“…it is incomprehensible that the CARICOM Secretariat in a press release will pursue a view of a single individual and not consult on the evidence available at the ministry which shows that the (fisheries) sector has been relatively stable under the present circumstances”, the ministry said in a statement late Monday.

“Can the secretariat produce evidence of its assertions or will it make pronouncements on the basis of individual opinions?” it asked.

The secretariat based its press release on comments at a Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) panel discussion here last week under the theme, `Caribbean Fisheries: Sinking or Swimming in Uncertain Water’.

According to the secretariat, Mr. Jainaraine Pamashwar, representative of the Upper Corentyne Fishers’ Association, was concerned that fishers from his area had been seeing “smaller catches every year”.

It said he lamented that what the fishermen considered to be “fishing season” could no longer be identified, and that the fishes were “getting smaller.”

Pamashwar said the fishers needed a “management structure” to guide them on how they could regulate their fishing and diversify their enterprise, the secretariat reported.

The ministry said its Fisheries Department has pursued a consistently comprehensive approach to the development of the sector in Guyana with the implementation of the recently drafted Fisheries Management Plan.

It is recognized that there needs to be institutional changes and capacity building interventions which are necessary for the effective management of the sector, it stated.

The ministry said an integral aspect of the Fisheries Management Plan deals with resource assessment which is a critical tool that guides the fish stock resources in Guyana’s EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone).

“Over the past few years, statistics out of the fisheries sector indicate that there has been the consistent harvesting and export of the major species. Whilst some fisher folk have been engaged in unsustainable fishing practices that would certainly have reduced their catch, the sector has been investing heavily in new technology to enhance their viability and competitiveness.

“All research conducted within the Caribbean indicates that the EEZ of Guyana is the most fertile fishing ground and our industry’s statistics clearly demonstrates that Guyana is the largest fish producer and exporter in the Caribbean”, the ministry said.

It added that the approach to fisheries development in Guyana is not focused on marine fisheries alone but includes aquaculture and other diversification within the sector.

Moreover, the government is at the final stages of transitioning the Fisheries Department into a user-driven semi-autonomous agency which will provide enhanced management of the fisheries resources, the ministry said.

It added that it will continue to give the sector high priority and collaboration with the CRFM and other international agencies can confirm this reality.

In an earlier statement, the ministry said the government is extending help to the sector, especially for industrial fishery, and is backing services through the CRFM.

The Fisheries Department said initiatives including excise tax exemptions on fuel for trawlers and fish processing plants release more than $2B per annum considering that more than seven million gallons of fuel are needed.

It denied reported claims by a member of the Fisheries Advisory Committee that other sectors, including sugar and rice, get more state support than fisheries.

The department said all equipment, materials and implements utilised in the sector get full duty exemption concessions.

In addition, the cost of all licenses is significantly lower than in competing countries and can be as much as 800-1000% for artesanal vessels and up to 3,000% for trawlers, it stated.

The government also contributes more than $13M per annum for capacity-building and technical services provided to the sector through the CRFM.

According to the department, the ministry has also set up a $5M anti-piracy fund to provide start-up resources to fishermen affected by high seas piracy.

A communications network valued $15M has also been established to complement the services provided to fishermen in Region Six, it said.

The department urged FAC members, as representatives of the sector, to be mindful of the need to be factual and evidential before public utterances are made on the sector.

It said that a comparative analysis of other sectors under the direction of the Minister of Agriculture will show that at no time has so much annual support been provided even in circumstances of a disaster.