THE University of the West Indies (UWI) Trinidad Campus has indicated its willingness to assist Guyana as this country embarks on a drive to combat piracy this week.
And while the offer has not been formally made to the Ministry of Agriculture, which is responsible for fisheries in Guyana, subject minister, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, yesterday in an invited comment said Guyana would be willing to pursue the partnership with the UWI. A press release from UWI stated that their proposal involves the use of low-cost mobile smart-phone tracking technology that can link up ‘fisherfolk’ with Guyana’s Police and Defence Force.
Senior Lecturer Kim Mallalieu, from the University’s Department of Engineering, reported that the Department recently executed a presentation dictating the method used by Trinidad and Tobago fisherfolk, which entails the use of mFisheries application suite on their mobile phones to seek emergency response and also acquire specific advice on how to deal with technical glitches, such as engine failure and other related issues while at sea.
If Guyanese authorities were to move ahead with the UWI proposal, the mFisheries Mobile App would be customised for Guyana and the Guyanese Atlantic Coast and inland marine areas vulnerable to piracy would be “geo-fenced.”

COST FACTOR
However, Ramsammy noted that at the end of the day moving forward comes down to cost and what investment local fishermen are willing to commit to.
“This is the challenge we face. We have the availability of the technology, but people have to invest,” he said.
According to him, there also has to be some education, because the fishermen believe that if they sign on to this idea the “taxmen” will find them.
“If we are going to make ourselves safe we must be part of a formal system…and the VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) and any other technology we promote are not part of a tax system, we are not sharing any information,” Ramsammy assured.
Asked about Guyana’s efforts to combat piracy, he said: “Currently we are looking at various ways of addressing what has become a global problem. This is not a Guyana problem, it is not unique to Guyana, but a part of a bigger problem…it is a problem we have been addressing in various ways, including technology.
“We are presently testing the VMS, which is a device placed in the trawlers and is a part of the overall certification process, which is a global marine certification that requires VMS. We have succeeded with the trawlers, they are willing to make that investment.”
He added that the ministry has also invested in developing its human capital and currently personnel from the Fisheries Department are undergoing training in the VMS.
Ramsammy said: “We have five trawlers equipped with the VMS, as part of the training, which allows us to track where the vessels are and we hope by the end of the year we would have authorisation to use the equipment. At this point VMS would be a requirement for licensing.”
He added that no such agreement has been reached with the artisanal fishermen.
“They have not agreed to the investment. It has to be a business investment, a personal investment because the ministry cannot provide it for free,” he said.
According to him, UWI’s proposal is worth looking into, given the challenges in getting local fishermen to invest in such technological applications.
The UWI Department of Engineering has already adapted the mFisheries application to work in the Cook Islands in the Pacific and Trinidad and Tobago.
The tracking application is triggered when a user with the phone turned on, crosses the coastal boundary and then sends information packets to the server, periodically, to the web server.
The packets contain unique phone and SIM card identifiers that log the time, date and GPS location of the vessels. When the user goes out of cellular coverage, the tracking information is stored locally on the phone and then uploaded upon the person’s return to an area of cell coverage.
All registered mFisheries users are required to formally agree to authorise the Coast Guard to access their GPS coordinates.
When an SOS text message is sent, automatically phone calls, SMS and emails are sent to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard. Fisherfolk can also add other persons they would like to receive SOS alerts.
The mFisheries App suite also aids fisherfolk in locating fishing grounds, recording the types of available fish, to communicate with potential buyers and know the available prices.