 Approximately 25 fisherfolk from the Souffre area participated in a consultation headed by the Minister responsible for fisheries honourable Alfred Prosper and the parliamentary representative for Souffre honourable Emma Hippolit to discuss on what challenges and concerns they face and what intervention may be required from the Department of Fisheries. Minister Hippolit has given the assurance that her commitment remains working with the Department of Fisheries to resolve the myriad of issues fisherfolk in the Souffre area face. I gave them a commitment that I will address some of the issues that they've raised but I felt it was formal to give them the respect so that they can meet the Minister responsible for fisheries, let them add their views and their concerns and we sit here and we hide the Minister making some commitments and saying how as a government we will attempt to address the issues impacting fishers in Souffre because in Souffre they've got some specific problems as well as fishers in the entire country. Some of the main issues highlighted by the fishermen include the deterioration of the coral reefs, the high costs of deploying fish aggregating devices, commonly referred to as fads, as well as the illegal use of gillnets within the reserves. Minister Prosper emphasised the importance of involving other sectors impacted by the fishing sector, such as tourism, in finding solutions to issues confronting the marine environment in Souffre. Our fishermen work very hard, they take high risk, they go out to sea and most times they don't make much but yet there is very little coverage in terms of health insurance if they are sick or if they get injured at sea or if they are lost at sea, very little or no benefits are affordable for them. I am also concerned with, based on what was mentioned today, the issue of sale of fish. I was not aware that the issue of moving the sales depot from the centre of Souffre to this area would have impact the fishers and this is something I believe must be addressed as soon as and I am looking forward to my ministry working with the fishermen of Souffre, not just Souffre but the entire country, to see how we can work with them and assist them and to make lives better for them. Minister Prosper also affirmed his commitment to assisting sector agencies such as the Souffre Marine Management Authority, as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development works to improve the livelihoods of all those affected by the sector. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anicia Antoine reporting.