By Navendra Seoraj

FISH exports bring in $15 billion in revenues annually, Agriculture Minister Noel Holder said Thursday, and while he said Guyana wants the sector to grow, this will not be at the expense of sustainable practices. “We in Guyana are committed to the sustainable management and advancement of the sector, and we are committed to working with our partners to ensure that we fish responsibly and practise sustainable fishing practices,” Holder said at the opening of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum.
The Forum, being held at the Ramada Hotel, East Bank Demerara, is the primary deliberative body of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) and is mainly involved in stock-taking and planning for the joint fisheries and aquaculture sector.
The Forum, which ends today, brings together more than 50 participants, including directors of fisheries, chief fisheries officers, and other development partners, such as NGOs and international organisations such as the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, which work with the CRFM in promoting the development, management and conservation of the Caribbean’s fisheries resources.
In battling the effects of climate change and other challenges, this year’s gathering is centred on ideas to ensure the sustainability of the sector.
Holder said that in Guyana, the fisheries sub- sector contributes to about 9.4 per cent of agricultural GDP, collecting $30.7M in licence fees alone.
Furthermore, the fishing industry employs approximately 15,000 people with 4,000 to 5,600 persons being directly employed in fishing, with many more benefiting indirectly through fishing-related industries, Holder said.
In the Caribbean, the fisheries and aquaculture sector is a major economic contributor to domestic markets, with earnings of almost US$420 million in 2014.
Holder said that the fisheries sector plays an important role in national food security, given that fish has a highly desirable nutrient profile and provides an excellent source of quality animal protein.
Hence, he said with increasing health awareness globally of fish and fisheries products, the demand is increasing and global marine production is being pressured to supply this demand.
As such, Holder emphasised the need for sustainable and safe practices and shared some of Guyana’s aquaculture and fisheries initiatives.
He noted that there has been the introduction of a harvest- control rule, whereby trawlers are allowed to fish for only a certain amount of days annually; the installation of by-catch reduction devices and turtle exclusion devices on all trawlers; use of vessel monitoring systems on the trawling fleet, so that they can be monitored on a 24- hour basis; and the formation of a seabob working group, which comprises members of the fisheries department and stakeholders from the trawler association.
Minister Holder also told the forum that the country will be increasing the monitoring control and surveillance of artisanal vessels to ensure that they are in compliance with the rules and regulations as indicated in the Fisheries Act of 2002, so as to reduce accidents and robbery at sea.
He said that illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activity, together with non-tariff barriers, if not addressed, will pose a serious threat to the industry.
Thus, he said with the implementation of the Caribbean Common Fisheries Policy (CCFP), the countries can better foster harmonisation across the Caribbean, when it comes to sustainable management and development of the Region’s fisheries and aquaculture resources, with special emphasis on promoting the most efficient use of shared resources, while aiming to improve food security and reducing poverty in the Region.
“Guyana is strongly committed to working with the CRFM, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and other international and regional organisations to tackle the issues at stake.
“We need to build on lessons learnt from past experiences; to enhance our knowledge on what works under what conditions and what is required to achieve our objectives,” Holder stated.
The Forum will review the rRegion’s progress in implementing the Caribbean Community Common Fisheries Policy (CCCFP), as well as initiatives to strengthen research, and institutional and human capacity through the CRFM’s collaboration with a number of development partners such as the University of the West Indies (UWI), the University of Florida in USA, the International Ocean Institute, Dalhousie University, Canada; the University of Wollongong in Australia, and the United Nations University in Iceland.
Meanwhile, outgoing Chairman of the Caribbean Fisheries Forum, Justin Rennie, outlined the challenges faced in the past and indicated that this is the forum which will be used to address these challenges, review policies and work towards a sustainable and better industry.
Executive Director of the CRFM secretariat also echoed the sentiments of Rennie and noted that several issues will be addressed and key decisions will be made to ensure a well-regulated and progressive industry.