ST. CROIX — The nearly $2 million proposed for rebuilding the Frederiksted Fish Market drew sharp criticism from Senator Kurt Vialet during Tuesday's meeting of the Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance, where lawmakers considered an additional $600,000 appropriation for the project.
Bill No. 36-0335, sponsored by Senator Hubert Frederick, would appropriate $600,000 from the St. Croix Capital Improvement Fund to the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR). The money would supplement $1,332,000 in federal funding secured by the Nature Association of the Virgin Islands (NAVI) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, bringing the potential total funding to $1,932,000.
“This project has been in the works for a long time, and finally we've gotten the funds for it,” Mr. Frederick said. “It's more than just for the fishermen. It's also for the community.”
Virginia Clairmont, testifying on behalf of NAVI, said the local appropriation would “complement that investment and support a more comprehensive rehabilitation, equipping the market with the facilities and resources fishermen need to operate viable businesses.”
The federal funding has not yet been released, as NAVI continues to complete administrative requirements. The project will also require Coastal Zone Management permits before construction can proceed.
DPNR Commissioner Jean-Pierre Oriol told lawmakers that conceptual designs place the estimated construction cost between $1.3 million and $2 million. He said the proposed $600,000 appropriation would “give the project enough funding to be completed.”
Because NAVI secured the federal award, Mr. Oriol requested an amendment to Bill 36-0335 explicitly allowing DPNR to subgrant its appropriation to the organization, enabling both funding sources to be used for the project.
However, Mr. Vialet questioned whether the proposed price was justified, particularly after learning that the planned building would measure approximately 1,900 square feet.
Ms. Clairmont explained that the design includes six stations for fishermen, with areas for cleaning and weighing their catches. The facility would also feature an on-site desalination component and a wastewater system.
When Mr. Vialet questioned whether connecting the facility to WAPA's public water system would be more economical than installing a desalination unit, Ms. Clairmont asked whether he had “seen the WAPA water in Frederiksted.” Mr. Vialet countered by pointing to the replacement of the utility's water lines.
Ms. Clairmont said the objective was to create a self-sustaining facility that would be “off of the WAPA water, so that it reduces the cost for the maintenance of that building and for the fishers as well.” Mr. Vialet disagreed, arguing that maintaining a desalination system would create additional expenses.
“I don't know what we're doing in the Virgin Islands anymore. Everything we build, millions of dollars,” he complained. “Where do you guys get these quotes from?”
“We really got to be careful as to how we pricing this because we're taking money from the same great Capital Development Fund to build an open facility that's going to have sliding doors,” Mr. Vialet continued.
Ms. Clairmont explained that NAVI was not required to submit a detailed construction budget when applying for the federal funding. She said the amount represented what Congress had agreed to provide, rather than a requirement to spend the entire allocation.
“We may use all of it. We may not,” she said.
Mr. Vialet ultimately abstained from voting on the bill, which advanced with support from the other voting committee members.
Senator Marvin Blyden supported the appropriation, emphasizing the importance of strengthening local food security and providing fishermen with a suitable place to sell their catches.
“We must invest in ourselves. We must be able to feed ourselves, and there must be a safe place for our fishermen to come and sell the produce to our people in terms of food security, so it's a no-brainer for me,” Mr. Blyden said.
Lawmakers also raised concerns about ensuring the rebuilt market would serve its intended purpose, rather than continuing to function as a gathering place for people who are not engaged in the fishing trade.
“We want to make sure that it's policed and it's available to the fishermen to be able to sell their catch. The fish market has not been used as a fish market for quite a number of years,” Senator Novelle Francis observed.
Mr. Frederick agreed, describing conditions that have discouraged some residents from visiting the facility to purchase fish.
“Right now, the facility is being utilized by people hanging out there, and so it's very uncomfortable for some people who might want to come and utilize it as a place to purchase fish,” he said.
The senator said the new design should discourage such activity while remaining welcoming to the public and accessible to fishermen.
Final design decisions will involve DPNR, NAVI, and community input. Bill 36-0335 now moves to the Committee on Rules and Judiciary for further consideration.
