Fish vendors suffer 5 months after scandal

Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer

MANDEVILLE, Manchester:

More than five months after Agriculture Minister Christopher Tufton dismissed reports that Mandeville fish vendors had used formaldehyde to preserve their goods, the popular cry in the market is that nothing has changed.

"It hard fi wi enjoy the sales weh we use to because the people dem afraid," said Fogah, while adding that the entire affair was a planned propaganda aimed at sullying the reputation of fish vendors.

On Friday when The Gleaner visited the market, traders of ground provisions seemed to be the ones making the most of the weekend shoppers.

Except for the chatter from few fish vendors along with one or two loyal customers, activities inside the fish house bore a stark contrast to what was going on outside.

"One time we never have hands fi sell. When you come here you would see people line up long time a wait on dem fish," Fogah said. "Mi use to carry all hundred pound a fish come here and by 7 o'clock mi done and gone home," the Old Harbour resident said.

Despite the slowdown in business, the father of eight said he was not willing to throw in the towel just yet. "This a mi heartbeat ... a this mi use and send all a my children them to school."

"One thing mi can guarantee mi customers is that when them come here dem nah get nutten but good, clean fish," Fogah urged.

Sixty-two-year-old Jean Williams, a woman who told this newspaper she has been selling fish in the market for more than 20 years, shares a similar tale.

"Business use to good, but now when mi buy 50 pound a fish mi affi carry home most a it go fry give me grandchildren."

" Mi have to find bus fare and lunch money for two of them plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mi just can barely afford fi send them some days," she said.

Janet Henry, resident of Rocky Point in Clarendon, left her day job three years ago to venture into the same business. According to her, things were going good until five months ago.

"This was much more profitable and I could work at my own pace," she said, adding that it is sometimes difficult to make ends meet.

"I have a daughter that go high school and mi have to send her go to the nearest school where she only pay bus fare go and come," she said.

In the meantime, Henry made a passionate plea to those who have turned away from purchasing fish inside the market. "Mi fish dem safe, unnu nuh have nothing fi fret bout, when unnu come in here unnu nah get nothing but clean, fresh fish. The only thing mi use fi keep my fish fresh is ice because a that mi use to."

rural@gleanerjm.com