Pirate attack

hree days after 22 fishing boats were attacked by pirates close to the shores of Suriname the captain and crew from another boat arrived at the Number 66 Fish Port Complex on the Corentyne early Wednesday morning.

The boat belonging to Martin Lawrence became the fourth to return to the safety of the complex after three others showed up on Tuesday morning.

Owners of the other boats – Clent Nathoo, Michael Gibson and Krishendat Gopaul – were happy when their captains and crew showed up at the complex around 5 am on Tuesday after improvising sails, which allowed them to steer the boats home. The men were left stranded in the river on Sunday after armed pirates relieved them of their gasoline, engine coils and a quantity of fish glue. None of the crew seems to have been hurt or terrorized, as has happened in the past.

Gibson told this newspaper that he visited the complex after 5 am and saw one boat towing another to the shore. Shortly afterwards, he said, his crew arrived with his boat. Some of the crew of the other boats swam to the Coroni shore in Suriname and telephoned the owners around 3 pm on Monday.

Chairman of the complex Pravinchandra Deodat had told this newspaper that rescue teams had gone out to search for the other boats, taking with them components to fix the engines so that the boats could be piloted back here.But he said the tide was low and that might be one of the reasons for the other boats not coming in. He also felt the men might have fixed the boats and continued working as they “took items from the complex on credit and have to find the money to repay.”

Deodat said they had not reported the matter to the police as they were waiting for the other boats to come in. But he said senior police ranks and officials from the fisheries ministry had contacted him.

He said the police had planned to visit the complex to take statements. According to him the fishermen were afraid to go publicly to the police station to report the piracy.

He said they had done so in the past and the “pirates attacked them more when they go back out at sea… like they have people watching and giving them back information.”