THE Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) have recently entered into an agreement to work collaboratively to rid Guyana’s waterways of the menace of vessels fishing illegally.

The GDF have reportedly intercepted a total of nine fishing vessels operating illegally in Guyana’s waterways, and those were dealt with according to law when the GDF, collaborating with the Fisheries Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, conducted a maritime patrol exercise from Georgetown to Anna Regina, Essequibo recently.

Among the laws being breached were those pertaining to registration and fishing licence, operating vessels that were not licensed for fishing purposes, operating with expired licences, and illegal use of anchor seines.

Persons found guilty of operating unauthorised vessels had their lines confiscated; while those who failed to produce their licences, or had expired ones, were warned and instructed to bring their operations into full compliance with the laws of Guyana. The illegal anchor seines were cut loose from the vessels of those operators using them and were discarded in the sea.

Coast Guard Commander Gary Beaton noted that the patrol was initiated after the GDF had received information that several persons were operating fishing vessels using the illegal anchor seines. He advised that drifting seines rather than anchor seines were permitted in accordance with Fisheries regulations.

He noted that the Coast Guard is an enforcement agency, and is obligated when called upon by relevant entities to give the desired support needed to ensure that vessels plying Guyana’s waterways are all operating legally and complying with laws and regulations governing their practice.

Beaton said that since the Coast Guard is not authorised to discard seines of boat operators, the collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries Division was a fitting decision.

No events of piracy have been reported during this exercise.