By Sue-Ann Wayow
GOVERNMENT ministers are being called upon to assist the two fishermen who were attacked by local pirates last week.
The call comes from Member of Parliament for Couva North Ravi Ratiram who met with one of the fishermen Clinton Lochan on Tuesday.
Ratiram met with Lochan at his constituency office and provided some aid to the fisherman who had his engine stolen, almost lost his boat that is badly damaged and made it through four hours of swimming with his brother Dennis just to survive.
In a Facebook video, Ratiram appealed to Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds and Ministry of Agriculture Kazim Hosein to assist.
He said, “We will be in the process of putting together a full proposal for the Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, calling upon the honourable minister Kazim Hosein to please, help the gentleman and his brother any way that you can. Honourable minister, we would deeply appreciate the support that the Ministry of Agriculture, Land Fisheries could provide at this point in time.”
Ratiram also said that a fund-raising initiative will be undertaken from next week and anyone willing to assist can contact his constituency office.
Lochan who was described as a “national unsung hero” thanked Ratiram for his support.
The MP also reminded citizens of the two fishermen who died last year while plying their trade in his constituency and before that, seven fishermen have died as a result of piracy.
“The community continues to reel with the issue of piracy attacks,” Ratiram said.
To Hinds he said, “Do whatever you can in your power sir to assist our fisherfolk, they are out there, trying their best to bring whatever food items that they can bring to the table to assist with our national food security and to contribute to our national food basket.”
Ratiram added, “Whatever you can do to assist these fisherfolk will go a long way for our entire country.”
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