…Agri Ministry to lead in advancing security measures
WITH the fishing industry playing an integral part in Guyana’s development trajectory, more emphasis will be placed on the protection of the nation’s fisherfolk. The Agriculture Ministry has assured that it will be taking the leadership role in advocacy for the advancement of security measures for fishermen, although it does not hold this responsibility.
Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy made this announcement while addressing a fishermen convention at the Guyana International Conference Centre, last Wednesday.
Dr. Ramsammy said this initiative by the ministry will see Guyana tackling the issues more effectively and being successful in the fight against piracy and other related problems.
The minster acknowledged the fact that there has been numerous success stories coming out of the fishing industry, but there are growing challenges and threats to the sector.
“While we can genuinely talk about the successes we have had in fishing, we must acknowledge the growing challenges and the threats that continue to loom over the industry in Guyana and around the world.”
One of the strategies that are being looked at closely is a Global Positioning System (GPS) which will allow fisherfolk to be under watch by local authorities even after they have left the borders, Minster Ramsammy explained.
A boat count of artisanal vessels in the last year revealed that there are 1,234 boats, an increase from the last count in 2005. Some have estimated the current count at about 2,000 vessels operating in our waters.
Another issue of concern that could lead to inconsistency is having an unlicensed ship. According to the minister, licensing and ensuring fishing is done within the regulated environment is critical for the growth of the fishing industry.
“However, of great concern was that only approximately a third had fishing licences last year. While we realise the Fisheries Department does not have in place offices throughout the regions to receive monies, steps have been taken for the officers to visit each region at least once per quarter so as to facilitate boat operators.
“We would also like to see more cooperation with our fisheries staff when they go out to collect data at your landing sites,” Minister Ramsammy told the fishermen.
The information helps in understanding the magnitude of the industry. It allows the ministry to gauge catches over the years and to even take measures to ensure sustainability of resources out there.
He maintained that fishermen are important assets to Guyana and added that the fishing industry will not be orphaned but it will be treated with as much importance as the other sectors that fall under the agriculture industry.
According to the minster the input of the fishermen is critical and as such their recommendations and suggestions will be accepted with open arms, in paving the way for a brighter future in the fishing industry.
“We have already had discussions with the Coast guard and MARAD earlier this month and we will engage you now to ensure that whatever actions are being recommended, you will have had your input considered so that the best solutions are presented.”
Further, Public Works Minister, Robenson Benn, addressing the fishermen at the convention said, it is important to have a more integrated arrangement among the authorities so that they can be effective in their quest of combating criminal activities at sea.
Benn said coming out of the meeting, the authorities were looking to adopt a more comprehensive database system to be on top with regard to the security of the fisherfolks.
He explained that it is important to have registered ships and continuous information showing the whereabouts of the persons working in this sector, to give the department an edge over any situation that may arise.
“People who have boats, the names, where they will be located at a particular time, we need to have this information on a continuous basis, so I hope that one of the things that we can agree on, is that we seek to provide more and more information through the database, not only at the level of the maritime department, but in the cluster from the authorities so that we can respond to crises in a more effective way.”
The minister said that if these steps were in place from the beginning, those unanswered and unfortunate attacks could have been preventable with timely information.