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Charlotte Amalie
Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Responsible Fishermen

Dear Source:
In response to Annette Olsen's "Who Will Stand Up for the Little Guy?" there are hundreds of fishermen in the Virgin Islands. The vast majority of them use legal methods to catch their fish. Only 9 of them use gillnets. The 9 gillnetters are not "the little guys". They are the big guys. These 9 gillnetters not only destroy the reefs and catch and kill an large amount of by-catch. They also drive down the price of fish for the rest of the fishermen who work hard to make a living using legal and more sustainable methods. These 9 gillnetters are robbing the responsible fishermen of their ability to make a living today. They are also endangering the future of fishing in the Virgin Islands. It is in the interest of the majority of the fishermen to have healthy reefs and fish in the ocean – today and in the future.
Who is standing up for the little guy? The answer is; all those who are diligently working to keep our reefs healthy and fish stock plentiful.
Marjo Aho
St. Croix

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