Everton Brathwaite (Community Leader, Longline Captain and Boat owner)
Everton Gilbert Brathwaite was born 29th June 1960. He started his professional life of a fisherman at the age of 16. During his career, Everton has been involved in most types of fishing from spearfishing, flyingfish fishing to longlining. He is the owner and captain of a longliner, Natalie.
Everton has earned the reputation of being a master fisherman and especially a champion fisherman for Dolphinfish. Everton Brathwaite, is a firm proponent of utilizing new technologies in fishing, for example utilizing satellite imagery illustrating oceanic variables to inform smart fishing practices. This progressive approach to fishing takes him fishing well beyond the fishing range of most other fishermen and is a major driver of his success.
Everton is well known for his leadership and advocacy as it relates to the articulation of issues affecting the industry and the proposition of potential solutions. His family operation is well known for its professionalism and emphasis on succession planning. Most recently has led the thrust toward the establishment of a Fisheries Cooperative. He advocates for a programme for youth engagement by taking fishing into schools.
With a quiet intelligent demeanor, Everton has taken on the role of a mentor in the industry and is well known for his leadership in the planning and coordinating of social events such as the boat picnic and fisherman's feast. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Everton organized fisherfolk, who having been deemed as essential workers and allowed to continue working during the long lock down period, donated large quantities of their fish catches to the Ministry of Empowerment and Elder Affairs for distribution to feed many needy families.
Everton recognizes the importance of research in the development of sustainable fisheries and most recently participated in a longline valuation study of the longline fishery and an experimental fishing exercise to investigate the impact of circle hooks and light sticks on fish catch and determine the feasibility of targeting Swordfish.