The fishing industry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is expected to expand as the private and public sectors prepare for a boost in the industry with the opening of Rainforest Seafoods to St. Vincent and the Grenadines later this year. To this end, Kadtron Installation and Logistics, owned by Vincentian Ken DeLecia who resides in the USA, has taken a step to invest in the ‘blue economy’ and the development of St. Vincent and Grenadines.
The company is now offering customized Panga vessels, where persons can choose to have cabins, additional storage and signature fishing lines (series of hooks) with a reach of up to ten miles; as added components to the vessel.
On Saturday 28th August 2021, three of the vessels were on showcase as a team including Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Rural Transformation, Industry and Labour, Hon. Saboto Caesar along with DeLecia journeyed on the seas around the Leeward coast and engaged local fishermen about the immense opportunities to be had with the growing fishing industry and the flexibility and leverage that come with owning vessels.
Minister Caesar commended DeLecia for his interest and commitment to the fisheries sector.
The boats range from 16 ft -33 ft in length and carry Yamaha engines of 40 – 300 horsepower and are being sourced out of Mexico from manufacturer Imemsa, and are assembled here. In addition to fishing, “the boats can also be used within the tourism industry, family on pleasure trips or expeditions and can be exported to neighbouring islands,” DeLecia said. He added that the cabin feature would aid in facilitating longer fishing time ultimately increasing the fishing capacity.
DeLecia sees this project as a way of giving back to his homeland and contributing to the advancement of this country, giving the fisherfolk more ownership of this thriving enterprise through cost-effective measures.
Meantime, earlier that week, a management team from the Rainforest Seafoods Jamaica while in St. Vincent recently visited the site where the boats are being assembled in an effort to utilize vessels on the ground.
