Photo by Lyndah Wells
By K. NANCOO-RUSSELL
Freeport News Reporter
A location for the proposed fish market being constructed by the Grand Bahama Port Authority has finally been revealed by GBPA Chairman Hannes Babak, who has also reclassified the facility as a farmers' market.
During a press conference at the GBPA headquarters yesterday, Babak disclosed that the site chosen for the project will be on West Atlantic Drive.
"We have decided in our last board meeting that the location will be when you drive up West Atlantic Road before you come to the circle of the Home Centre, on the left-hand side," he explained.
Sir Jack Hayward, honorary chairman of the GBPA Ltd., who was also present at the press conference, noted that the final location was determined based on a vote taken among the local fishermen who were invited to present their suggestions for the market.
"It was a fairly substantial vote in favour of putting it there. The fish wholesalers obviously wanted it down at the Fishing Hole Road where they bring the fish in and they can sell it, but people don't want to drive down there," he said.
Babak said when the GBPA sought the input of the fishermen, approximately 80 percent of them indicated that they would like the location to be downtown.
"...They have to give the chance to any employee who wants to take his lunchhour to go there, pick up whatever he likes and come back, which is not possible if he has to go all the way from downtown out to the Fishing Hole Road," he said.
"This and other arguments persuaded us to say we will take a bit more expensive land, because downtown is our most valuable land, and donate that for that project."
Hayward said he liked the idea of it being not just a fish market, but rather a space that vendors can sell fruit, vegetables and prepared seafood dishes as well.
"We want to bring the fruits and vegetables and other products from the rest of The Bahamas... We need to be able to access all the many products and flora and fauna of The Bahamas," he said.
It was perhaps not the best move to introduce the project as a fish market, he furthered, agreeing that a farmers market would be a much more suitable name.
"I think we should call it a farmers' market and we should encourage all the farmers in the whole of The Bahamas to send their produce to the farmers' market."
