Villa Pesquera

Villa Pesquera is a sea-front fishing village in barrio Playa, in the municipality of Ponce, Puerto Rico. The site is one of the tourist attractions in the municipality of Ponce.[1]

Villa Pesquera Fishing Village and Marina
Villa Pesquera
Native name
Villa Pesquera de la Playa de Ponce
TypePrivate
Asociación de Pescadores de la Playa de Ponce (APPP)
IndustryFishing;
Sea Food Restaurant
FoundedPonce, Puerto Rico (1 July 1941 (1941-07-01))
FounderRafael Cordero Santiago (1992)
Headquarters
Avenida Padre Noel esq. C. Calamar
Playa, Ponce, Puerto Rico
Area served
Southern Puerto Rico
Key people
Miguel Ortiz Maldonado (President)
ServicesFresh fish sales; boat slip rentals
OwnerAsociación de Pescadores de la Playa de Ponce (APPP)
Number of employees
54

Location
Villa Pesquera sign at Villa Pesquera, Barrio Playa, Ponce, Puerto Rico

Formerly an ad hoc group of fishermen, Villa Pesquera was re-organized and inaugurated in 1992 under the administration of Ponce Mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago.[2] The village is located on the southern Puerto Rico's Caribbean Sea shores, on Avenida Padre Noel in barrio Playa in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The village includes a restaurant by the same name - Restaurante Villa Pesquera.[3]

Management

The cooperative-style village is staffed by "veteran fishermen" and presided by Miguel Ortiz Maldonado. The village experiences double its activity during the weeks in February and March associated with the religious festivities of lent.[4] Their cooperative is named "Asociación de Pescadores de la Playa de Ponce (APPP)."[5]

Activity

In 2013, there were 54 active fishermen at the village.[6] The most sought after fish is the Sierra. The village is frequented by both private individuals as well as businesses seeking to fill their restaurant-related needs. Some fishermen will only fish Sierra due to its high demand. This is followed by chillo, carrucho, and lobster.[7]

Today

The Villa Pesquera facilities are owned by the Municipality of Ponce, but operated by the fishermen themselves. The 2013 speaker of the group is José Montero Rosado. In July 2013 it was made public that the Ponce Municipal Government was interested in passing control of the village to a private commercial operator.[8]

Dredging and boardwalk

The Villa Pesquera waters have been a victim of problems associated with too much sediment. To control the problem a dredging project was started in 2013. The city spent some $185,000 in the project but, by mid-2013, still much more work was needed to complete the project.[9] The sediment problem has been acknowledged by the Villa Pesquera lieutenant in charge of the Maritime Unit of the village security force, José Santiago Santiago, who is also in charge of the tree vessels patrolling the area. The security force is unable to use the Villa Pesquera dock because of the sediment problem. As a result, security vessels dock and undock in the Puerto Viejo sector of barrio Playa.[10]

The village also has a boardwalk as part of its docking facilities.[11] The Villa Pesquera boardwalk was reconstructed in 2013 at a cost of over $60,000.[12]

Controversy

In July 2013, the APPP accused the Ponce Municipal Government, headed by Mayor María Meléndez Altieri of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico, of attempting to negotiate a new operations contract with a different operator on political grounds. The APPP identified the principals of the proposed new operational cooperative as members of the same political New Progressive Party as the municipal government's administration. Meanwhile, the municipal government did not provide an official reply to the fishermen's demands for information.[13]

See also

References
  1. Ponce es para ti: Escapadita Romantica. Municipal Government of Ponce. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  2. Desde Mi Pueblo. Foros Univision. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  3. Inmejorable el sazón de Marisol. Gary Gutiérrez. La Perla del Sur. Pocne, Puerto Rico. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  4. ‘Como pan caliente’: No dan abasto en la Villa Pesquera. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. February 32013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  5. Suena operador para Villa Pesquera Ponce. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1548. Page 10. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  6. Contentos con su “Navidad en marzo”. Darisabel Texidor Guadalupe. Primera Hora. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  7. ‘Como pan caliente’: No dan abasto en la Villa Pesquera. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. February 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  8. Suena operador para Villa Pesquera Ponce. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1548. Page 10. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  9. Suena operador para Villa Pesquera Ponce. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1548. Page 10. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  10. Suena operador para Villa Pesquera Ponce. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1548. Page 10. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  11. Continúa en deterioro la Villa Pesquera de Ponce. El Regional. Ponce Puerto Rico. Empresas Pierantoni. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  12. Inicia Reconstruccion del Tablado de Villa Pesquera. Ronaldo Ortiz Dominicci. El Señorial. Ponce Municipal Government. July 2013. Page 5. retrieved 30 September 2013.
  13. Suena operador para Villa Pesquera Ponce. Jason Rodríguez Grafal. La Perla del Sur. Ponce, Puerto Rico. Year 31. Issue 1548. Page 10. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.

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