Managing Director of Oceans Fisheries Limited, Frank Jordan (left) presenting the Managing Directors Award to Jeffrey Parris.
Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey presenting the award to Vita Best for her 30 years of longstanding service to Oceans Fisheries Limited.
Alex William Ince presenting the William Ince Award to Ellison Farley who also received an award for his 30 years of longstanding service and the Perfect Attendance Award.
2020 Plans
Managing Director of Oceans Fisheries Limited, Frank Jordan says a move to greater stabilising of the business and diversifying its product offering are part of the company’s plan going forward.
His comments came as he addressed Oceans Fisheries Limited’s 30th anniversary Awards and Dinner last Saturday night at Mahogany Ridge.
“2020 is our final stabilisation year where everything is in control – the finances. We are trying to get everything stabilised and what not, and the company moving forward adequately. Going forward, two items are on the plate. We need to expand our freezer capacity and we will try to deal with that in the coming year and we also need to diversify. Fish alone is not going to cover it all,” he said.
He added, “We need to make sure that we have some other products that we can get into along with the fish but fish has been a tough run and we need to try and get that sorted out.”
Jordan also spoke of the company’s plans to give back to the local fishing community through its $15 000 scholarship. Speaking directly to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy, Kirk Humphrey who was present, he said, “a couple years ago, I made representation to the Chief Fisheries Officer.
I gave a $15 000 scholarship which I had asked him to organise underneath Ocean Fisheries and to allocate the scholarship to either a student [or] a child [of a member] of the fishing community, or somebody who is going to develop fishing in Barbados. I am making that offer again this evening to you and I hope that you will come through with that.”
Reflecting on the past 30 years, Jordan spoke about some of the highs and lows for the business. Sharing about the highs, he spoke fondly about the leadership of founder of Oceans Fisheries Limited, the late William Ince who he described as “an innovator, entrepreneur, generous and a family man.”
Turning his attention to the lows, he said, “the last five years have been challenging” for the business. He identified not being able to “get back VAT refunds” as one of the challenges faced.
“We are hoping that will ease up shortly because the Prime Minister said by the end of the year, well, we are at December, I am hoping that will happen because in August I called the VAT office every day, every two weeks and I hear, ‘nothing yet, nothing yet’. Hopefully, that will ease up shortly,” he added.