The dock and shoreline reinforcement and enhancement project for the Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative in Hagåtña is underway. (Guam is a U.S. island territory in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific.)
Manny Duenas, president of the Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association, shared the many things that the fishermen’s co-op has done and emphasized the need for facility upgrades during a groundbreaking ceremony held Monday near the current site of the facility at the Paseo de Susana in Hagåtña.
“We have a lot of marine functions … the fishermen’s co-op has produced, as a nonprofit, on average 30 activities a year. I challenge any organization on Guam, even combined, to say they do that much,” said Duenas during the groundbreaking ceremony.
One of the main features of the project Duenas shared that will impact the community greatly is the construction of the seawall, which will provide docking space for boats in the Hagåtña Marina.
The seawall also will provide a space for fishermen to set up their equipment for derbies or tournaments within the area.
Joaquin Flores, Guam Fishermen’s Cooperative Association building committee chairman, said he sees the new facility as an advancement to fishing on Guam.
“Hopefully we can get our USDA certification so that we can supply fish to the schools … and hotels,” said Flores. “It really is a foundational system and facility to promote fisheries.”