Published 14th September 2020
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
At a ceremony held on September 14, Rams Trading Limited, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, and the Basseterre Fisheries Complex entered into a commercial and community partnership whereby one thousand pounds (1000 lbs.) of fish would be sold to Rams on a weekly basis.
The Basseterre Fisheries Complex is supplied with fish from Nevis through the Fishermen’s Cooperative and from the major landing sites in St. Kitts—Dieppe Bay, Sandy Point, Old Road and Basseterre.
“I want to say how pleased I am to be here because this initiative is one that will bear fruits for Rams Group of Companies, the Basseterre Fisheries Complex and most importantly the stakeholders who we work with (fisherfolks),” said Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources, the Honourable Alexis Jeffers at the ceremony.
“This initiative must be embraced by all involved and we want to make the commitment here this morning that we want to operate in a way that is consistent with what you have done here as a company in terms of offering consistency, quality, reliability and all of the good things that have made Rams Group of Companies a major force to be reckoned with here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” Minister Jeffers added.
“I want to say to the customers who would patronize you as well that this should be a part of their one-stop-shop to pick up fresh local fish right here at rams,” said the Minister. “I want persons to come to Rams and patronize the business because when it’s all said and done you are patronizing Rams, the Fisheries Complex, and you are patronizing our local fisher folks who are committed to ensuring that we have food security here in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Director of Marine Resources, Marc Williams, speaking at the ceremony, said that the partnership “is something we have envisioned for years.”
“We looked at the fisherfolk in the Federation and they complained about a lack of markets…this initiative will only allow the Basseterre Fisheries Complex to increase its revenue for us to sustain the livelihood of fisherfolk within the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis,” said the Director of Marine Resources.
He also said that the partnership will help fisherfolk in St. Kitts and Nevis to earn a livelihood especially at this economically difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hamir Sabnani, General Manager of Rams Trading Limited, said that “fresh fish is part of Rams continued offering and elevated experience available inside our stores.”
“Why we’ve decided to partner with the Department of Marine Resources and the Basseterre Fisheries Complex is to ensure a sustainable and safe supply of fish, safe being the important word,” Mr. Sabnani said.
“We are the first supermarket in the Federation to be offering fresh fish. We continue to find it necessary and important to support our local community and be a part of its growth. We find that too many times the partnerships between private sector and public sector are not embraced and they fall by the wayside after time,” Mr. Sabnani added.
The ceremony was also attended by Ron Dublin-Collins, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine Resources.
