Large masses of a strange seaweed floating in Atlantic Ocean off Essequibo Coast – disrupting fishing activities
Fishermen on the Walton Hall seawall, Essequibo Coast, clearing the strange 
seaweed from their seines
Fishermen on the Walton Hall seawall, Essequibo Coast, clearing the strange seaweed from their seines

FISHERMEN on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two are calling on the authorities for help to combat an unfamiliar seaweed floating in large masses in the Atlantic Ocean off the Essequibo, Pomeroon and Moruca sea coasts.

This seaweed is reportedly causing serious problems to fishing nets, and affecting fishermen’s respective catch of fishes.

Fisherman Mr Deoram Ramanand, known as Vinesh, has suffered losses in excess of $300,000 because of this problem. Ramanand said he loaded his two fishing boats with ice, fuel and groceries and sent them out to sea to fish, but his seine got entangled with the seaweed while drifting in the Atlantic, and became rolled up in the water, resulting in no fish being caught.

Ramanand said the two boats had to return to shore and the nets had to be cleared of the sea weed, which took a lot of labour to remove. After the exercise had been completed, he again loaded his boats with fuel, ice and groceries and sent them back to sea, only to experience the same problem again.

Other fisher folks are reportedly experiencing difficulty conducting their activities at sea because of the floating weed. One fisherman said his pin seine operation is also affected, and so is his livelihood.

The floating seaweed, suspected to come from the deep Atlantic Ocean floor, has caused a steep drop in the catch of fish in Region Two, and this is affecting the fishing industry on the Essequibo Coast.

Fishermen are calling on the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fisheries Department for help in investigating this strange seaweed and in enabling them to resume their livelihood.

Fishermen had first observed this seaweed in the Atlantic some two months ago.

By Rajendra Prabhulall

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