 Coming up the heels of the recently held independent seafood fiesta, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Rural Development, Honourable Alfred Prosper, spoke on the significance of the event and the Ministry's efforts to achieve agricultural sovereignty and food security by supporting initiatives that promote sustainable and resilient food systems and ensure that local communities have access to nutritious and affordable food. Minister Prosper highlighted the importance of tying in the agriculture and tourism sectors, stating that the events like the independent seafood fiesta can attract more buying from both locals and tourists and promote the unique culinary culture of St Lucia. He acknowledged the vital role that the fishery sector plays in the livelihoods of local communities and the island's economy, stating that the Ministry will continue to support and promote initiatives that strengthen the sector. I must say it is in line with our Ministry's agenda in terms of food security and recognizing the work of our fishers. I wish it would be an annual event and the Ministry, as you all know, have been having a number of festivals. Last year we had the Seamos Festival, we had the Banana Festival, we had the Mango Festival. I'm hearing this here that we're going to have the Cocoa Festival and the Coconut Festival. That in addition to the Fish Festival I think should be an annual event because it really brings out the number of people to really consume what the fishers produce, sorry. So it is very important for us and in terms of the agenda of the Ministry, I would like to give full support to this activity. The Agriculture Ministry has also taken steps to make the fishery sector safer for fishermen and their crews. According to Minister Prosper, the introduction of the vessel monitoring devices is to ensure the safety and security of the sector. The devices will also provide valuable data to help the Ministry make informed decisions and improve the management of the fishery sector. Concerns me a lot when, you know, fishes are lost at sea and I'm hoping and I'm making a big appeal to them to, you know, show interest in using that device because that's one way you're going to save your lives and make your family happy. So I want them to know that we are working on this and soon, very soon, very shortly in fact, we will be distributing those monitoring devices for the fishers so they can be feeling a lot more safer when they are at sea. Minister Prosper emphasized the importance of balancing economic development with environmental sustainability and the well-being of local communities. He stated that the Ministry is committed to promoting sustainable fishing practices and supporting initiatives that help the fishery sector thrive in a way that benefits all stakeholders. From the Communications Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture, I am Anisia Antoine reporting.