 The Ministry of Agriculture's latest accomplishment, the Independence Seafood Festival, drew a diverse crowd of citizens promoting local consumption, and emphasizing the significance of fisheries livelihoods to St. Lucien's. The festival showcased an extensive selection of seafood from fish to lobster to shrimp and conch, expertly prepared by local vendors, highlighting the island's diverse marine offerings. It celebrates St. Lucia's culinary culture and supports the Ministry of Agriculture's goal of boosting food security by backing local businesses. Parliamentary representative for Castries Central, Hon. Richard Frederick, shared his insights on the festival's impact on local businesses and the community. I like the turnout, I like the cadre of people, the mixture of people, who are young in between and everything else. It just shows that the Ministry of Agriculture is working wonders, and when you are sitting in the midst, invariably, things like that will always come out good. I want to say happy 45th anniversary of Independence to all and sundry, the fisher food and everybody, all the patrons of this place. The festival also included live performances by local artists, and a designated kids zone offering various activities for children, creating a lively and enjoyable atmosphere for families. Events coordinator of the Ministry of Agriculture, Philip Sidney, discussed the vision and the dedicated efforts in ensuring the success of the Independence Seafood Festival. He emphasised the significance of honouring St. Lucia's seafood and the individuals contributing to its prominence. In keeping with our food and nutrition security strategy, it has organised by the Hon. Minister of Prosperity, and that's his goal, so that activity fits in nicely, all the festivals we are having, hoping that we will consume, eat what we grow and grow what we eat, eat fresh St Lucia's best, right? The processing part of it is also there as your word, the Mambo Festival, the Popo Festival, all of these encompasses everything as you see, so the seafood festival is part of the process. By showcasing the island's unique seafood offerings, the festival, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, not only highlighted the significant impact of the fishery sector on the local economy and livelihoods, but also aims to foster sustainable growth in this vital industry for the future. From the communications unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting.