MPs during Monday’s meeting.
PHILIPSBURG--Government will move to re-establish St. Maarten Fishers Committee, which has been inactive since 2010, as part of efforts to address challenges in the country’s fisheries sector.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten made the announcement during a meeting of Parliament’s Permanent Committee of Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry (CAFAH) on Monday.
“This body will help guide decision-making and ensure stakeholder input as we modernise the sector,” Heyliger-Marten told Members of Parliament (MPs) during the meeting.
She explained that the reactivated committee would consist of six representatives and one secretary: The TEATT Ministry (ETT/IETA/Maritime), the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA, the Ministry of Justice (Customs), the Ministry of General Affairs (Legal Affairs) and Nature Foundation (secretariat).
It is being considered to add one representative of the local fisher community and the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI (environment and SLA with Nature Foundation).
The minister said the ministry has had extensive meetings during the past months with key internal stakeholders that play a major role in the fishing industry which provide it with a rapid assessment of the sector.
That assessment identified several critical issues affecting local fishers. Among them is limited access to fishing grounds, with local fishermen forced to travel long distances and operate in waters deeper than 200 feet to make viable catches. “St. Maarten’s designated Dutch fishing waters are limited to a 12-mile radius,” she said, which creates significant constraints for the industry.
Heyliger-Marten also highlighted “unfair competition”, explaining that fishermen from neighbouring islands are able to enter and sell fish locally, while St. Maarten’s own fishers remain disadvantaged due to access limitations and regulatory hurdles.
The environmental condition of local waters is another major concern. According to the Minister, “Water pollution caused by run-off from both public and private land is negatively impacting marine ecosystems and fish stock.”
She also stressed that “existing fisheries regulations are outdated,” and confirmed that the Ministry is prioritising the revision of key legislation to support the sector's development.
