‘Get yourself licensed’ -Holder urges fisherfolk
Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder hands over a trophy to Ramnarine Ramdharry, the oldest active fisherman, on the occasion of World Fisherfolk Day 2016 on Wednesday.
Minister of Agriculture Noel Holder hands over a trophy to Ramnarine Ramdharry, the oldest active fisherman, on the occasion of World Fisherfolk Day 2016 on Wednesday.

By Nafeeza Yahya

MINISTER of Agriculture Noel Holder is calling on all fishermen in Guyana to be licensed and to practise sustainable fishing.The minister was addressing a gathering of fisherfolk during celebrations at the Upper Corentyne Fisherman Coop Society on National Fisherfolk Day 2016, which was observed Wednesday under the theme: ‘Combatting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing: Preserving our Marine Resources’.

 A section of the gathering of fisherfolk on the occasion of World Fisherfolk Day 2016 on Wednesday at Number 66 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
A section of the gathering of fisherfolk on the occasion of World Fisherfolk Day 2016 on Wednesday at Number 66 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.

Minister Holder, highlighting the importance of legal fishing, informed the audience that each year billions of dollars in revenue are lost through illegal fishing.

“I urge you to play your part by getting yourself licensed, practise sustainable fishing activities, utilise gear that do not target juvenile fishes, pay attention to where you fish and comply with whatever regulations that are applied by the Fisheries Department.”

The Agriculture Minister noted that he is aware of the challenges and the dangers the fishing industry faces, but gave the assurance that his ministry and government will do everything in its power to ensure sustainability of this important industry.

“We are aware of how dangerous and strenuous this profession can be… However, life is not without challenges and with the support of the government, the fishing industry will persevere and sustain itself, so that you can earn your livelihood in a comfortable environment and preserve it for future generations.”

PIRACY AND SMUGGLING

He also addressed the issue of piracy and smuggling that has been plaguing fisherfolk for some time now and assured them that his ministry is working with the Ministry of Public Security to ease the problems affecting them.

“The Ministry of Agriculture has been working with the Fisheries Department and Ministry of Public Security to look at ways in which we can alleviate some of the constraints you are presently faced with such as the high cost of inputs, the need for easy access to duty-free concessions offered and the ever-present danger of piracy.”

On the same note, the minister expressed his sympathy to the families and relatives of the men who were killed in the recent piracy attack.
Minister Noel concluded by thanking the fisherfolk for their contributions, noting that the sector contributes 9.6% to the country’s GDP and collects $30.7B in revenue from fees and rakes in $14B from exports.

“I want to recognise your contribution to the development of Guyana and for making available a cherished food commodity and thank you for continuing to make this a reality. On behalf of the government I salute you. So once again I wish to congratulate you on a job well done in ensuring our food and nutrition security and to assure you of my government’s commitment in supporting this important industry.”

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan who spoke about the need for diversification called on the fisherfolk to increase fish production so that they can provide more employment and boost the economy of Region Six.

AQUACULTURE

Recognising the reduction in the sugar and rice industry over the years, the chairman spoke about the need for looking at the reality of aquaculture in Berbice. “It is very important[that] we produce more and more fish so people can consume more…sugar and rice, which are the two major pillars of the Berbice economy have been falling over the years …so there is the need for diversification; the need should have been like yesterday, because diversification is one way in which we can boost the local economy…and one of the areas of diversification would naturally be the area of aquaculture and more and more people have been looking at investment in aquaculture so people can have more development in aquaculture in our country, especially Berbice. The lands that would be displaced because of rice and sugar, maybe we can utilise those lands for aquaculture purposes, so it’s a very exciting time in the fishing industry and you have an important role in the national economy.”

The Guyana Association of Trawler Owners and Seafood Processors (GATOSP) representative, Ruben Charles, was also on hand to congratulate the fisher- folk for their contributions to the development of Guyana. Moreover, he implored them to be responsible in their actions and to practise sustainable fishing to ensure that the industry survives.
AWARDS
As part of the celebration, several awards were also given out to fisherfolk for their contributions to the fishing industry.

The awards handed out by Minister Holder included: Oldest Active Fisherman, Ramnarine Ramdharry; Largest Quantity of Fish caught in a single trip, Roy Penmootain’s Boat; Longest-Serving boat captain, Parmeshwar Gainarine, as well as the Most Supportive fish vendor.
There were also several species of fish on display and various fish cuisines were served to those in attendance.

 

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