Dear Sir
Today hundreds of Saint Lucian fisherfolk across the fishing ports and bays of Saint Lucia have set out to sea to pursue their trade, following their resistance to an arbitrary piece of legislation by the government which barred them from fishing for seven days; coupled with the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Act.
The Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) compliments the fishing community for standing up to the dictatorial action of the prime minister and his government and forcing them to reverse a policy that would have further damaged the economic livelihoods of a significant sector of the community.
The SLP initially call for the revocation of Statutory Instrument, 2020 No.165A published in the Saint Lucia government Gazette on Friday, October 30, 2020. We continue to stand in solidarity with the fisherfolk, committed to putting people first.
This incident has underscored the value of consultation with the people as a vital element of good governance – something which the prime minister has disdainfully avoided since he assumed office.
In that regard, the SLP again calls on the government for meaningful engagement with all relevant stakeholders to arrive at more sensible, effective and non-discriminatory policies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP)