Fishermen in Barbados were evaluating the impact on their boats following the passage of Hurricane Beryl through the south-eastern Caribbean on Wednesday.
As per the fishermen’s accounts, every vessel at the Bridgetown marina sustained varying degrees of damage, with a handful of boats completely sinking due to the large waves that engulfed the docks.
“I (have) never really experienced a system like this yet, of this magnitude, but, yeah, I don’t think that nobody wants to go through this here,” said Everton Brathwaite, a fisherman.
Barbados experienced the effects of Hurricane Beryl as it swept through the island on Monday as a powerful category 4 storm, bringing winds exceeding 130 mph (209 kilometers per hour) and resulting in considerable damage.
According to Dave Hinds, Managing Director of Hinds Transport, “progress is not very fast because a lot of the boats are damaged and there are boats that have sunk just right where we need to lift out, so we’re having to lift from further than we would like to lift from.”
Beryl smashed multiple records even before its major hurricane-level winds approached land. “After we finish this we then have to try to retrieve the boats that are under water. There are over 26 boats underwater at this time,” Dave added.
Meteorologists stated that Hurricane Beryl’s rapid intensification into an unusually early powerful storm highlighted the warm ocean conditions in the Atlantic and Caribbean, foreshadowing the upcoming hurricane season.
The fishing industry in Barbados plays a significant role in providing income and employment opportunities for a large number of residents.
