, a threat that should not have been taken lightly and should have been brought immediately to the attention of the police ranks? Seemingly, the cuirass became a much sought after commodity, and was also probably in abundance at that specific site as opposed to other areas of the river. Was it worth the risk taken?
It is imperative that this matter be thoroughly and painstakingly investigated with guidelines and legal parameters established, to prevent a recurrence. The company should be called upon to revise their firearm policies, and decide on a place of collection for paid royalties, as well as appointing bona fide collectors.
Now there are eight children and a mother left to carry on life in the absence of a father, all because he wandered at sea and found himself where he should not be. His death should not go in vain but when the facts are all known, they may serve as a deterrent and a learning tool that one cannot always fish anywhere they wish.
Yvonne Sam

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