IF it is true that fish is the best source of nutrients, then our country could be described as one of the few in the world which is endowed with such wealth.
It is not by mistake that we lay claim to such wealth. We are quite in order to do so with deep gratification, especially when about 7,000 of the 83,000 square miles of the country’s area, is water.
It is for this reason that we subscribe to the fact that Guyanese enjoy rich water resources year-round. It is also on record that our fish industry has been doing well over the past years and continues to do so today with marked increases in production of fish and shrimp.
Although most of the catch is done by trawlers, significant amounts of fish and other marine products are caught by middle and small fishermen, with the last category mostly satisfying the needs for local consumption.
A visit to the market any day of the year, would testify to the rich water resource of the country, the presence of large quantities of fish and shrimp for sale to the people. Whether knowingly or unknowingly of the nutritional value, the Guyanese people purchase these marine products as sources of food.
Our fishing industry has made quantum leaps in the past, and even continues to grow today, and like our other natural resources, has continued to be a source of foreign exchange for our nation’s continued development.
The Guyana government and by extension the Ministry of Agriculture have been working closely with the players in the local fishing industry in efforts to further maintain and strengthen its importance to this country’s people and economy.
We wish to echo the sentiments of Agriculture Minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy while speaking at a fisherfolk convention last week when he said: “In terms of food security, the fishing industry provides a relatively cheap source of animal protein in the Guyanese diet, an essential element in meeting dietary needs, in meeting the caloric intake, and in meeting the balanced meal criteria.”
Like the sugar and rice industries, the fishing industry is also a great source of employment as it currently has under its umbrella, more than 15,000 Guyanese by way of direct and indirect employment.
It should be also noted that the minister quite correctly pointed out that the per capita fish supplied in Guyana exceeds 58 kg, as compared to the global average of approximately 17 kg.
This is good for Guyanese, as an average Guyanese consumes almost three times more fish than that made available to the global citizen. This is good for the healthy development of the people and country as a whole.
However, while all of this is happening, we must not lose track of the people who are directly involved and face the dangers which could descend on them while their docile cries for help will not reach a sympathetic ear.
We have heard several tales about piracy in the past, and there seems to be no end to this disgraceful kind of behaviour by fellow human beings.
The people are saying that since the government is acknowledging the importance of the fishing industry, then it must put appropriate measures in place to protect those fishermen who risk their lives to help the entire nation.