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The nation’s fishing boats will not leave the harbor anytime soon despite the fact that 'efense Minister on Saturday assured the fishermen that their safety at the sea would be guaran teed within a week. ³See ing is believing even if it takes longer than a week. We must first be convinced that it is safe. As long as we are not convinced that the safety of the fishermen at sea is guaranteed, we will not leave the harbor with the fishing boats,” Willem Muhamedhusain, chairman of the Fishermen’s Associa tion, told Times of Suriname. The chairman pointed out that most of the fisher men have even made it clear that they will not return to the sea until after all of the 12 missing fishermen have been found. The association has decided to give the min ister more time to restore law and order at sea. ,t will monitor all developments closely until everybody is convinced that it is safe to start fishing at sea again. Muhamedhusain wonders who will accept the respon sibility in case something happens to fishermen at sea again. ³+ow can one tell the family that something has happened to their loved one. We do not want empty promises because this is not only about the fisher men but it’s also about their families and the entire fish eries sector that is counting on us.” At the beginning of Saturday’s meeting between the minister and the fisher men at Nieuw Amsterdam, all those who were present were silent for one minute to commemorate the fisher men who went missing after being attacked at sea by pi rates.

Agriculture, Stockbreed ing and Fisheries Minister Lekhram Soerdjan urged the fishermen and their rela tives to have faith in the au thorities. Minister Soerdjan emphasi]ed the fact that the fisheries sector makes an important contribution to the State’s income which is why the government will tackle the issue. Minister %enschop made it clear that the government is not stand ing idly by. ,n the past there were many pirate attacks near &oppename which is why a patrol boat was de ployed in that area to carry out regular patrols. The pirates then moved their operation to the (ast. The fishermen have made sev eral proposals including the establishment of perma nent security. The pirates responded by moving their dates to your area. The fish ermen have also come up with a few proposals. They have asked the minister for permanent security at sea and to arm the fishermen so that they could defend themselves in case some thing went wrong.