Photo: Some products sold by Rainforest Seafood
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 13, 2023
Rainforest Seafoods Limited, a regional seafood enterprise based in Kingston, Jamaica, had expanded its operations with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art processing facility in Belize back in 2017.
The US$2 million facility signalled a significant commitment to enhancing the country’s seafood processing capabilities. However, the company’s presence in Belize has been overshadowed by mounting allegations of serious violations of local fishing regulations.
For over 18 years, Rainforest Seafoods has sourced large quantities of top-quality seafood from Belize’s waters, and distributed those marine products throughout the Caribbean.
This mutually beneficial relationship led Rainforest Seafoods to establish a fish plant and acquire a 1500-acre shrimp farm, Bel Euro, in 2014, further anchoring its presence in Belize.
The facility’s state-of-the-art processing technology is capable of handling an array of finfish, shellfish, and mollusks. However, reports emerged last week, July 4, that the company attempted to export over 3,000 pounds of undersized conch, in direct violation of Belize’s fishing regulations.
Officials from the Fisheries Department found that over 20,000 conchs in an export-bound container failed to meet the 3-ounce minimum weight requirement.
With potential fines calculated at a minimum of $50 per conch, Rainforest Seafoods may be facing a penalty exceeding $1 million.
The case has sparked public outrage, especially among small-scale fishermen who claim that they would have faced immediate legal action for similar infractions.
Local regulations stipulate that conch shells must exceed seven inches in length, and that establishments cannot possess diced conch meat. For processed conch flesh, the weight should exceed three ounces.
In response to the allegations, the Ministry of the Blue Economy has stated that the matter is under investigation. They have assured the public that the Fisheries Department is conducting its due diligence and that a press release will be issued as soon as more concrete information becomes available.
In the meantime, the company has been given a 24-hour ultimatum from the Fisheries Department to respond to the allegations.
Other industry stakeholders, however, are making their voices heard. The Belize Federation of Fishers (BFF), in a recent press release, expressed deep concern over the situation, drawing attention to the wider implications of the issue, particularly the growing problem of harvesting juvenile or sub-adult stocks of not just conch but also lobster, snapper, and grouper.
The federation called on the government to work alongside the fishing industry to remedy the situation and ensure its long-term sustainability.
“The situation of the purported illegal haul of conch by Rainforest is a symptom of a deeper problem that the Government must work along with the Fishing Industry to remedy. It is the proverbial tip of the iceberg – it is the symptom of a much deeper problem,” it stated.
Mike Feinstein of Fein Catch, a notable industry player, also addressed a letter to the Minister of Blue Economy, Hon. Andre Perez. Feinstein expressed concern that the Fisheries Department, under the guidance of the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, appeared to be downplaying the severity of Rainforest Seafoods’ violations.
Feinstein reminded Minister Perez that this was the first season that Rainforest Seafoods had been awarded a conch export quota, a privilege that now seemed marred by grave violations.
He argued that simple oversight could not be used as a defense for the magnitude of these violations, asserting that it was the Fisheries Department’s duty to revoke the company’s export permits and impose the necessary fines. He also called for transparency, urging that these actions should be conducted in full view of the public to ensure accountability.
We attempted to get a hold of the CEO of the Ministry of Blue Economy, Kennedy Carrillo, for further insight into the investigation, but to no avail.
As the company and the public await the results of the investigation, to date, the Ministry has still not issued a press release on the matter.
(It has been suggested, however, by those associated with the company, that while the conch might have met the minimum weight standards prior to preparation for export, shrinkage occurred after they were frozen and wrapped.)
Check out other tags:
© All Rights Reserved, Amandala Newspaper.