Legal battles within Antigua and Barbuda’s national fishermen’s cooperative continue to hurt the fishing industry.

According to mariners Dale Henry and Yuton Henry Jr, a court dispute has blocked progress for nearly 10 years. As a result, fishermen remain cut off from funding, training, and major infrastructure support.

The dispute began after the removal of a former cooperative president. Since then, the cooperative has struggled to function properly.

Speaking on Observer AM, the two mariners described the situation as “foolishness.” They said the legal conflict has left the industry without stable leadership.

Consequently, the sector cannot attract international donor funding or commercial investment. This has slowed efforts to modernize the industry.

Although fishing remains profitable on a small scale, major problems continue. In particular, Antigua lacks the commercial systems seen in other Caribbean islands.

For example, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have centralized fish processing systems. These facilities allow fishermen to process and export catches quickly.

However, Antigua has no similar structure in place. Therefore, local fishermen face unstable market conditions.

Dale Henry explained that middlemen often control seafood sales. In some cases, fishermen wait up to two weeks for payment.

At the same time, oversupplied markets sometimes force mariners to stay ashore. This happens even when fish stocks remain strong.

In addition, some hotels continue to import seafood instead of buying local catches. Consequently, fishermen lose valuable business opportunities.

Infrastructure problems also remain a serious concern. Although the government upgraded the wharf at Point, the main fish market remains overcrowded.

The Henrys said dredging is urgently needed. They explained that silt and waste continue to block reliable vessel access.

Meanwhile, the mariners warned about declining maritime skills among younger fishermen. Dale Henry said many now rely too heavily on GPS technology.

He warned that navigation systems can fail at sea. Without proper training, crews may panic during emergencies.

Yuton Henry Jr stressed the importance of traditional seamanship. He said basic navigation and emergency skills must come before technology.

Both mariners agreed the legal dispute must end first. Only then, they said, can the cooperative secure funding, training, and infrastructure investment.

Until that happens, Antigua’s fishing industry will continue to struggle despite its strong potential.