The Fishing village of Soufrière is charting a fresh course for recovery as brand-new boats take to the sea, symbolizing both resilience and renewed opportunity. After years of waiting since Hurricane Maria disrupted lives and livelihoods, 11 locally built fishing vessels have finally been handed over to beneficiaries.
The initiative is part of the Emergency Agricultural Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project, designed to restore the fishing industry and give affected families a stronger foundation. Built under a $1 million contract, the boats were constructed by five Dominican contractors, ensuring that investment not only revitalizes fishers’ operations but also sustains jobs for local builders, suppliers, and tradesmen.
Government officials, including Finance Minister Dr. Irving McIntyre, highlighted the importance of this milestone as another step in a broader program to modernize Dominica’s fishing sector. The investment totals $475,000, with each vessel valued at $35,575, offering fishers safer and more reliable tools of trade.
So far, 33 vessels have been completed out of a targeted 51, with 21 already distributed across the island. The program has been framed not only as a response to Maria’s devastation but also as a long-term commitment to livelihoods and food security.
For Soufrière, the delivery of the boats fulfills a promise that had been delayed by the twin setbacks of the hurricane and the COVID-19 pandemic. Local parliamentary representative for the Soufrière Constituency, Denise Charles-Pemberton reminded her constituents of the hardship endured in the aftermath of 2017, but noted that the arrival of these vessels marks a tangible shift toward progress and resilience.
The handover signals both continuity and change, continuity in Dominica’s commitment to its people, and change in the form of stronger, safer, and locally made fishing vessels ready to carry communities forward.
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