Abinader inaugurates fishing port in Bahía de Puerto Plata

THAT WILL ALLOW TO RENEW AND PROMOTE THE FISHING AREA OF THE REGION

The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, inaugurated the breakwater for fishermen in the Bay of Puerto Plata, which will renew and promote the entire fishing area of the northern region and create new sources of jobs.

“We are working in 14 fishing docks throughout the country so that like you in the different ports, small and larger municipalities can also develop fishing in a professional manner and with the support of the government,” the president said.

At the event Abinader was accompanied by Jean Luis Rodríguez,executive director of the Dominican Port Authority(Apordom)and Mauricio Hamui,CEO of ITM Group.

The work carried out with an investment of about RD $ 140 million contemplates the protection of the entire Bay of the Bride of the Atlantic, where the old pier was built in 1918 during the first North American occupation works.

“We are going to build a stronger fishing sector than ever before but now with the support of the government in financing, technical assistance, security and also in marketing; all those problems that they had had in the past are going to disappear and we will have a more prosperous sector as it should have been a long time ago on an island like ours,” the president said.

Rafael Rodríguez, president of the Puerto Plata Fishermen’s Association, said that “we are grateful because it was many years that we were promised this pier and this President did fulfill it.”

The infrastructure works included the recovery and expansion of the old 7×80 square meter pier, with 32 steel piles filled with reinforced concrete, an exclusive access road for fishermen, the rescue of the maneuvering yard, and an office area of the Port Authority.

On his side, Jean Luis Rodríguez said that “it is the first fishing pier of what we have called the “National Plan for the Construction and Rehabilitation of Fishing Docks. With this new breakwater, we open up a range of possibilities for families who make a living from fishing. We offer the opportunity to live in a trade-in a safer, more dignified way and with guarantees of growth”.

The project was in charge of the Mexican-owned company ITM Group dedicated to the construction of cruise ports. It is the same one that was in charge of the reconstruction of the loading and cruise dock of Puerto Plata with the development of the “Taino Bay” project.

“The fishing pier is, like all our works, a proof of quality of our work and delivery of the great Dominican team, mostly puertoplateño that celebrates almost 2 years in this project. This pier represents progress, and the first proven of what will be one of the most important multipurpose terminals in the region and undoubtedly one of the most sought-after destinations in the world, “said the CEO OF ITM Group Mauricio Hamui.

This project of the fishing docks is an initiative of the management of Jean Luis Rodríguez from the Port Authority that seeks to reactivate the economy, local development, and the dynamization of the fishing production of the communities that are dedicated to this activity in the coastal area of the country, enhancing the organization of the sector making it more productive, competitive and efficient.

President Abinader was accompanied by the Minister of Public Works, Deligne Ascención; Administrative Minister, José Ignacio Paliza; the senator of Puerto Plata, Ginnette Bournigal; the Minister of Tourism, David Collado; the governor, Clarissa Rochelle; Chairman of the Board of Directors of Apordom, Alejandro Campos; government authorities in the area and various representatives of the private sector.