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Challenges of the Fishery
Unfair Treatment ‘Defined’

Unfair Treatment ‘Defined’

Date: February 15th 2019

Dear Editor/Newsroom,

Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS) are questioning the Government’s logic of disproportionate fines for the same offense.

The Honourable Minister Clearance Rambarath, has recently increased the fines for hunters and has proposed new legislation with increased fines for fishers. For instance, a hunter who is intercepted whilst hunting and fails to produce their state game licence can be fined up to TTD 1500.00. For this same offence, according to the Draft Fisheries Management Bill 2018, a fisher is to be fined a flat fee of USD 250,000.00 (TTD 1,675,000.00) and imprisoned for up to two and a half years. The fisher’s penalty is 1,116 times more than that which is being charged to hunters for the same offence and could be incarcerated for up to two years!

Is it just to have a disproportionate penalty for the same offence?

Select invitees, international guests and non- primary stakeholders are not considered public consultations. FFOS continue to appeal to our Government to hold public consultations with primary stakeholders if we are expected to embrace and uphold this proposed law. Doing otherwise is unbecoming of a leader in a democratic nation.

FFOS continue to appeal to our Government to promote democratic principles of integrity, accountability, transparency and inclusion so that ALL citizens can work together for the benefit of future generations. Unless this is done, our democracy will continue to be weakened as we follow the example of nearby dictators.

Sincerely,

Gary Aboud

Corporate Secretary Fishermen and Friends of the Sea

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