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Day 1 of COI into piracy… Fishing Co-op Chairman proposes compensation, protection for victims
A Commission of Inquiry which was set up by President David Granger into the piracy attack in Suriname waters that left 12 fishermen dead, commenced yesterday at the Number 68 Primary School, and saw one person testifying.
Chairman of the Corentyne Fishing Co-op, Pameshwar Jainarine, testifying before Dr. Rishi Thakur at the Commission of Inquiry
The COI is headed by Dr. Rishi Thakur, with Attorney-at-law Darren Wade as the prosecutor.
Taking the stand yesterday was Chairman of the Corentyne Fishing Co-op, Pameshwar Jainarine. In his testimony, he made recommendations for there to be a speedy prosecution and also called for protection and compensation for fishermen who endured such traumatic experiences. He made the recommendations on a general note, and not based on the actual piracy attack that saw 12 fishermen being killed.
Jainarine reasoned that when fishermen become victims of piracy attacks, there should be protection for those who survived the traumatic ordeals along with reimbursements made available for vessel owners. He recommended having fishermen testify in camera as a means of protecting them. He also added that the owners for the boats that these fishermen are attacked on endure millions of dollars in losses, and detailed to the commission the average cost for parts on the vessel.
Jainarine said the average cost for a boat “pushes to $2M” or a little below that margin, while an engine racks up a cost of over $1M. He listed an ice box at a cost of over $350,000, a barrel of fuel totaling $60,000 (four barrels needed per trip) along with a 3,000 lb fishing net costing $3.3 M. He pointed out that when the attacks occur, the items listed are those that are most likely taken from the fishermen during attacks.
During Jainarine’s lengthy testimony, he surmised that one of the major causes of piracy attacks is centred on the abuse of drugs and alcohol. He reasoned that many fishermen are in a pool of debt because of their abuse of the substances, and pointed out that in many instances vessel owners would loan fishermen monies to venture out to sea, and upon their return would look for collection of pay, but if they have not done well out at sea, then the fishermen would resort to robbing others. This, he said, would suffice and assist in paying their debts.
Further on in his testimony, Jainarine spoke about protection for fishermen who were attacked by pirates but survived. He said that fishermen do not receive justice immediately after reporting the matter to the Guyana Police Force, and added that when locations are revealed about where the incident took place, the fishermen are told by the police that nothing can be done by them if it occurred in Suriname waters.
Jainarine said that even if something is done by the police and the attackers are charged, the sentence is short. This, he explained, allows the attackers to intimidate the fishermen who they attacked when they are eventually released from prison. He called for stiffer penalties and lengthier sentences.
Meanwhile, Dr. Thakur, speaking with reporters upon conclusion of the first day, said that persons are fearful of coming forward to testify, but it will not stop the commission from going forward. He said they are now looking to contact relatives of the dead fishermen and other survivors. Thakur mentioned that an extension might be necessary, since they are expected to take it to Suriname as well.
The COI continues today.
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