His lifeless body was brought back ashore by his fishing companion. Government Senator Kaygianna Toussaint-Charlery issues a plea to fishermen, urging them to adhere to weather advisories come 2024.

“I’m hoping that the fishermen really take seriously all of the lamentations and all of the warnings that their safety begins with them. We want to see less of these sad stories as it relates to them in 2024,” the Goodwill Fishermen’s Cooperative Operations Manager said.

Toussaint-Charlery also encourages fishermen to install the free, state-issued tracking devices on their vessel, the next step to be completed is the pairing of the device on the phones of fishermen.

“We did some installations in most parts of the island. But the next step is where [fishermen] would be able to access [the tracking devices] on their phones virtually to be able to do the GPS tracking” she explained.

The Department of Fisheries also pledged to maintain ten strategically positioned Floating Aggregate Devices (FADs) around the island, offering essential support to the local fisherfolk. 

The FADs, which are anchored to the sea floor using ropes and buoys, are designed to attract fish by mimicking natural floating objects like logs and plants, increasing both fishing productivity and the quality and quantity of fish caught. These devices will decrease the need for fishermen to venture far out in open waters to get a good catch.