All fishing activities halted; boat owners refuse to send workers to sea

Owners of fishing boats in Paramaribo, Suriname have reportedly docked their fishing vessels in fear of being the next victim of piracy.

On Friday morning, the boats began to dock Waldring Dock, Paramaribo where owners explained they will not send any boats to sea until calm is restored and all the pirates are caught.

Speaking exclusively to the News Room, Rosie Jones, who is the owner of Joshua SK1418, which is one of the boats attacked by pirates, said four of her employees are uncounted for while one survived the ordeal. The four missing were identified as Bandara, Mukesh, Paddock and Spanishman.

After news broke of the attack on Saturday last, she immediately deployed a team in search of her workers but it was unsuccessful.

Jones explained that on Tuesday, April 24, a five-member team departed for their regular fishing trip.  She said when she received the first distress call early Saturday, she began to feel uneasy.

“I was scared because it’s not the first time my boats and men were attacked at sea…piracy getting more bad here,” Jones told News Room.

She further noted that in December 2017, one of the fishing boats was ambushed and the engine, fish and glue were taken but none of the crew members was harmed.

Jones migrated to Suriname 29 years ago and noted this piracy attack is the worse yet.

Meanwhile, sources in the neighbouring country disclose the price of fish has increased by 30 percent since the incident, and up to Friday there is a scarcity of the commodity.

“The fishermen have expressed fear for their lives and they no longer want to risk it,” a source told News Room.