Fishermen protest steel mill

By LAUREL WILLIAMS Monday, March 16 2009
http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,96770.html

MEMBERS of the Fishermen Associa-tion and Claxton Bay Resource Protection Group, yesterday joined with villagers in a motorcade to highlight the possible impact on the environment of Government’s proposed steel plant in the area.

About 20 vehicles with fishermen and residents, drove off from Claxton Bay Fishing Depot, at Claxton Bay Junction, from about 2.45 pm, waving banners and placards. They expressed displeasure over the proposed construction of the steel mill by Essar Steel of India in a joint partnership with Government.

T-shirts worn by the men and women in the motorcade said: “No Steel Mills ” and “Save the Mangroves”.

The motorcade continued along the Southern Main Road, to Cali Bay and Orange Valley and ended at Peter Seal Swamp, Felicity. President of the Claxton Bay Fishing Association, Kishore Boodram, told Newsday that the main focus of the motorcade was to sensitise villagers and other fisherfolks of the proposed steel mill.

“Hundreds of people make their livelihood through fishing and this steel mill will put them at great risks. This week people came and started drilling. They are wiping out fishermen. We do not know what is going on here,” Boodram said.

The association met with other fishermen along the southern coastline and discussed briefly the consequences of the steel mill construction on the environment.