by Mervin Matthew and Emmanuel H. Joseph, Government Information Service
 Some of the participants with parents
at closing ceremony
The Fisheries Division last week ended a one week children fishing clinic for primary school students. The programme targeted thirty students from St Joseph to Clifton and Penville to Portsmouth between the ages of nine and twelve.
The clinic was held at the Portsmouth Fisheries Centre and was designed to teach children the basics in marine environmental stewardship, fishing ethics, angling skills, marine biology and fishing safety.
During his address at the official close of the programme last week, Chief Fisheries Officer, Harold Guiste, reminded the students of the many opportunities which are available to them in the fishing industry.
 Chief Fisheries Officer,
Harold Guiste
“You are our future fisher folk. Some of you may become fishermen; some of you may become marine biologists. Some of you could become oceanographers. You could become scuba divers; the opportunities are endless because of the fact that you have been exposed to the marine environment.”
Hon. Minister for Fisheries, Dr Kenneth Darroux, commended organisers of the week long clinic and gave his commitment to continue to support initiatives like this within the industry.
The Minister hopes in the future to introduce the programme to students across the island.
“Portsmouth is a very vibrant fishing area but there are a number of other fishing catchment areas in the island and I am sure, very, very sure the kids in the other catchment areas would welcome this programme. So probably next week, you can probably, Mr. Guiste, meet with the Permanent Secretary to see how we could meet and see how we probably could get some financing available to take this to the other areas.”
 Hon. Minister for Fisheries,
Dr Kenneth Darroux
Swiss national residing in Dominica, Reneta Siegenthler, sourced financing from her home country which amounted to approximately fifty percent of the total cost of the programme. The fishing clinic cost approximately twenty thousand EC dollars (XCD$20 000.00).
According to an official from the Fisheries Division, this has not been Miss Siegenthler’s first contribution towards the Fisheries Division activities. Miss Siegenthler has helped and continues to help the Fisheries Division with its ‘Eat Fish in School’ programme, contributing eighty-thousand EC dollars (XCD$80 000.00) towards that programme over the past two to three years. The Eat Fish in School programme is being conducted throughout the island. Miss Siegenthler was also instrumental in assisting Dominica to place first in the Caribbean Food and Nutritional Institute (CFNI) competition.
 Swiss national residing in
Dominica, Reneta Siegenthler
|
